Greece has officially joined the United States' Visa Waiver Program; the new status will take effect about thirty days from now, around April 10th, 2010. The new status was announced during a reception honoring Greek Independence Day held by President Obama at the White House. While this has no effect on travelers to Greece, for Greeks wanting to travel to the United States it simplifies the process dramatically. Previously, obtaining a visa required a personal visit to the U.S. embassy, especially onerous for those living on distant Greek islands without daily ferry service, payment of a hefty non-refundable fee, and a pile of paperwork. The result was that some Greek-American families in the U.S. found it very difficult to bring over great-grandma for even a short visit and it hampered students attempting to study abroad. Having enjoyed visa-free travel to Greece for so many years, it's great to know that the Greeks will now have the same privilege for their visits to the United States.
By the way, Greek Independence Day is March 25th; the reception was held early to take advantage of the visit from Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou.
White House YouTube Channel: Papandreou at White House Reception for Greek Independence Day
U.S. Homeland Security Announcement on the Greece Visa Waiver Program. Basic Facts to Know - AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) adds some more information on what this means to Greeks and what they need to do under the new system. Greece Welcomed to U.S. Visa Waiver Program originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 22:25:28. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:25:28 +0000
The general strike planned for Thursday, March 11th is expected to hamper most forms of public transportation and delay flights as air traffic controllers participate. Taxis will be operating but very long waits are likely. If you are arriving in Greece, you may want to stay out of the Athens city center until things are back to normal. Some small hotels near the airport may be willing to pick up guests at the airport; it's worth asking. Marches and protests will take place in the city center of Athens, Thessaloniki, and major towns. Hospitals will be operating but with minimal staffing.
The strikes primarily protest austerity measures brought about by the financial crisis in Greece, but also protest other government changes and policies.
Why Are There So Many Strikes in Greece? General Strike in Greece to Impact Flights, Transportation originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 23:07:12. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:07:12 +0000
Some in the German govenment have made the suggestion that Greece should solve its financial crisis by selling off uninhabited islands and some artworks, an article in Bild and translated at The Local states. This comes after Greece suggested that Germany might owe it additional war reparations dating from the German occupation of Greece during World War II. German Parliament member Marco Wanderwitz also suggested that Greek islands could be used as collateral for financial aid to Greece.
Somehow, I don't think any of this is going to be particularly helpful in the effort to stabilize Greece's economy, keep the Euro from losing value - or improve Greek-German relations.
Tensions Rise as Germany Suggests Greece Sell Islands & Art originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 15:48:59. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:48:59 +0000
Two passengers are dead and at least six others are injured in a bizarre occurence which struck the Louis Majesty, one of the ships in the Cyprus-based Louis Cruises fleet which operate throughout the Mediterranean.
The cruise ship was outside the port of Marseilles when a series of approximately 26-foot waves hit the glass viewing windows in the forward section of the boat.
Louis Cruises was previously in the news in 2007 when its ship, the Sea Diamond, sank after striking allegedly unmapped rocks in the caldera of the Greek island of Santorini. No explanation for the high waves has been offered. A similar incident struck a beach in Greece in 2008, and other inexplicable "mini-tsunamis" have caused problems elsewhere. The cruise ship is returning to Barcelona for repairs. USA Today: 2 passengers killed as rogue waves strike cruise ship in Mediterranean
MSNBC: Story and video: Cruise Ship Passengers Recount Deadly Waves
Two Die from Freak Waves on Louis Cruise Ship originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 17:09:30. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:09:30 +0000
Aegean Airlines, in what could be one of its final special offers before the planned merger with Olympic Air, is offering some great prices on flights to, from, and around Greece. As I've mentioned to some readers, flights between islands may actually be cheaper in some cases than the ferries and hydrofoils. For early or late in the season travel, they can also be more reliable as they are not usually subject to cancellations due to winds and high seas. Aegean Airlines shows prices for some flights in Euros, while flights originating in Britain are shown in British pounds. Be sure you notice which currency applies to you when calculating your savings. Aegean Airlines Flight Specials Aegean Airlines Discounts to Greece originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 16:14:46. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:14:46 +0000
Airline news site AnnaAero breaks down the effects of the pending Olympic-Aegean merger - complete with a light and sound show from Zeus, worth checking out even if you could care less about the change in Greek airspace. Aegean-Olympic Merger: What's the effect on your travel options? originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 15:02:58. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:02:58 +0000
Iberia Airlines is offering some terrific rates on travel to Athens from a number of U.S. destinations. Their spring flights to Athens include departure cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., Raleigh, and others. West Coast departures are higher, and certain dates are more, but if you're planning on going to Greece in May with a late May or early June return, these are some great prices.Flights US to Athens around $600 round-trip originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 23:05:57. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:05:57 +0000
A startling archaeological find has just pushed back the boundaries of Ancient Greece - or, more specifically, ancient Crete. Stone-age researchers working near the resort town of Plakias have found tools that some scholars think could be 700,000 years old - and no, I didn't add in extra zeros, though more conservative scholars are looking at dates around the 100,000 year mark. And how did the toolmakers reach the island of the (much-later) Minoans? By ship - which also changes our ideas about seafaring in very ancient times. NY Times: Discovery Dates Seafaring 100,000-Plus Years Ago Ancient Greece Gets Older originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 19:01:15. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:01:15 +0000
Want an adventure with just the girls? The Sights and Soul girls-only trip to Athens, Santorini, and Crete may be just the ticket to enjoy sightseeing, cooking classes, spa treatments and Greek dancing without having to find a place to park a husband or other male companion. 2010 rates are $3395 per person for the ten-day trip May 14 - 23, 2010. Airfare is not included. Sights and Soul Women-only Trip to Greece originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 17:36:53. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:36:53 +0000
Often controversial low-cost airline Ryanair is adding some high-season flights to Greece between Milan's Bergamo Airport in Italy and Kos, Rhodes, and Volos in Greece. Kos and Volos will also be served by the airline from Frankfurt, Germany and there will also be a PisaItaly -Rhodes link. The new flights will begin in May and continue to at least October.
I like the inclusion of Volos, which gives visitors access to some interesting sightseeing on the mainland of Greece, including Meteora, before exploring some of the less-visited Greek islands. Read more...
Ryanair Adds Flights to Greece originally appeared on About.com Greece Travel on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 22:45:54. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Publ.Date : Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:45:54 +0000
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