SOYOUWANNA PLAN A TRIP TO GREECE?

4. HAVE A LIST OF THINGS TO DO

Greek has so many fascinating historical and archaeological sites and so many facets to its culture that you could spend a whole lifetime in Greece without ever running out of things to do. But you will run out of time, so here's a condensed list of ideas of what to see in Greece.

Athens
Thessaloniki
The Islands

Athens

Athens is Greece's largest city and is home to most of its national museums and its most "continental" euro-nightclubs. Chances are that regardless of where your flight originates, you will fly into Athens, so take advantage of being there.

• The Athenian skyline is dominated by the Acropolis. The Parthenon, one of the most recognized buildings in western history, sits atop the Acropolis. At the bottom of the southeastern slope of the Acropolis you will find two ancient amphitheatres, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Theatre of Herod Atticus. The latter still houses live performances of music and theatre during the summer months.
  
  
• Abutting the Acropolis to the east is the Plaka neighborhood, famous for its authentic Byzantine architecture as well as its many shops, pensions and tavernas where you can enjoy the best Greek food and drink. While the prices are steep compared to the rest of Greece, they're pretty cheap when compared to dining anywhere in Paris or Manhattan.
  
  
• Like London, Athens is renowned for the changing of its guard. This military ritual is set against the backdrop of the presidential residence across the street from the National Garden, another Athenian treasure set in the heart of the city.
  
  
• Athens has over a dozen museums - among them are the National Archaeological Museum, the Acropolis Museum, the Keramikos Museum, the National Gallery and the Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art - and scores of historical and archaeological sites that are all walking distance from the heart of the city.

Thessaloniki

The city of Thessaloniki is located in the northern region of Greece known as Macedonia (home of Alexander the Great). The second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki captured the distinctive title of Cultural Capital of Europe in 1997 (like the Miss Universe title, Cultural Capital of Europe changes hands every year). As such, it offers a number of cultural venues by way of museums and theatre, as well as an active nightlife in its many cafes and tavernas which remain reasonably priced due to its considerably less tourist-driven economy than Athens or the islands. Trains from Athens stop in Thessaloniki and continue to Budapest and Germany, making this an excellent city of visit if you intend to Eurail further north.

The Islands

Let's face it: given the generally short nature of a first visit to any country, you have to pick and choose destinations. And as much as it would behoove a scholar to visit the plethora of historical sites on mainland Greece, most American vacationers are probably looking to pack a little more beach time into their Mediterranean meanderings. There is no better place to do this than the dozens of islands that are part of Greece.

If you have more disposable dough than a cookie factory, you may wish to consider a luxury cruise. Or, if spending your precious travel time aboard a big boat isn't your cup of tea, many of the islands can be reached by puddle jumpers, small aircraft departing from the mainland. And for those of you who aren't quite finished paying off your student loans, the islands are still affordable if you travel from Piraeus by ferry, the cheapest way to reach the islands. There are a number of ferry and hydrofoil lines, but they are also unreliable as far as schedules and departures go, so be flexible if you plan on traveling this way. The Athens News, an English newspaper in Athens, carries current ferry schedules to the various islands.

• Ios will be the most instantly familiar island to an American traveler. It is the most frequented by tourists, particularly young tourists from Northern Europe and America, so English is widely spoken there. There are so many Irish pubs in Ios that it is sometimes jokingly referred to as "Ireland Over Seas." However, its reputation as a party town also means that you have to deal with large crowds of drunken college students and all the delightful shenanigans that ensue.
  
  
• Santorini, known to the Greeks as Thira, is one of the most spectacular of the islands - it is comprised of the remains of a collapsed volcano, which some rumors hold to be the ancient lost city of Atlantis. Portions of the island have fallen off, allowing the caldera to fill entirely with ocean, although a live crater in the center of the harbor provides a most adventurous detour for tourists who wish swim in its geothermically heated waters. Even for those who eschew hiking an actual live volcano crater, the old island of Santorini is quite a sight: the main town of Thira (which means "wild island") is perched atop the cliff overlooking the caldera and seems to contradict the laws of physics and afford some of the most breath-taking panoramas in all of Greece. Santorini also has famous red sand beaches, again the result of volcanic action.
  
  
• Crete is by far the largest of the Greek islands and sports a number of different Ancient Minoan ruins that should thrill even the most accidental students of archaeology. The port town of Hania is famous for its Venetian and Byzantine architecture, as well as the Well of the Turk, one of the best Turkish restaurants in Greece.

Of course, this list doesn't even begin to cover a number of Greece's fascinating geographical and cultural treasures, but this is a good starting point for the average tourist.