Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mainland (except in large cities) and on almost every island that has a permanent popula-
tion. Many domatia are open only between April and October.
From June to September domatia owners are out in force, touting for customers. They
meet buses and boats, shouting 'room, room!' and often carrying photographs of their
rooms. In peak season it can prove a mistake not to take up an offer - but be wary of
owners who are vague about the location of their accommodation.
Hostels
Most youth hostels in Greece are run by the
Greek Youth Hostel Organisation
( 210
751 9530;
www.athens-yhostel.com
; Damareos 75, Pangrati, Athens). There are affiliated
hostels in Athens, Olympia, Patra and Thessaloniki on the mainland, and on the islands of
Crete and Santorini.
Hostel rates vary from around €10 to €20 for a bed in a dorm and you don't have to be
a member to stay in them. Few have curfews.
Hotels
Hotels in Greece are divided into six categories: deluxe, A, B, C, D and E. Hotels are cat-
egorised according to the size of the rooms, whether or not they have a bar, and the ratio
of bathrooms to beds, rather than standards of cleanliness, comfort of beds and friendli-
ness of staff - all elements that may be of greater relevance to guests.
»
A- and B-class hotels have full amenities, private bathrooms and constant hot water;
prices range from €50 to €85 for singles and from €90 and up for doubles.
»
C-class hotels have a snack bar and rooms with private bathrooms, but not necessarily
constant hot water; prices range from €35 to €60 for a single in high season and €45 to
€80 for a double.
»
D-class hotels generally have shared bathrooms and they may have solar-heated water,
meaning hot water is not guaranteed; prices are comparable with domatia.
»
E-class hotels have shared bathrooms and you may have to pay extra for hot water;
prices are comparable with budget domatia.
Mountain Refuges
There are 55 mountain refuges dotted around the Greek mainland, Crete and Evia. They
range from small huts with outdoor toilets and no cooking facilities to very comfortable
modern lodges. They are run by the country's various mountaineering and skiing clubs.
Prices start at around €10 per person, depending on the facilities. The EOT (Greek Na-
tional Tourist Organisation) publication
Greece: Mountain Refuges & Ski Centres
has de-
tails about each refuge; copies are available at all EOT branches.
