Lonely Planet Greek Islands [Paperback]

David Willett (Author), Carolyn Bain (Author), Michael Clark (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lonely Planet Greek Islands | Publication Date: March 2004

This guide covers all the Greek Islands. It provides in-depth information on inter-island ferry routes for island hoppers, with special sections on Greek art, mythology, history and culture, as well as place names in Greek script and a practical language guide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...for the adventurous traveler who wants to live like a native.' --Real Simple Magazine, June 2005
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Destination: Greek Islands

The Greek Islands have long been one of Europe's favorite holiday destinations. It's hardly surprising: with more than 1400 islands scattered around the blue waters of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, there's something for everyone. For some it's the opportunity to explore the remains of some of Europe's oldest civilizations. For most people though, the greatest attraction is the lure of sand, sea - and more than 300 days of guaranteed sunshine a year.

Every island is different. The scenery can vary dramatically, from the semitropical lushness of the Ionian and Northeastern Aegean Islands, to the bare, sunbaked rocks of the Cyclades. There are party islands, quiet romantic islands, islands for walkers, islands for windsurfers, islands for history buffs, islands for gays and islands for lesbians. There's an island for everyone - the challenge is to find it, and that means island-hopping, using Europe's largest ferry network.

The islanders have retained a strong sense of tradition: tradition and religion were the factors that kept the notion of Greek nationhood alive during hundreds of years of foreign occupation, and Greeks have clung to their traditions more tenaciously than most. The traditions manifest themselves in a variety of ways, including ornate regional costumes and energetic festivals, where people express their joie de vivre through dancing, singing and feasting.

Festival time or not, the Greek capacity for enjoyment of life is immediately evident. Food and wine are plentiful, and Greeks love to eat out with family and friends. All this adds up to the islands being one of Europe's most friendly and relaxed destinations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 3rd edition (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740594738
• ISBN-13: 978-1740594738
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,292,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Complete and Very Indestructable, September 25, 2000

By 

Eric Antonow (Palo Alto, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Greek Islands (Paperback)

Finally a guide built for travelling. Stitched and perfect-bound to endure many one-handed readings, drops and spills. Used this for a few Cycladian islands and Athens, on a mid-level budget and was as satisfied as can be. Great recommendations -- what to do and what is a waste of time (very helpful) and they seem to find a number of gems off the beaten path. I can't say enough about the maps which are included for every island and most towns. Every other guide seems to think that this is non-essential information, leaving you to hunt for a local map at your ports of call. Buy this ahead of planning the trip as their direction and suggestions may have a significant impact on your itinerary.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to the Greek islands!, September 2, 2005

By 

David Lundberg "author of OLYMPIC WANDERING" (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Greek Islands (Paperback)

Like its companion book (Lonely Planet Greece), this is an excellent guide (but just to the islands)! It is concise, reads very easily, and gives good common-sense recommendations on what to see and where to stay. It is as up-to-date as you can reasonably expect with changing prices and euro/dollar fluctuations. A very, very practical guide from the budget tourist to middle class. Excellent pictures, very good maps, a fine job! It reminds me, in a way, of the Michelin guides to Europe. Having said that, Lonely Planet Greece gives you basically the same information on the islands, plus mainland Greece, for just a few dollars more. So unless you are flying into Athens and going only to the islands, you are probably better off with the parent book.

Reviewed by David Lundberg, author of Olympic Wandering: Time Travel Through Greece

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely useful book during my 3 month Greek Isle trek, March 14, 2002

By 

MarkHokieSnake "Mark" (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Greek Islands (Paperback)

I spent the entire summer of 2000 backpacking the Greek Isles. This book was an indispensable tool over the course of 15 different islands and Athens. Most of the travelers I encountered (a few Americans and loads of Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, Swedes, and more) had this exact book. The lodging details, maps, recommendations, and descriptions were very accurate- as accurate as you can be in a compact package such as this. I entered my journey relatively unprepared and this book was truly a lifesaver. I was living in Italy when I started and just "winged it" from there. With this LP Guide, I was able to be quite spontaneous and just look up details of upcoming islands as I needed. The other travelers I encountered who used this book were also universal in their praise. Any travel guide that can help me this much for 3 months is, I repeat, indispensable. Now do yourself a favor and don't do what the typical American traveler does which is i)staying just a day on each island, ii)only seeing Athens, Santorini and Mykonos, and iii)trying too hard to cram 10 European destinations into 10 days. Take some time off and appreciate the cultures! Enjoy.