A Solo Female Traveler's Guide To Greece

[Angela_L]

In this topic we’re talking about The Solo Female’s Guide To Greece

Not only do we want to recommend the best Greek island for solo female travel, but we also want to show you what else this amazing, ancient acropolis has to offer. Today, we’ll tell you why traveling to Greece alone should be at the top of your travel list, and how pet sitting could be the best way to blend in with Greek culture.

So, we say kalos irthate (καλως ηρθατε) - that’s welcome in Greek - and invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy our tips on solo travel to Greece.

A solo female traveler's guide to Greece

Solo, as a couple or a family, how you travel is not important it’s who you take along with you, in person or in your heart …

No matter how you travel we want to hear about your Greek travels

[ziggy]

I travel solo and spent a few weeks in Greece, starting my journey in Athens, as one does. Did all the touristy things and stayed in a hostel in the centre of Athens so I could walk to most of the sites.

It is a crazy big city and I wouldn’t say the locals were particularly friendly though I guess dealing with needy tourists, day in day out, can be taxing! The Acropolis was amazing as was the museum before the entrance. Glad to hear they are now capping the number of visitors to the Acropolis at any one time as it really is THAT overcrowded, but if course, a “must see”.

Took an overnight ferry to Santorini which I must say was a highlight, sleeping on a row of chairs but also spending so much time on deck watching the other islands as we approached etc The ferries are wonderful and I would have been happy to stay on board a few more days. You can go almost anywhere in Greece on their ferry system.

Arriving at Santorini you are literally mobbed by touts for transport up as it’s impossible almost to climb up or walk. PLEASE do NOT ride the donkeys up the hill, they are not well cared for and carry loads no animal should ever have to, it’s really sad to see a small donkey carrying a 100kg human plus belongings, up a sheer cliff face.

Stayed at a fabulous hostel in Perissa which is at the other end of the island to the tourist centres of Oia and Fira - great decision! Fabulous small village with lots of bars and restaurants along the waterfront. Coming from Queensland where we have silica white sandy beaches, it took a lot of effort getting used to black stones and sand on the beaches there, impossible to walk on barefoot.

Hired a car and drove to Oia and got the picture perfect postcard photos (it really is stunning) but left before sunset as it is crazy madness with people there then. Drove back to Perissa where I went to The Lighthouse to watch the sunset and amazing views of all Santorini, with only a few other people.

Back in Athens I hired another car and drove around the mainland, up and over mountains that nobody would dare to drive, but me lol
Stayed at the base of the mountains in Meteora which has to be one of the most incredible places ever. How they built those places on top of huge single rock formations is simply amazing.

Drove and stayed in all the small, local areas which is where I prefer to stay when travelling so I got to eat and be as the locals do.

Back in the craziness of Athens where I got ripped by an Airbnb host, it’s a cut throat city catering to the tourist IMO and I was glad to leave.

So that’s my story in a nutshell. Obviously lots in between but that was the highlights. Highly recommend hiring e car and driving around the country. The roads are just unbelievable, so many lanes, everyone does the speed limit and best of all, they keep to the correct lane when not overpassing! Soooo many tolls though, every short amount of klms then there would be another toll, cost me a kidney in toll fees As I am Australian and we drive on the left, it took some time to get used to driving on the right and so hard in the madness of Athens but I survived.

A month in Bali to finish off that particular trip which was a reward in itself, far from the madding crowds (same same but different in Bali)

So Greece is definitely a must see on anyone’s bucket list, so many islands to choose from, you could stay for weeks on end, but I like to get around to the places people DON’T visit, that’s where you will find the real Greece.

So why do we love Greece and travel? This is why

[Cuttlefish]

Solo girls trips around Greece are magic! totally with @Angela_L & @ziggy A few pics from a three month solo trip around the Cyclades & Small Cyclades a few years ago……#doitladies

Folegandros

Koufinisia

Amorgos

Milos

Naxos

Paros

[Catgoddess_99]

Perfect timing to share this article as I’ve been looking into heading to Greece after my first overseas sit in March. I’ve already begun checking out airbnb 's on Crete.

[ziggy]

@Catgoddess_99 don’t forget to check out Booking.com for hostels on Crete. You will meet other great travellers, good times and very cheap! Hostels aren’t like years ago, they are more like shared hotels now. I still use them when travelling the world and I am NOT young Also check the weather, which of course I know you would, but could also be the perfect time to be there. Just being Mumma bear

[Catgoddess_99]

I’ve already checked out some airbnb’s that are great and not that expensive.

[Cuttlefish]

Yes to @ziggy’s advice. The hostel world app is good & every 10 nights on hotels.com gets you a free one too Crete is beautiful, huge, has its own style & fiercely wants independence. Elounda, Rethymnon & Matala are all good stops @Catgoddess_99

[Catgoddess_99]

I’ve used booking.com for year’s too and am a VIP level. I prefer off season when I travel.

[ziggy]

@Cuttlefish good additional information. I find booking.com even cheaper than Hostel World in my experience. Also I love the free cancellation on most places which I’m sure the others have also. I am a tier three as Catgodess is, and probably anyone that travels often, so the discounts can be quite substantial and some with free upgrades, breakfasts etc All much of a muchness though in the end probably though.

[ziggy]

As do I prefer off season, Catgodess

[Cuttlefish]

I’m a bit of a search engine tart for want of a better word @ziggy Genius 2 for booking.com - Gold for hotels.com and 100 reviews & super host for Airbnb -#fickleastheycome That last, long Greece trip was during covid so the accomm was crazy cheap as you can imagine!

