Rick Steves' Favorite Time To Visit Greece Has Lower Prices And Fewer Crowds

For many tourists, visiting European countries when prices are low and crowds are thin has tons of appeal. Rick Steves, an expert travel advisor with tips on visiting Europe, offers advice on the best times for visiting countries like Portugal and Greece. In fact, Rick Steves' favorite time to visit Greece comes with lower prices and fewer crowds. If this sounds like the perfect time to plan your Greece trip, then, according to Rick Steves, you'll want to schedule your vacation for either May or sometime between September and October. This timing lets you avoid the busy summer season, when crowds swell, and the colder winter months, when many tourist attractions disappear.

Both late spring and fall offer good weather with a lower chance of rainfall. The prices are also lower for everything from food to accommodations. Cloudkeys reports that booking accommodations in Greece during high season can cost between roughly $45 and $175 a night. By booking your stay during the low season, you can save big, with the nightly costs of accommodations coming in at around $35 to $115. Traveling in the off-season can save you on food costs, too. In the high season, even budget travelers can expect to spend about $40 a day on meals, while low-season travelers could be eating for as little as $23 per day. Your travel style and preferences will affect the overall cost of your trip, but planning your stay when prices are low and there are fewer crowds can make it a more memorable experience.

Greece offers so much more than the white-washed, blue-roof buildings and seaside backgrounds you see in popular Instagram posts. The country is rich in history and culture and offers stunning landscapes that will leave you in awe. Experiencing all these sights and attractions doesn't need to be hard on the wallet if you follow a few basic strategies. 

For example, Rick Steves says that booking a hotel room for just one night can be costly, so aim to stay at least a couple of nights, especially if you're planning to see more than one area. Not only does a longer stay give you more time to explore, but you can also save money by avoiding the cost of frequent travel between destinations. Research your travel dates carefully before you go, as certain festivals and events, like Greek Orthodox Easter in spring, can increase prices and the number of visitors.

Aside from cooking your own meals when possible and enjoying tasty street food from local vendors to save, you can seek out free and inexpensive things to do in Greece to stretch your budget. Even in popular cities like Athens, you can enjoy free sites, like Pnyx Hill, where you'll have amazing views of historic architecture, or the Diomedes Botanical Garden, which offers free entry Monday through Friday. Look for other sites that offer free entry days; for example, several Athens archeological sites have free admission days throughout the year. You can typically get the best deal by scheduling your flight early, and using a budget airline will get you the lowest price.