The general concensus on Rhodes seems to be that ditching the Euro would be a good move,the locals seem to have never forgiven the govt. for what happened to their savings and investments when the switch was made from the drx.

I personally think the first 12 months would be extremely volatile,but psychologically speaking the Greeks would be more positive in their outlook,they're a very headstrong and proud nation and talk of the EU never goes down well,self-determination would be welcomed,celebrated even,they see themselves as a 'race' along with a nation and their pride is very dented throughout all this,even though the whole greek way of tax avoidance has largely caused it!

I've got my own opinions on the EU and the motives behind the entire entity and it's leaders, but i think if i start voicing them this thread could possibly escalate into war!

hi....do you think it would be much more expensive to holiday in greece....or cheaper....would the cost of living rise.... making SC holidays more expensive.....Im hoping to do a SC in Pefkos next year..

It was much cheaper doing SC in spain before the euro....compered to other EU countries like France and Germany.....but I hadnt got round to thinking about holidays in Greece in those days....more theme park holidays suitable for the children which meant spain...was Greece also cheaper for SC holidays beforer the euro....

The euro made it simpler to travel to and between countries ect in the EU....but it took away some of the competion between the countries that having their own currency affected....tweetie

Probably find a lot of people agree with you sam, just wont go into print on it. Good luck to the Greeks if they want to leave, I wish we could ! But fat chance of that though, I reckon there is a kind of brainwashing place that they send all the euro mps to in Brussels.

hi......the talk is about them defaulting...and also leaving the euro....not leaving the european union just ditching the euro and going back to the dracma......being like the UK in the EU but with our own currency....tweetie

EVERYTHING was cheaper in Greece before the euro but i think the same can be said for everywhere,i know Germany was cheaper with the DM,not sure about spain though,i've just been to benidorm and it was the cheapest place i've ever been,and that includes bar in the old town,clubs,you name it. As for post-euro,i don't think Greece can get much more expensive than it is now to be honest, it's already at the point where people are just not interested in going anymore,every single night for the last few years i've heard the same thing from tourists- "HOW MUCH?!?!",resorts like Faliraki,Laganas etc are among the cheapest in the country and even so you're looking at 5E for a 'proper' drink that can be had in spain for half that,also SC accomodation standards are,in a word,ridiculous,a tiny room with cheap and nasty furniture,a completely baffling and frustrating bathroom and shower and a virtually useless 'kitchenette' in my opinion does not cut the mustard anymore,not when compared to span,portugal,the canaries etc,even the newly built apartments are decked out in the same way and people just won't have it anymore,not when they can go to Spain and stay in a proper modern,spacious and well equipped apartment with seperate bedroom,full kitchen,proper bathroom and modern furniture,and free aircon too,all for less money than you'd pay for a greek hovel?

In my opinion the prices have peaked now,regardless of the euro v drx debate,i mean how long can you get away with charging that sort of money but not providing the sort of luxuries people have come to expect from your main rivals,this to me is a far wider issue to the tourist industry in greece than any talk of currency and austerity,people just simply cannot afford to pay it,so eventually they wont,euors and drx are the same thing if you're not getting any of either in your till.

I definatley agree on the Greek Accommodation front.

Tried to book last min one week holiday for 4 adults to Greece (it was for the first week in August).

A very basic studio in Zante was £550 per person, so £2,200 - now I know it was peak but............... looked around t'internet and I got a two bedroomed, fully airconditioned, 2 bathroomed luxury penthouse with two large terraces, a hot tub, 2 x 40" plasmas, american fridge freezer etc etc for £2,200 - no contest really. Whilst you dont spend long in a room, but you need it to wake in, sleep in and for a
few hours of an evening before you go out.

I know that Greece is a 3 hour flight and Spain 2 and a half but there was no comparison accommodationwise.

Tweetie Pie , our last two years have been s/c holidays in greece and we have found prices really reasonable ....this year we went t o Kalamaki on Zante and last year it was Hersonissos on Crete , compared to what we spent s/c in Turkey 6 years ago found Greece much cheaper, i think you have to pick which island you visit carefully as like most places home or abroad some are cheaper than others , over all for buying food in shops and eating out we couldn't fault it . We also got good exchange rates with no commission charges , i will go back to greece be it in the euro or drachma . We were paying between 2 and 2.5 euro for a pint of mythos , cocktails were 3 euro's , in one bar i was having a small jug of sangria for 3 euro's and out of that small jug i got 3.5 glasses , depending where you ate steak meals varied from 6.96 to 7.95euros but with this you got free bread , a small caraffe of wine your choice of red white or rose and a plate of fresh fruit , regardless of whether you ordered starters , or deserts..have never had this in any other country i have visited

I agree with llindy, I didn't find Kalamaki expensive this year- it was a nice surprise compared to what we were paying for food and drink in Olu Deniz, Turkey last year. The only reason i ditched Greece in its favour was because I thought it would be cheaper. My sis went to Kephalonia (not known as one of the cheapest Greek islands) and we compared prices when she got home. turkey was quite a lot more expensive.

