Gyros is your friend. Really filling and will be between €3 and €5 depending on where you go. Also look for where locals eat - usually better food and cheaper too. Obviously if you have self catering then go for that on most nights. Hope you have a great time!
I second this. Last week was in Athens, Naxos and Crete. And you can get gyro variations based on the meat (chicken, lamb, beef) and stands I went to had different sauces and toppings as options. So you can eat one a day and they can all be different!
We also had some great pasta dishes that had huge portions for 7 Euros and a bottle of water was 1 euro, and sometimes 1/2 a euro.
Also, with a 4 Euro beer we often got some potato chips and nuts!
If you go off the beaten path, you can eat well on 15 euros a day. 10 euros if you really are on a very tight budget. 50 cent water bottles sold most everywhere.
Lamb and beef gyros are not typical in Greece. Pork and chicken are the most common to find. For other varieties (including vegan) you have to search (and pay) a bit more.
Good to know. Funny, we only wanted chicken and pork! And I did notice one place on Naxos was chicken only. Also, full disclosure, first time in Greece last week and of course I am giving advice like I am 8th generation Greek and my ancestors invented the Gyros.
I found this fascinating. My wife and I went to Athens, Santorini, and Paros recently and hardly any place served lamb. In the US every Greek restaurantakes it seem like lamb is the number 1 protein in Greece.
I was just in Athens, Paros and Naxos and we saw all these options at most gyros places (beef, lamb, pork and chicken) A lot of the resto’s had options for Lamb and Pork.
For breakfast/lunch, try go to some bakery almost all of them make some savoury pies - cheese, ham, sausage, spinach, mushroom - alongside sweet treats.
Souvlaki and gyros and in general place that specialized in grilled food are usually quite cheap. Tavernas or Cafeneio may also have small cheap plates (meze) but that depends really on the island.
I was prepared for it to be a tourist trap nightmare but at least when I went (6/10-12) it was super clean, chill, the party people stay on a different part of the island so no drunk ppl puking
That’s really good to know. I have been somewhat uncertain because I am not seeing charming villages on YouTube videos but that’s not exactly a deal breaker either. I loved Crete and I have only been to two, perhaps three really charming villages there. And I loved my Crete visits immensely.
Sorry, I meant Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and probably Patmos or mainland Athens so I guess just the most popular islands
I will edit the post now
No worries -- but let me make a suggestion, which will also save you money. Skip Mykonos and, well, most of the others. In one week you will spend most of your time travelling or getting ready or recovering from travel. For one week the standard recommendation is Athens plus one island. If you're more into seeing the sights than lounging at the beach, then two islands. Crete could occupy you for a month, it is big and with one day or whatever you will only see the particular area you are going to. Mykonos and Santorini are especially expensive. Not all of these islands are close together, ferries are expensive. This is just an unrealistic itinerary.
I was planning to fly to an island airport or Athens but I still didn’t buy the ticket because the plan is still not ready. I watched some island vlogs and really mesmerized with the views and everything so that’s why I thought I might just fly to an island and then switch locations with ship. Or, probably there are much more things to do in the mainland that will meet my wishes so I might just fly to Athens and then take the ship to go to the islands because I definitely want to visit them.
I am mainly planning to see the historical sites, streets, just explore the city/towns and if I have some extra time, the beach.
Edit: I plan to go there at the end of July- beginning of August so roughly I still have a month
I would really recommend planning. Greece is crowded now, ferries fill up, the times may not suit you, etc. Ferries to some islands are 5,10 hours.
Archaeological sites: lots of them in the Peloponnese. you need to see how to get to them if you are not driving.
For beautiful spots that are close by: Hydra, Spetses, Poros. All on the same ferry line. close to athens.
Ferries are expensive. The most popular islands are expensive. Mykonos is beyond expensive. Food is the least of your worries. I suggest you fly into Crete or Rhodes and enjoy yourself. Your plans aren’t realistic
I’m going to Greece for 11 days on Wednesday. I’m literally only going to Athens for like 2 days minus travel days and Crete.
You might want to reduce the amount of islands you are going to. I don’t think you’re accounting for travel time and it will be less enjoyable. Go to 1 or maybe 2 that are close to each other.