[ziggy]

@Cuttlefish oh myself also. I’m well known as the research queen

During covid, we weren’t ALLOWED to travel outside Australia or even our own States, so I ended up with the most magnificent places to stay also for next to nothing. Places that would normally be like $AUD2,500 a week, I was paying $AUD275 a week. Beachfront apartments brand new high rise on the Gold Coast mainly. I also got to swim with the Whale Sharks in peak season with barely another soul around, unheard of!

I recently said to someone that Covid was not necessarily a bad thing for me personally

You were very lucky to be able to travel at that time, particularly to Greece, as I can only imagine how cheap it was. They are/were in financial crises before covid so I can only imagine what it did for their economy during.

[Amparo]

In 2019, about 18 months into full time, non-stop home and pet sitting, I realized this wasn’t a job, so hard to break old habits, and that I could really go and do whatever I wanted. I booked an 11 day Mediterranean cruise and then tacked on a week in Civatavecchia, Italy before the cruise and a week in Santorini after the cruise.

I was, as always post family, traveling alone. The cruise was part of an event and I was “matched” with what they felt was the “perfect” roommate, another retired nurse. (Insert eye roll). No offense to anyone but that no longer “matches”. On the ship I did meet some incredible, fun and happy people, most much younger than me.

When I went to Rome to board my flight, I found that some of these lovely young people were on the same flight to Santorini. We laughed almost the whole way over.

My family owned hotel was on the other side of the island right on the coast of the sea. In Cyclades. The most sparkling color of green clear water that was being pumped into the hotel pool. They provided breakfast, all you can eat, free transportation to Thira and back several times a day.

The hotel was far from the tourist crowds and noise. I was able to have lunch prepared just for me poolside. There was a wonderful restaurant just a short walk away right on the beach with inside as well as outside dining, on the sand with tables lit by candles, torches and starlight. I sat there convinced that the meal was enhanced by the sea air, the wine by the very handsome and young Greek waiter who smiled broadly offering me his name and phone number, just in case I needed anything.

I can’t speak a word of Greek but I know how to smile and nod. There were enough people who knew enough English. I did see my cruise friends once in Thira and we had dinner together, which was heartwarming.

Mostly I spent my time alone. I walked in the heat through hillsides with wild horses. Some times in the wee hours before dawn, I would go to the fishing piers. There I saw spectacular sunrises and the dances of swans before the disturbances of men on their boats.

One day I decided to walk along the rocky coastline to get closer to what looked like a series of caves. I walked for a long time, stopping and sitting on rocks when I felt like it. I felt so calm and was in no rush, just enjoying the moment. Without realizing it, the tide came in and well I was stranded for several hours on some of those rocks. When I was able to, I kept going till I reached the caves.

On the way back, I used the paved roads.
But most definitely will always choose the road less travelled.

It was one of the highlights of my life.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you, you can’t or you shouldn’t.
Life is happening now, don’t miss it.

Thanks @Angela_L for bringing this forward.

Gosh almost forgot, flight RT was less than $100 and hotel was about $120 for the week.

[ziggy]

@Amparo great story and pics

Thanks @Angela_L now I’m reaaaally nostalgic and ready to hit the frog and toad (slang for the road)

[Amparo]

Thank you. I am really enjoying “getting to know” more women like you and me, independent women. Ironically, these last few days I have been exploring going back to Greece as well as other places I think I would enjoy experiencing.
I’ve met quite a few women who in my travels, have inspired me.

[ziggy]

Yes, I agree. I also started full-time travel in 2019. None of my friends or family “get me” so all my stories and dreams are now becoming a part of my life on this Forum. Sorry everyone lol In 2012 I took my first joint trip with a friend to India and Nepal and it was THE worst experience of my life. Never again and have travelled solo ever since. The places I want to visit people think I’m mad, 5 Stans next for example, I’m mad! I was mad when I went three times to Egypt and I was/am mad really for going pretty much anywhere that didn’t fit the “tourist mould”. I, also, am considering going back to India, to experience it solo instead of how I did it last time. It was never our journey, always just hers, so I was just tagging along basically. Follow your dreams and always…keep on going, keep on growing

[Amparo]

Well we can take this to another thread I keep meaning to go back to. This is a very important subject worthy of discussion, even on a pet related forum. There are many women pet sitters of various backgrounds and lifestyles who really would like to do more in the way of where they travel to.
In my travels since very early on, I was a travel nurse for 19 years, I travelled alone across country in my private vehicle.
Through the years I have heard it all.
How could you?
Don’t you get scared, lonely? Do you carry a gun? Etc etc.
I have met women who are afraid to drive or even go out after dark. All varying degrees of living. Neither right or wrong.
The difference is when a woman wants to but stops herself for whatever reason.
I understand because I wasn’t always this way. I wasn’t born fearless (or reckless), I learned out of necessity, desire and doing.
We overcome ourselves, our fears, by learning and doing.

And on that note I will say that in all my years traveling alone, the most unfortunate events I have experienced occurred in my own home country in my familiar places.

[ziggy]

@Amparo definitely we are off topic here so yes, a separate thread sounds good. I so relate to everything you wrote, all of it, so we shall keep it all for the proper thread. Take care and safe travels

[Angela_L]

@Amparo @ziggy …

The topic title has been “enhanced” so please continue the conversation or continue >>> here Solo woman travellers - #27 by Angela_L

Either way we love hearing about member’s experiences so please keep the conversation going … in this instance “Less is NOT more”

[ziggy]

Oh @Angela_L , many have lived to regret telling me to keep talking but fortunately have survived to tell the tale But I do look forward to hearing other members stories, I am enthralled already by what has been written to date.

Come on ladies, more stories please!