When people say that Greece has got really expensive, I don't know what they can be eating or drinking, or indeed what prices they class as reasonable because personal experience has shown me it's just not the case

most people look at what their pound will buy...the answer is 35% less than 5 years ago BUT ITS THE SAME for all Euro resorts, its not that they have gone up so much as the value of the pound has fallen, price wise we found earlier in the year prices in local currency were on par with last year and the year before, but then we don't walk into the first seafront resort bar or tavernas, we go walkabout and find the locals own haunts [may not be as noisy or flash but good food and drinks at reasonable prices]

wiz

hi.....we did SC in pefkos in 2009 and thought was brilliant value....we ate out every evening and the prices for a 3 course meal including beer and wine was so cheap and good value there was nothing to gain by cooking our own.......think it was only about 9 or 10euros each....so I took cereal out with me for some of the family and I had greek yogurt with honey every morning for breakfast (my utopia mmmmm)....then we had local bread with cheese ect for lunch....then a main meal out in the lovely open air ,lamp lit resturants.....add a few drinks from a bar which had beer for 2euros before 9pm....we had no complaints....we ate out in Lindos one night the meal was a lot more expensive and nowhere near the standard we got in pefkos.....pefkos meals were like fresh home cooked....the lindos meal was like ready meal from the freezer....

Loved Pefkos holiday so much have decided to celebrate my 60th there next year....just for a week.....am working on it now.... it will need to be in school hols (handy that my birthay is end of july ) as youngest son will still be going college and one of family is a teacher......just worried it might be too hot and not enough to do for my little granson who will be nearly 2...

So thats what got me wondering about what effect Greece defaulting or ditching the euro would have on the greek cost of living.....and the cost of eating out ect.....tweetie

ps.....and what will happen if we book holiday then greece defaults (think this means it goes bankrupt)....or it ditches the euro and goes back to the DM....how the exchange rates will go ect

I agree Wiz that it's a lot more expensive than a few years ago but as you say, so is everywhere else.

everywhere else except spain,benidorm this summer was cheaper than in 2005,lanzarote last year was very cheap too,as was benalmadena in 2009.

As a comparison our group,4 lads,a week SC in PDC,we did e300 each,same group,week SC in alykes this year,out the same amount,same appetite for both food and beers,same amount of activities etc,we did e500 each.

Tsilivi last year,me and my GF,10 nights,we did e700 and were HB,Benidorm last week 11 nights SC,we did e600 each,and in tsilivi we were catered and at the very least had 1 meal a day in the hotel,sometimes 2,in my opinion it's the drink,it's shocking,and i know to the cent what they in/outgoings are in the average greek bar after doing the ordering etc for the last few years,it makes my blood boil!

It hasnt put me off booking for next June to Corfu.
Greece should never have joined the Euro - the everday man did not want to join.
Thank god we never joined and hopefully never will.

This thing has huge implications - and no-one, even the so-called experts, really knows what will happen. For example, if they leave the Euro, and do a massive default, will the Greek economy get into such a terrible state with huge devaluation, that mass emigration follows?
When their near neighbour Albania opened the exit door several years back after being a closed country for many years, huge numbers of teachers, doctors, nurses, and just about anyone young, qualified and employable, left the country to get more money. There was an exodus.
If Greece leaves the Euro, but stays in the EU, will there be mass migration to other EU countries?
It's something which will only become clear as time goes by.

Personally, I'm not now considering booking a holiday in Greece next year, even though I've been many times before, over a period of 32 years, and I always loved the country and the islands.
I want to know something of what a country is like before I commit to go
- and now I've absolutely no idea what Greece will be like next year.

I can always change holidays if the worse comes to the worse.
I agree with immigration, we will probably get more over here because we let the flood gates open to anyone!

hi ....there is a similar topic now running....maybe we should merge....what does our mod think...tweetie

With regards to the package holiday prices. We booked for the first 2 weeks of july (2012) back in may (When the holiday prices were released).- to zante -venus hotel.

2 adults, 2 weeks, bed and breakfast = £453.00 each= total £906 (Very happy with that price- as its voted no 1 hotel on trip advisor)

Today just checked the price of the exact same holiday=£774 each = total £1,548.00!!!!. An increase of £642.00!!!!



I would never ever pay that amount - not even for all inclusive!!!!

Belly

That's a big jump in price and is expensive considering the begining of July isn't even school holidays. You've had yourself a bargain. We stayed at the Venus in August this year- It was a great hotel, I don't think you'll be disappointed with your choice. if there's anything you need to know, just ask. Maybe in a new topic entitled venus Hotel

I have a feeling prices to Greece will go up to silly prices