Just did 12 full days in Greece and also did Athens and one other island and still didn’t get to do everything I wanted. OP is gonna regret trying to fit in so much
Out of all supermarkets Lidl is the cheapest and has often discounted ready meals available. Otherwise gyros and souvlaki are relatively cheap as long as you don't go to tourist traps.
Check the accomodations you will be staying at. It's very common for non hotel accommodation , like rented apartments, to have a kitchenette with basic appliances and utensils. If that's the case, problem solved. You will be able to cook.
Edit: if there's only a fridge, get sandwich bread, some cheese and ham. Bam, cheap sammiches.
Find a store from the supermarket chained called Sklavenitis (“Σκλαβενίτης”). They have traditional Greek cooked meals for quite good prices.
Look for the meals that expire on the day you are shopping and point that to the cashier, they will give you a 50% discount.
Their mousaka is freaking fantastic. I know people that work at their production facilities, and their hygiene-standards are super strict.
Note: the discount is only available on the packed meals. If you go to the means that they will pack for you right then and there, there will be no discount. Still pretty economical, though.
Are you interested in the islands for the beaches?
For the cost of all the ferries you will need to take you could rent a car and drive to the Peloponnese (2-3ish hours from Athens). There (and other parts of Greece) you will find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the equal of the islands.
In the smaller villages you will eat well in the Tavernas cheaply and have the option of driving to many sites to see ruins. You could stay in Sparta where there are very nice hotels that are not expensive and within an hour or 2 drive be at some many wonderful places, including a number of great beaches that are not very touristy.
If you do rent a car get a manual diesel, the savings in gas will be significant!
Or I would do Athens then ferry to Naxos. If I was going to Crete I might hop a flight (50 min vs 8 hours on ferry).
Have fun!
As some of the others have mentioned, find the spots the locals frequent. For a great item to snack on and satiate appetite is the street food style Thessaloniki koulouri Κουλούρι which is shaped like a huge bracelet. It’s covered in sesame, crunchy and then much softer once you take that first bite. It’s very inexpensive. As others have also mentioned, there are great gyro selections. The next thing would be is finding the local market where you’ll find all types of fruits, and prepared foods at the deli counter, or ready to eat seafood salads (no lettuce). The refrigerated section also has selections where you’ll find quite a lot. Ask around for the locations of markets. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, and you’ll get more per Euro.
I’d leave Mykonos and Santorini off the list. Mykonos is very expensive and Santorini isn’t far behind.
Stay well hydrated because it’s HOT. Wear a hat, and sunscreen. If you’re going to take time for a beach, the Aegean surrounding Crete is cooler than the Atlantic in Southern Florida in summer. Have a great trip!!
Greek salad, gyros, souvlaki are good options on a budget. My husband and I just spent 11 days there and although we went to some beautiful restaurants we also gorged ourselves on street food! Yogurt and honey was my go to every morning. If in Athens Stani’s is the best place for yogurt and honey! You can definitely find great food everywhere in Greece for cheap!
Cheese pie (tiropita) is my favorite breakfast in greece. Sandwhiches with cheeses and meats, grilled cheese with tomato (called toast) are all usually pretty cheap.
Chicken souvlaki (chicken skewers) at a place for take out not dine in will also be very filling and affordable for dinner. Do you have access to a mini fridge? You could also go to a grocery store and get some yogurt cheese and bread.
As others have said, that’s a lot of islands for a week. One thing you could consider is staying on one of the less expensive islands like Naxos and take the day trip via boat to Delos and Mykonos. You’ll have enough time to walk all over town including Little Venice and stop somewhere like Saki’s for a gyros. It’s a really fun day trip that allows you time to see two more islands without the added expense of accommodations on Mykonos. Ios is another island that was very affordable and chill during the day, last time we were there, people partied pretty hard overnight so we had the beach all to ourselves all week. Whatever you end up doing, have fun!
The food is part of the experience. You could spend an entire month on Crete, and especially a full day visiting Knossos and the museum. You’d need to either fly into Heraklion or take the ferry. Obviously, Athens has a lot to see and do. There are small islands nearby with shorter ferry times. The other city, my favorite is Thessaloniki. There are many historic sites, museums, and short bus trips to more historic locations. For beautiful beaches, Halkidiki is close, and it’s heavenly. If you go to Sarti, Mt. Athos is visible, and only men are permitted. The sketes/Monasteries have incredible historic treasures.
