The island paradise
Santorini has been something I always wanted to visit. I had seen beautiful pictures of sunset at Oia in a calendar, which made me wonder when I would be able to visit such beautiful places in my life. The image of Athens and Olympics seemed surreal, was another bucket list destination for me. I embarked on a solo trip combining Greece and Turkey
Best time to visit
Spring and Autumn to avoid extreme weather and crowds. I went in October, some places were still hot but manageable
Visa
Indians need Schengen visa with all the documents, formalities and consulate visits to enter Greece. I got mine done in Mumbai- got my visa within 3 days after submission
Getting In
Athens is the primary international airport. There are domestic flights to islands like Santorini run by Aegean air
Currency: Euro
I took EUR cash from India. You can also withdraw money from ATM if you have low/ no free transaction cards
Getting around
Public transport is very good in Athens and reasonably good in the islands.
In Santorini, you need to be prepared with ferry and bus schedules which are typically once in 1-2 hours. Start early so that you can cover many places in the day. A taxi from airport costed EUR 20 – that is the only option early morning or late night when buses are not running
Places to see in Athens
Athens was true to my imagination. With Acropolis on hill top and colorful streets lined with restaurants, it is one of the cutest European cities
- Acropolis and Agora: Acropolis is the identity of Athens which you see in all pictures. The ruins are relatively well preserved
Visit the museum in Acropolis. There are so many artefacts that I frankly lost track. The history is so rich, I am sure history buffs will have a great time here
- Olympic temple of Zeus
- Hadrian’s Library
- Hadrian’s arch
- Panathenaic stadium: Built of marble with 50k+ capacity. This is the place where Olympic torch flame is lit
- City tour where you can see the parliament, oldest house, St Fotini Orthodox church, Plaka for shopping and dining
Where I stayed
Pella Inn Hostel. This was close to Acropolis within 15 minute walk. There was an Indian restaurant Mirchi on the opposite side of the road where I had lunch and dinner
Places to see in Santorini
- Red beach at Akrotiri peninsula, to the southwest end of the island
- Black sand beach at Perissa
- Kamari beach
- Oia at northern end of the island for blue and white houses. Best to end the day here at sunset
Fira is the main bus hub to all these places above. Take pictures of latest timetables while at the station to plan your day
Santorini has beautiful sunrises too!
Where I stayed
Caveland, Karterodos: Cute place with blue and white colors, cactus plants. The key-chain with the room key was donkey shaped!
Things to know
- You will find many cats in cities similar to Turkey, but not that well fed
- You need to be bit more careful vs. other European countries with your belongings
- Islands are quite far from Athens. You need more than a week in Greece to cover a couple of them
- You can see olive trees across most islands like coconuts in Kerala
- Try out Greek cuisine and salads in Athens- they are really good
- Santorini has many donkeys around, used to carry luggage in older days
How much does it cost
I spent around $450 per person excluding international flights for 4 days
- Flights: $150 Domestic. International flight was on redemption. Expect to pay $500+ for revenue ticket
- Hotel :$50; $20-30 per night if backpacking
- Transport: $50 for buses in Athens and Santorini
- Visa: $100
- Food: <$50. I shopped at supermarkets
- Entry fee: $30