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 can drive from Athens to Kalamata easily if there's a problem with internal flights. The road is good now. Done it a few times.

Takes about 2.5/3 hours.

SunnyBaudelaire It was you patronising UK tourists to Greece. Assuming they ALL go to the islands. I was merely pointing out that's not where we are heading. Besides, there is no train from Athens to Kalamata. We don't want to travel by road as one of our party gets tremendously car/coach sick so we avoid it. ESPECIALLY on holiday.

What does agama sou mean?

yes there is a train from Athens to Kalamata!
At least there was a very few years ago.

and you 'merely pointing out where you were heading' sounded very superior and yes patronising. Just saying.

castles - thanks. unfortunately my youngest son gets desperately car/coach sick so we avoid long road journeys.

that train might well have been discontinued what with the economy the way it is. It was incredibly slow anyway.
I ahve tried to google it for you but not having any joy.

I don't know anything about trains, planes or automobiles in Greece but just Googled and found this: a) says there aren't any trains any more and b) gives details of a bus service, in case helpful (although it may be the Vomit Express if you've got someone with travel sickness in your party) www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g668021-i16943-k6773992-Trains_from_Athens_to_Kalamata-Koroni_Messenia_Region_Peloponnese.html

SunnyBaudelaire - You seem to insist there's a train service.

Percy - thanks. That's helpful.

Couldnt you get a direct flight to Kalamata?
I know some of the package companies go there and I think Easy Jet flies there too, not sure from which airport, probably in the London area.

We're heading out to Greece in August. I've always taken cash as there were never any atms in the places we go to

" You seem to insist there's a train service."

well there certainly used to be one. I have even been on that train! See my post of 14.28

As a eurozone resident I'm a bit at the idea that the Euro is suddenly not considered a hard currency.

Yes we have our problems and plenty of them but I don't know that Greeks are going to start refusing to accept Euros any time soon are they?

We're flying direct to Kalamata in a couple of weeks. Worried about carrying too much cash too.

Just seen this:

Important Announcement:
Tourists in Greece and travelers planning to visit will not be affected at all by the country’s recent developments, the Ministry for Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism said in an announcement on Monday, June 29, 2015.
Tourists staying in Greece and anyone with a credit card issued in a foreign country will not be affected by the measures to limit bank withdrawals newly imposed by the Greek Government, it said in a statement late Sunday night.
The statement informed “anyone visiting or about to visit Greece" that the capital control measures announced a few hours earlier "do not apply to those wishing to make transactions and withdrawals with a credit card issued in their home country."
Also note that all main Public Transport Means - Metro, Tram, Buses, Trolleys - (NOT the suburban railway) will be for free until the 6th of July.

That's all very well. But I also heard a lot of cash machines have run out of money and banks remain closed. To say tourists won't be affected.

Yes, please stay away, or even better; cancel your holiday so I can soak up that delicious warm sunshine by the pool by myself, and have those gorgeous beaches to myself, and I won't have to queue for the tavernas, and I can eat all the calamari; plate after plate of that gorgeousness and I won't have to share any of it with anyone

Please do stay away

I don't think foreigners can rely on extracting cash from cashpoints, even though foreigners aren't subject to the €60 capital control limit imposed on Greek nationals. You would need to take cash for your entire holiday