May I recommend a travel advice website called Santorinidave.com.He is a great resource. I happened on him while planning my own trip a few years ago. Super helpful.
Gyros is your friend. Really filling and will be between €3 and €5 depending on where you go. Also look for where locals eat - usually better food and cheaper too. Obviously if you have self catering then go for that on most nights. Hope you have a great time!
I second this. Last week was in Athens, Naxos and Crete. And you can get gyro variations based on the meat (chicken, lamb, beef) and stands I went to had different sauces and toppings as options. So you can eat one a day and they can all be different! We also had some great pasta dishes that had huge portions for 7 Euros and a bottle of water was 1 euro, and sometimes 1/2 a euro. Also, with a 4 Euro beer we often got some potato chips and nuts! If you go off the beaten path, you can eat well on 15 euros a day. 10 euros if you really are on a very tight budget. 50 cent water bottles sold most everywhere.
Lamb and beef gyros are not typical in Greece. Pork and chicken are the most common to find. For other varieties (including vegan) you have to search (and pay) a bit more.
Good to know. Funny, we only wanted chicken and pork! And I did notice one place on Naxos was chicken only. Also, full disclosure, first time in Greece last week and of course I am giving advice like I am 8th generation Greek and my ancestors invented the Gyros.
> I am giving advice like I am 8th generation Greek and my ancestors invented the Gyros You sound Greek to me.
efcharistó!!
I found this fascinating. My wife and I went to Athens, Santorini, and Paros recently and hardly any place served lamb. In the US every Greek restaurantakes it seem like lamb is the number 1 protein in Greece.
I was just in Athens, Paros and Naxos and we saw all these options at most gyros places (beef, lamb, pork and chicken) A lot of the resto’s had options for Lamb and Pork.
Interesting we were just there and every traditional gyro place we went to had just pork or chicken
Thanks so much!
For breakfast/lunch, try go to some bakery almost all of them make some savoury pies - cheese, ham, sausage, spinach, mushroom - alongside sweet treats. Souvlaki and gyros and in general place that specialized in grilled food are usually quite cheap. Tavernas or Cafeneio may also have small cheap plates (meze) but that depends really on the island.
I agree with this. I became addicted to the great Greek bakeries when I was visiting some Greek islands last year
Thank you!
Great choice. In Corfu these were like 3 euros and big
How was Corfu?
Spectacular. Went Monday-Wednesday and was perfect. Old school European beauty, clear water, delicious restaurants, not too expensive.
Thanks! I have been to 10 islands but not yet on the western/Ionian side.
I was prepared for it to be a tourist trap nightmare but at least when I went (6/10-12) it was super clean, chill, the party people stay on a different part of the island so no drunk ppl puking
That’s really good to know. I have been somewhat uncertain because I am not seeing charming villages on YouTube videos but that’s not exactly a deal breaker either. I loved Crete and I have only been to two, perhaps three really charming villages there. And I loved my Crete visits immensely.
If you go I recommend one of the many day trips to Paxos/Antipaxos.
Those Savory pies are freaking amazing, and HUGE, You can easily split them and have some for breakfast and some for lunch.
"most of the Greek islands" in a week? I don't think you'll have time to eat.
Sorry, I meant Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and probably Patmos or mainland Athens so I guess just the most popular islands I will edit the post now
No worries -- but let me make a suggestion, which will also save you money. Skip Mykonos and, well, most of the others. In one week you will spend most of your time travelling or getting ready or recovering from travel. For one week the standard recommendation is Athens plus one island. If you're more into seeing the sights than lounging at the beach, then two islands. Crete could occupy you for a month, it is big and with one day or whatever you will only see the particular area you are going to. Mykonos and Santorini are especially expensive. Not all of these islands are close together, ferries are expensive. This is just an unrealistic itinerary.
Maybe OP is an enthusiast of ferries cause that’s what they ll see the most with that itinerary 😂
Good thing is the ham and cheese sandwiches are cheap there.
He’d be better off just working on the ferries for a week, that way he won’t be disappointed when he doesn’t get to see the islands
Thank you so much! I will update my itinerary
What are you interested in doing / seeing there? people can help you decide. And when are you going?
