11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and easy to understand, September 15, 2009
This review is from: Fodor's Greek Islands, 1st Edition: With the Best of Athens (Travel Guide) (Paperback)
I have a number of Greek travel books, and this is the best one by far. Having a package that includes the Greek islands and Athens (where most foreign travelers go first before heading to the islands) is especially nice. There is so much information, the only real things that are left out are some of the smaller islands that aren't visited as much and, as another reviewer said, really in-depth maps. I doubt they could fit them all in one book and still be so comprehensive. The book is split up by region (Athens, Dodecanese, Cyclades, Sporades, etc.). At the beginning of each section there's the top five or so reasons to go to that destination, a small summery of its geography, a small map, and pictures. On the following page there are interesting facts (with Crete, for example, a small article about shopping there), how to make the most of your time, and more small articles which are different for each island that range from discussing quality of lodgings, to an article about the foods of that region, and when to go. The chapter then splits up by island (or section for larger islands) and each of these is split up by city (with approximate location ie "80 km (50 Mi) east of Heraklion". These sections describe the various sights and resturants (each with its own description). Many include phone numbers, websites, and times/months when they're closed. It does the same with hotels, specially listing if a hotel has wi-fi or a refridgerator. These also have price ranges included. Each island has its own section on shopping and nightlife/arts. Then it concludes with explanations of various means of travel in that group of islands: air, moped, car, ferry. It follows this with a list of contacts for things like emergencies, media there, tour options, etc. There's also a 29 page section on various cruises. What I found most impressive with this book was that it had a somewhat laid-back, even humorous, tone (no snobby I-know-everything-about-travel style) and it treated Greece with dignity. Some travel books seem to think of the islands as some vacation to be conquered, a flurry of detached museum visits and getting drunk at a disco, without the enjoyable aspects of a vacation that engages the culture of the people, the food, and the landscape to make it more enriching. And yet the book is not boring, and it highlights modern sights as well as ancient. The (multiple) writers talk in depth about the various places as if they have been there not too long ago and with cautions against mistakes travelers can make, but without seeming to talk down to you. In fact the book is, at times, actually funny. It is filled with fun facts (and not just the same old ones about Greek gods or archeaology) and many articles, especially in the introduction, discussing things like the problem of fires in Greece, smoking, customs of the people, modern art, public displays of affection, being part of the European Union, siestas, temperature, and a four page article about Greek food to name a few. At the end of the book there's a 37 page section of important information including mail, tipping, customs/duties, electricity, calling outside and inside of Greece, tranportation, tours, booking your trip with a travel agent vs. internet. (There's also a very small section of basic Greek phrases and, of course, an index). All around this book has a huge amount of well-organized information and is interesting, too.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ok..., February 15, 2009
This review is from: Fodor's Greek Islands, 1st Edition: With the Best of Athens (Travel Guide) (Paperback)
The book is easy to read and well organized. The Athens section looks pretty good. However, it didn't feel like there was enough info for Santorini & Naxos, which are the only ones I read. There were no detailed maps of the island cities & only a few things to see & few places to eat/sleep.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, July 5, 2010
This review is from: Fodor's Greek Islands, 1st Edition: With the Best of Athens (Travel Guide) (Paperback)
I enjoyed the Fodor's Greeek Islands book, however, the book seemed as if it had been wet before and the pages were turned up and crinkled a little.
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