DIRECTORY A-ZACCOMMODATIONmore than spare rooms in
the family home that could
be rented out to travellers in
summer; nowadays, many
are purpose-built append-
ages to the family house.
Some come complete with
fully equipped kitchens.
Standards of cleanliness are
generally high.
Domatia remain a popular
option for budget travellers.
Expect to pay from €25 to
€50 for a single, and €35 to
€65 for a double, depending
on whether bathrooms are
shared or private, the sea-
son and how long you plan
to stay. Domatia are found
throughout the mainland
(except in large cities) and
on almost every island that
has a permanent population.
Many domatia are open only
between April and October.
From June to September
domatia owners are out in
force, touting for customers.
They meet buses and boats,
shouting ‘room, room!’ and
often carrying photographs
of their rooms. In peak sea-
son it can prove a mistake
not to take up an off er – but
be wary of owners who are
vague about the location of
their accommodation.
Hostels
Most youth hostels in Greece
are run by the Greek Youth
Hostel Organisation (% 210
751 9530; http://www.athens-yhostel.
com; Damareos 75, Pangrati,
Athens). There are affi liated
hostels in Athens, Olympia,
Patra and Thessaloniki on the
mainland, and on the islands
of Crete and Santorini.
Hostel rates vary from
around €10 to €20 for a bed
in a dorm and you don’t have
to be a member to stay in
them. Few have curfews.Hotels
Hotels in Greece are divided
into six categories: deluxe,
A, B, C, D and E. Hotels are
categorised according to the
size of the rooms, whether or
not they have a bar, and the
ratio of bathrooms to beds,
rather than standards of
cleanliness, comfort of beds
and friendliness of staff – all
elements that may be of
greater relevance to guests.» (^) A- and B-class hotels
have full amenities, private
bathrooms and constant hot
water; prices range from €50
to €85 for singles and from
€90 and up for doubles.
» (^) C-class hotels have a
snack bar and rooms with
private bathrooms, but not
necessarily constant hot
water; prices range from €35
to €60 for a single in high
season and €45 to €80 for
a double.
» (^) D-class hotels generally
have shared bathrooms and
they may have solar-heated
water, meaning hot water is
not guaranteed; prices are
comparable with domatia.
» (^) E-class hotels have shared
bathrooms and you may
have to pay extra for hot
water; prices are comparable
with budget domatia.
Mountain Refuges
There are 55 mountain
refuges dotted around the
Greek mainland, Crete and
Evia. They range from small
huts with outdoor toilets and
no cooking facilities to very
comfortable modern lodges.
They are run by the country’s
various mountaineering and
skiing clubs. Prices start at
around €7 per person, de-
pending on the facilities. The
EOT (Greek National Tourist
Organisation) publication
Greece: Mountain Refuges
& Ski Centres has details
about each refuge; copies are
available at all EOT branches
(see p 774 ).
Pensions
Pensions are indistinguish-
able from hotels. They are
categorised as A, B or C
class. An A-class pension is
equivalent in amenities and
price to a B-class hotel, a B-
class pension is equivalent to
a C-class hotel, and a C-class
pension is equivalent to a D-
or E-class hotel.
Rental
Accommodation
A really practical way to save
on money and maximise
comfort is to rent a furnished
apartment or villa. Many
are purpose-built for tour-
ists while others – villas in
particular – may be owners’
homes that they are not
using. The main advantage is
that you can accommodate
a larger number of people
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet
authors, check out hotels.lonelyplanet.com/ Greece.
You’ll fi nd independent reviews, as well as recommen-
dations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can
book online.
PRACTICALITIES
» Greece uses the metric system for weights and
measures.
» (^) To send post abroad, use the yellow post boxes
labelled exoteriko (for overseas).
» (^) Greek current affairs available in the daily English-
language edition of Kathimerini within the Interna-
tional Herald Tribune.
» Be aware that Greece is region code 2 when buying
DVDs to watch back home.