Greece: Instructions for Use, On-site Assistant for the Enthusiastic (Even Experienced) Traveler

Kat Christofer
Illustrata Press (2009)
ISBN 9781885436450
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (8/09)

 

Third in the series “Greece: Instructions for Use” by Kat Christofer is definitely a must-have for your trip to Greece. This small, pocket-sized, book has more information in it than any other travel book I know of.  And, the best part is the size; it can easily slip into a pocket, purse or backpack and take up hardly any room.

Christofer, a resident of Athens and a Greek mainland and island traveler since 1997, knows the travel industry well. She provides pre-trip planning on her website as the first step and this book follows. (I just wish I had it before my first trip to Greece!)  The first thing in the book she addresses is the language.  Although I found everyone I encountered in Greece spoke English well, it is good to know some of the common words and use them. As Christofer states, “Build bridges, not stereotypes.”

Christofer also has “worth noting” and “prosoxi” throughout the book.  For example, one prosoxi is “There is absolutely no service during a taxi, bus, or metro strike.”  Worth noting is “There is always a strike on May 1, which is the official Labor Day holiday commemorating workers’ rights.” 

This concise book covers getting around by car or train, as well as by bus, metro, tram, taxi and on foot.  It also covers currency and credit cards, eating and drinking, shopping and vital tourist information if you need police or medical/dental care.

I’ve been to Greece and found out many of the things Christofer writes about on my own, and in some cases the hard way.  It would have been much easier if I would have had this book with me and known what to expect.  Driving in Athens itself will forever have you appreciate the “low-key” traffic in the United States!  If only I had known....

Concise but complete, simple but comprehensive, economical but valuable, “Greece: Instructions for Use” by Kat Christofer is an absolutely superb book to have on your next trip to Greece.  Don’t leave home without it! (And be sure to check out the other guides for Italy and France.)

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