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?

Re my reply at 3.10 pm. I take my cash in dated envelopes to budget. Every evening I break into that days envelope so that I know I'll always have enough for that evenings dinner. Any left has to last the next day until the following evening. If we have any left over, I put it in the spare one. Last year we came back with money!! I'm a SP and just find this works for us

So looking ahead if they come out is Greece going to become a cheap destination again like it used to?< hopeful>

We love Greece but it's waaaay out of our budget these days with 3 kids.

If it did become cheaper it would surely become very popular which would in turn be good for Greece no?

Seems a bit unreasonable to hope that Greece ends up with a crap economy just so you can have a cheaper holiday Lily!

We went last year and the expense was the plane not the hotels btw.

On the bbc news yesterday it was saying if you go then don't take cards, take cash in small denominations and spread it around your party for security reasons. Shops and restaurants might close down if the banking system isn't operating but large foreign owned hotels might put measures in place to keep things running. Tourists are likely to be welcomed on the one hand but on the other hand there may well be protests and civil unrest which can get out of control.

My parents are there at the moment and haven't seen any problems.

Not really Red.Being in Europe clearly isn't doing Greece any good. Just wondering what will happen next and if maybe coming out and a booming tourist revenue would be better for them.

We have friends in the tourist trade who love Greece too and moan how extortionate everything is from food,eating out,hotels etc.

It's impossible to get a holiday for 5 in Aug for much cheaper than going to Florida and they say it's not great value when you consider we're all in Europe.It's mad and never used to be like that.

Anyhow I'd worry more re carrying big sums of money op and being robbed.Everybody will know tourists will be being advised to carry cash and they'll stick out like a sore thumb.

If I were in your shoes OP, I would give Greece a miss this year. You are fortunate that you haven't already booked so you could look at other options. This is your annual family holiday, why spend this precious time and money in a potentially stressful and uncertain situation. Even if everything works out ok you are going to spend the next few weeks glued to the news wondering what might happen. The truth is no one knows so why put yourself through that.

Greek Govt has been told it has to present an austerity plan including deep pension cuts to the Troika (IMF, ECB, EU Commission) before financial market trading opens tomorrow morning. If not the ECB will shut the ELA facility which means Greek banks including cash machines will close.

There has been a bank run going on now for several weeks and only with constant cash infusions from the ECB have the Greek banks stayed open. Without ECB support the Greek banks will literally run out of Euro so will not be able to give to customers any cash even if they have positive balances in their accounts.

This is a carbon copy of what happened in Cyprus.

I am also worried about this - we are due to fly out in four weeks.
We don't normally take loads of cash but draw out every few days from an ATM. Even with charges it feels safer to us than carrying a lot of cash.
Our villa has a safe but even so, I don't know whether to take sterling, dollars or euros. If Greece crashes out of the EU, surely our Euros will not be accepted anywhere?
I wasn't overly worried a few months ago when we booked - it never really crossed my mind as we go to Greece every year - but now I'm beginning to feel quite anxious.

I'm in Greece now on an island

My only advice would be to book agean for the whole thing as otherwise transfer isn't guarunteed in the case of delays. We missed our transfer and agean put us up in the 5* Sofitel at Athens airport and we got the first flight the next day. Apparently if we'd booked Easyjet to Athens as we'd originally planned we'd have been screwed.

I don't think I would. If you take large amounts of cash there is always the risk of being robbed. I'm a bit of a one for thinking the worst but even DH said not a chance when I asked if he'd go. Also how does anyone know if there wouldn't be a run on fuel if the money system crashes.

Just got back from Greece
It is fine and really cheap in comparison to Spain or France.
Very very safe too.

We've decided not to go this year, sadly. Like others have said, we generally take cash and traveller's cheques (do they even still exist?!) rather than cards - easier to budget that way.

I absolutely love Greece, and am determined to go next Summer!

Apparently international cards are not subject to capital controls but it's a moot point as many cashpoints are empty.

And now there are massive queues for petrol.

I live in Greece (Santorini) and its business as usual here, no strikes no civil war and no marauding gangs mugging tourists for wads of cash in broad daylight.

It is always better to carry cash in Greece, mainly because alot of places don't accept credit cards and the ones that do will usually give you a better price if you pay in cash for clothes, gifts etc.

agapimou I don't think anyone said anything about marauding gangs or mugging tourists. Encouraging people to carry cash is hopeless. That's Greece's big problem, the cash economy. Offering discounts to people to pay cash so that it doesn't go through the books.

A friend who is on a temporary assignment in Athens says many cashpoints are out of cash. So if you are going to Greece don't rely on the fact that international cards are not subject to the €60 capital control limit.

YABU - what is the worst that can happen?
Just take cash with you.
Honestly this hoo har about British holidaymakers as though they were the only important people in the world has gone on long enough.
Take a ferry to the islands like normal people do

if you 'can see no alternative' to flying on from Athens to the islands, I do not even know why you want to go there on holiday.
Sorry I love Greece and really admire the Greek people.

SunnyBaudelaire - we don't go to the islands, like everyone else. We fly on to Kalamata.

'you fly on to Kalamata' well good for you - take a train or bus then

and please do not try and patronise me about your destination in Greece - it won't work.....
agami sou

I bet you call it Karlamarta

My advice would be:

1. Take a small-ish amount (about 25% of your total funds) in low denomination Euro coins/notes.

1. Split the rest fairly evenly between sterling and US Dollars. Hard currencies that will always be able to be traded (because if the dollar AND the pound goes belly-up at the same time, there's far more to worry about!).

1. Offer the £/$ first. If they don't want them, then go with the euros. There will be some people who don't want the hassle of having to find someone to exchange with, whereas others will want the stability of the hard currencies.

1. Have a fabulous time.