Rick Steves Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese Paperback – June 23, 2020

My husband and I decided to go to Greece for our honeymoon in 2020, but we didn't want to pay an insane amount for a tour guide everywhere we went. We also had NO idea what exactly to do in the areas our tour guide set us up in. We went to more areas than this book covers however I'll focus on the 3 that we used, Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens. We used the book sparingly in Santorini as we didn't have a ton of time there due to flight delays. In Mykonos we used it to find beaches that best fit us, some food places, and even to translate a few things. We ended found the island Delos from this book and the map within saved us a good deal of wandering. In Athens this book was a godsend. The maps for all the ruins were amazing and had great detail. Super easy to follow and not as confusing as maps provided. This includes a map of the city. We learned so much more on our trip using this book than we would have without it. And saved us quite a bit of money too. The only thing I'd wish for is that he'd mark his recommended food spots on a map too. I didn't see them in the book, and those were the hardest for us to find without turning data on, on our phones.

After reading some of the reviews, I feel the need to defend this guidebook. For starters, there is NOTHING misleading about the content. The title of the book tells you exactly what is covered: the capital of ATHENS and the towns/sites found within the PELOPONNESE, which is connected to the mainland and southwest of Athens. Those towns/sites include: Nafplio, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, Kardamyli and the Mani Peninsula, Monemvasia and Delphi. There are a few throwaway chapters on Hydra, Mykonos and Santorini, but for the most part if you want more detailed information on Crete or any other Greek island, look for a book specifically on the GREEK ISLANDS. Complaining that there's no information on anything that ISN'T Athens or within the Peloponnese would be like buying a guidebook titled: "Italy: Venice and the Veneto" then complaining that there's no information on Rome or the wine region including Tuscany.The book itself is tremendously informative, well-written and beyond useful. Most people traveling to Greece consider Athens a stopover city where they go to see the Acropolis and leave for the islands within 48 hours. Rick Steves does an excellent job of listing other interesting sites within Athens that deserve attention and can quite frankly take 3-4 days to see. Rick also does a good job of informing you that Greece has more to offer than just Athens, Santorini and Mykonos. The Peloponnese sounds so interesting that on my next trip to Greece I plan to rent a car and spend at least three days exploring the region. If you want more detailed information on Athens and the Peloponnese, this is the guidebook for you. If you want more information on anything that ISN'T Athens or found within the Peloponnese, there are other guidebooks that cater to your specific needs.

I used this book to create, plan, and venture throughout all of Greece during my 17-day honeymoon. It was amazingly informative and so worth it! We started in Athens (4 nights), took a ferry to Hydra (2 nights- wish we did 3 nights), took a ferry to Ermioni and picked up a rental car and the drove to Nafplio (2 nights), we stopped at Epidavros on our way to Nafplio and then stopped at Mycenae on our drive to Olympia (2 nights-def could shorten to 1 night), we then drove to Delphi (2 nights-also could shorten to 1 night), then returned our car at Athens airport and flew to Mykonos (4 nights). We used his book for EVERYTHING except Mykonos. His recommendations, tips, and guided tours were awesome. I definitely went “off script” for Mykonos, but he even admits that his book isn’t the best for Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, etc.

I liked that this book was made to be torn apart in sections so you only have to carry that day's section with you and you can toss the parts of the book that don't apply to what you are doing. Steves' audio guide for Agora was wonderful and increased our enjoyment. It was a bit winded though and a little less commentary between explanations would have been great.The drawback was there wasn't enough on the islands and we would have appreciated it all in one book. I also bought a Fodor's and a Lonely Planet Guide and found they each brought something different to the table. I would probably go with the Lonely Planet one along with the Steves' book and highly recommend getting more than one guide book.

Like Rick Steves’ Italian travel guide, this was just as great. Extremely informative and well organized. Plenty of good advice, maps, graphics and tips. Buy it a month before you leave and be prepared for a memorable vacation full of history and pleasure. I stayed for 3 weeks. I used this guide along with Frommer’s guide to plot my entire 3-week itinerary on my own. It worked out perfectly. I did not need to pay a professional guide for their ideas. I saw so much history in 21 days I could not believe it. I knew exactly what to do and how to do it. Do not forget Italy and Rick Steves book. The Rome version is also a must. You can also watch his numerous shows and podcasts on Greece, which I did in detail.

We always travel with Rick's guides. His step by step guides through the famous places are fantastic. His insights on where to look, what to see and how to beat lines are just wonderful. We toured the Peloponnese relying on his suggestions and we had a truly amazing week. Our stays in Athens and the islands were fantastic too. Thanks Rick!

Great info on best itineraries, sites to see, and enough history to make it meaningful without becoming a PhD! Everything from airports, transportation, hotels, walking tours, food, culture and packing tips is spot on perfect. This book made it easy to plan every detail of a 2-week DIY tour! In addition to the printed walking tours, they offer free audio tours you can download to your phone and listen as you walk. The audio tour of the Acropolis was the best! I am fan of the TV shows and have used Rick's books for other countries as well and they are all great.