Image by Titanas via Flickr
Mark Malby embarks on a self-drive Odyssey through the land of Antiquity
ACCORDING to legend, it took Odysseus 10 years to wind his way back home to Greece after the Trojan war. Modern vacations, alas, offer us no such luxury of time. With a limited hoard of annual leave, it's best to pack as much as possible into that one- or two-week holiday.
Which is why a self-drive vacation offers so many advantages. You can set your own agenda and see all the places you want, for as long or as little as you like. There's no tour-guide behind the wheel.
Greece is particularly well-suited to the self-drive vacation. Striking scenery, reasonable rates - typically 25 euros ($51.50) to 90 euros per day - and a highway system that's big enough to take you there, but small enough to remain personal. No Autobahn or LA freeway gridlock here. Once you're out of Athens, the roads can be mercifully clear.
As for where to go, Greece offers a plenitude of possibilities - north, south, east or west. Here are some highlights:
Lemons above Napflio
Athens
Most journeys to Greece begin and end in Athens. It's worth spending a few days here as there's much to see, though driving through its congested streets can be burdensome. Public transit is sufficient to get around and see the sights, especially if you're staying somewhere central like the Plaka (a short walk from the Acropolis, the subway, and the best al fresco dining this side of the Adriatic). Save your car rental for when you leave the capital or arrive at your next destination.
Cycladic Islands
These postcard-perfect islands of white-and-blue Greece are what you invariably find on travel posters and in winter dreams. Scattering south into the blue Aegean toward Crete, each island has its own distinct character. The stylish Venetian architecture of Syros seems a world apart from Mykonos' narrow, whitewashed streets, or Santorini's picturesque villages that sit like snow atop a rugged brown island.
Renting a car on these gives you the freedom to explore parts you'd never see as a foot-bound (or bus-bound) tourist: Remote beaches, hilltop wineries and ruins that don't even appear in the guidebooks. There's nothing quite like standing beside your car in the cool wind at the island's peak, watching the villages and blue sea and loose geometry of farmland far below.
Rolling hills of Arcadia
The green hills of Arcadia have long been synonymous with an idyllic paradise, and it's not hard to see why. Driving past groves of olive trees, ruined castles and grazing sheep, you almost expect the sound of pan-pipes to come lilting down from the hills.
With towns whose names resonate with history - Mycenae, Argos, Sparta and Corinth - each roadsign marks a door to the past. Having a car lets you bypass infrequent bus services and explore the sites at your leisure. Peloponnese also offers ski hills, wineries, great food and scenic coastlines - or picturesque towns such as Nafplio, with its offshore fort and brooding castle.
Admittedly, telling your friends "I drove to Sparta yesterday" has a cool ring to it, even 2,000 years down the road.
Thessaloniki & the North
For a side of Greece that's a world apart from tumbledown white villages, olive groves, and ruined antiquities, head north. Rugged pine forests, narrow switchback mountain roads, and a rocky coastline beckon. Thessaloniki is a surprisingly modern, cosmopolitan city whose citizens dress the part and seem to spend the better part of the day in high-profile cafes. The mountains and wilderness up here would not look out of place in Canada, and feel decidedly more Balkan than Bacchanalian.
For a holiday, there's nothing quite like the freedom of being on the open road, setting your own pace and blissfully escaping the tyranny of tours. Greece, as a destination offers numerous worlds to explore. If you get as far as Alexandroupolis in the far north-east, then you're already at the gates of Turkey, with Istanbul only hours away. But that's another Odyssey altogether.
Fira village
WEEKLONG GETAWAY
Greece is no mere weekend trip. Even a week or two won't let you won't cover all of it. Choose your region: a leisurely amble through picturesque island chains, the green hills of Peloponnese, or else the rugged north coast. Spring and autumn 'off seasons' make for the best, unhampered driving, letting you avoid summer crowds and winter snowfalls.
Stay: Greece has its big-name hotels, but smaller motels and B&Bs are more atmospheric. Book ahead during peak season, especially summer. Rates on Santorini range from an affordable 25 euros for an off-season B&B to a staggering 550 euros for a 17th century cave villa.
Do: Self-driving through Greece offers you the freedom to explore at your leisure. See storied ruins straight from the history books. Dine on hearty local fare. Taste the cosmpolitan café life - or discos - of Athens, Thessoloniki, and the islands. Ride boats on the blue Aegean or a donkey through olive groves. And don't forget your camera.
Donkey in Greece
Go
Where: Greece
Currency: $1 is 0.49 euros
Big Mac, cost: 3.31 euros ($5.65)*
Getting there: Athens is 10 hours from Singapore. There are few direct flights, though Singapore Airlines does offer an undiscounted fare of $1,900, before taxes.
Mainland centres like Nafplio or Thessaloniki can be reached from Athens, though it's a long stretch. For island driving, it's best to rent cars on arrival.
* Source: McDonald's, The Economist Weeklong
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From TODAY, Living – Weekend, 29/30-Aug-2009
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