To not want to book a holiday in Greece?

[AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons]

We are about to book our family holiday. We normally go to Greece. We normally fly Aegean Airlines on the second leg from Athens (and I can see no alternative). I can just see it all going horrible wrong if Greece doesn't manage to get a deal done with its Eurozone partners.

I think we should make other arrangements i.e. NOT Greeece. AIBU?

You could get a boat from Athens if you are going to one of the islands.

The whole country will not close down, they need tourists.

If it all goes horribly wrong, won't they be crying out for tourists with cash to spend?

I'm going in a couple of weeks, though with a British company for flights so that won't be an issue. I have no worries.

No, go spend money in Greece, they need it!

Yeah I think it's risky. The country will be massively affected if the banks crash. You'd obviously have to take cash to cover the whole trip and not rely on cards.

I was talking about this with a friend who has a background in travel journalism yesterday, and has already booked Greece with family later this summer. He said basically take shed loads of sterling and dollars and don't rely on anything that's run by the state for transport. Taxi drivers and small ferry services will probably bite your hand off for hard currency. His biggest worry is air traffic control going on strike, hence choosing a destination that can be got at by sea as well as plane.

Tbh I'd find it quite stressful to wander round with £2,000 cash on me. I think it'd be grim to be there in the midst of a crisis.

Why not book a holiday in Sicily, and take a boat trip to a Greek Island from there?

Yes, we can't rely on cashpoints dispensing cash, nor could we rely on restaurants etc accepting credit cards. So you would need to carry cash, of whatever denomination and negotiate the price. DOesn't sound very relaxing does it?

It would be so much easier to go to Corsica.

I always take cash to the Greek Islands. Sadly, I divvy it up into 14 envelopes, with the dates on. Then each member of my family tucks a few envelopes in their hand luggage. I always get a safe with my apartment. I take credit cards jusy in case i need them for a medical emergency . Hope This helps.

madmother - Why on earth do you divvy it up into 14 envelopes? Are you a Greek money launderer?

I always take cash with me to last the trip. Doesn't it cost you a shedload of money in fees to use your card multiple times a day abroad? The risk of losing your cash, which is greatly reduced with a few sensible precautions, surely doesn't outweigh the certainty of so many fees?

I totally get the envelopes - safer to transport if a case goes missing or you lose it/spill coffee. Easy to budget for each day. Brilliant!

YABU.

If Greece defaults on the payment due to be given to the IMF at the end of this month, the managing director of the IMF doesn't report this to the board until the meeting at the end of July (although you would hope that the board would already be aware!). So technically Greece won't have defaulted until the end of July (according to the BBC website).

There are so many possible permutations of what could happen with the economics that I think not going to Greece if you enjoy it, like it and want to go, would be a bit crazy.

I got back from Greece last week and the people are just happy to have tourists there spending money (although the resort I went to was quieter than it was the same time two years ago, when I last went). I just hope the negative press doesn't put people off going when Greece really does need people to go and spend money there

But a bank crash could happen way before the default. People are already withdrawing their money. If the banks go under or there are capital restrictions there is gong to be civic disgruntlement (remember the Athens riots a couple of years ago?) and it's going to make it hard for small businesses to keep their doors open. Prices will go up, as everyone will know foreigners have money. If you're mugged it will be hard to access extra funds. Cash for a family for one or two weeks including emergency funds is a lot to carry. Seems so stressful to me to plan a trip like this. I absolutely don't think the Greeks should be abandoned to their fate, but political lobbying is a more sensible way of helping them than visiting their country in the midst of political and financial disaster.

I'd still go personally- got back from Crete a few weeks ago and will probably go again later in the year. I always take cash on my holidays and never use cards. Aegean Airlines isn't state owned so I wouldn't be especially concerned about flights.

If it's going to really stress/ worry you and affect your enjoyment of your holiday though, then there are lots of other places to visit of course. I do think it's good to go other places anyway (though struggling to convince DH of this who just wants the same Greek holiday for the rest of his life).

Prices will go up, as everyone will know foreigners have money.

I doubt that. They aren't stupid, they'll know tourists have budgets and set amounts to spend. For any business thinking the best way to keep up their income is to raise prices, there will be two others wanting to attract tourists with appealing prices!

Idk I think if the banks do go (obviously something foreign powers will be working to avoid) hyperinflation seems likely, particularly in small, relatively isolated
Communities.

I would bet the other way - prices have been dropping with the uncertainty - but I suppose none of us really know!

Back to the OP: I wouldn't book if you're going to spend the next month or whatever glued to the news and worrying that you won't be able to fly. But if you're like me and not particularly worried, it seems the best time in years to take advantage of lowered prices and go to Greece.

I don't know. I was on honeymoon in Italy when Britain crashed out of the ERM.

Our cash quickly ran out and we couldn't withdraw money from ATMs or banks and there was a day or so where nowhere would accept our credit cards.

It was miserable. I'm not making light of the plight of refugees but that's as close to it as I'd ever want to come.

But everyone quickly changed and started to accept them. Good, because we'd have starved .

I'm sorry I can't be more help, but it was so long ago I can't remember much except it was a worry and then it wasn't.

I also agree with the people who've said that local traders will quickly adapt and snatch your hand off for a safe currency like Sterling or US dollars. Or other currencies. It's just those are the ones I can think of.

I would go to Greece but if you are looking for an island alternative, look at Hvar or Kurcula in Croatia.

Just beautiful.

(sorry - a bit off topic)

I would not go this summer.

I have been in Argentina when it defaulted, and it wasn't pretty. Lots of civil unrest, demonstrations (closed streets and shops, getting corralled into groups, tear gas), strikes. It was quite scary, not that I felt threatened, just overwhelmed (for example holding my baby and trying to hail a taxi, when all public transport went on strike, and I was in this throng of people trying to wave down a taxi. I only succeeded getting one as Argi's are wonderful to mums and babies so they said I could have the next one (I may have been crying ))

I would go to Greece, but not right now, this summer.

We're going to Greece in 4 weeks time. I'm not a worrier, I must admit, but I'm not worried at all, if there are problems, I'm sure we'll overcome them and the small businesses will be pleased to welcome us I'm sure.

Only change for us is that I will take enough currency to (hopefully) see us through, I won't rely on getting more out of the banks, although Greece is never somewhere we've used cards much anyway. I am also holding off buying any currency until the last minute, just in case euros are not so welcome!

I can't wait to go & am following TripAdvisor for any new season reviews and all have looked fab so far.

Take all your spending money in small denomination Euro notes and coins if you are going to Greece and you will be fine. If the Greek banks shut down everyone will be very eager to take your cash Euro notes but don't expect to get any change from a large note. Your credit card and travellers cheques will not work if the banks shut down though.

By the way don't accept or a least spend very quick the Euro notes denominated with the letter Y at the end of the serial number. They were issued in Greece. Many Germans sort their Euro notes keeping X serial number notes in safe deposit boxes as they were issued in Germany and they spend all other type of notes with other letter serial numbers.

Many Germans believe that when the Euro falls apart the X serial number notes will be re-denominated as Deutschemarks and other notes will be denominated into other weaker national currencies.

Guardian article, all is fine and tourists are welcome.

come and spend money