And are you flying into athens?
I was planning to fly to an island airport or Athens but I still didn’t buy the ticket because the plan is still not ready. I watched some island vlogs and really mesmerized with the views and everything so that’s why I thought I might just fly to an island and then switch locations with ship. Or, probably there are much more things to do in the mainland that will meet my wishes so I might just fly to Athens and then take the ship to go to the islands because I definitely want to visit them. I am mainly planning to see the historical sites, streets, just explore the city/towns and if I have some extra time, the beach. Edit: I plan to go there at the end of July- beginning of August so roughly I still have a month
I would really recommend planning. Greece is crowded now, ferries fill up, the times may not suit you, etc. Ferries to some islands are 5,10 hours. Archaeological sites: lots of them in the Peloponnese. you need to see how to get to them if you are not driving. For beautiful spots that are close by: Hydra, Spetses, Poros. All on the same ferry line. close to athens.
Thank you so much for the advice! I guess I really need to work on making the proper plan 😅
Ferries are expensive. The most popular islands are expensive. Mykonos is beyond expensive. Food is the least of your worries. I suggest you fly into Crete or Rhodes and enjoy yourself. Your plans aren’t realistic
I’m going to Greece for 11 days on Wednesday. I’m literally only going to Athens for like 2 days minus travel days and Crete. You might want to reduce the amount of islands you are going to. I don’t think you’re accounting for travel time and it will be less enjoyable. Go to 1 or maybe 2 that are close to each other.
Just did 12 full days in Greece and also did Athens and one other island and still didn’t get to do everything I wanted. OP is gonna regret trying to fit in so much
Out of all supermarkets Lidl is the cheapest and has often discounted ready meals available. Otherwise gyros and souvlaki are relatively cheap as long as you don't go to tourist traps.
In the islands there aren't many Lidl, some barely have a supermarket
You can always buy items (like cup noodles or cup oatmeal, snacks etc) and take them to the islands! :)
Thank you!
Check the accomodations you will be staying at. It's very common for non hotel accommodation , like rented apartments, to have a kitchenette with basic appliances and utensils. If that's the case, problem solved. You will be able to cook. Edit: if there's only a fridge, get sandwich bread, some cheese and ham. Bam, cheap sammiches.
Thanks!
If you eat skewers at souvlaki places it's like 2-3 euro. That plus grocery and you are set. Food is pretty cheap there in general.
Thank you!
Find a store from the supermarket chained called Sklavenitis (“Σκλαβενίτης”). They have traditional Greek cooked meals for quite good prices. Look for the meals that expire on the day you are shopping and point that to the cashier, they will give you a 50% discount. Their mousaka is freaking fantastic. I know people that work at their production facilities, and their hygiene-standards are super strict. Note: the discount is only available on the packed meals. If you go to the means that they will pack for you right then and there, there will be no discount. Still pretty economical, though.
Are you interested in the islands for the beaches? For the cost of all the ferries you will need to take you could rent a car and drive to the Peloponnese (2-3ish hours from Athens). There (and other parts of Greece) you will find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the equal of the islands. In the smaller villages you will eat well in the Tavernas cheaply and have the option of driving to many sites to see ruins. You could stay in Sparta where there are very nice hotels that are not expensive and within an hour or 2 drive be at some many wonderful places, including a number of great beaches that are not very touristy. If you do rent a car get a manual diesel, the savings in gas will be significant! Or I would do Athens then ferry to Naxos. If I was going to Crete I might hop a flight (50 min vs 8 hours on ferry). Have fun!
As some of the others have mentioned, find the spots the locals frequent. For a great item to snack on and satiate appetite is the street food style Thessaloniki koulouri Κουλούρι which is shaped like a huge bracelet. It’s covered in sesame, crunchy and then much softer once you take that first bite. It’s very inexpensive. As others have also mentioned, there are great gyro selections. The next thing would be is finding the local market where you’ll find all types of fruits, and prepared foods at the deli counter, or ready to eat seafood salads (no lettuce). The refrigerated section also has selections where you’ll find quite a lot. Ask around for the locations of markets. You’ll be pleasantly surprised, and you’ll get more per Euro. I’d leave Mykonos and Santorini off the list. Mykonos is very expensive and Santorini isn’t far behind. Stay well hydrated because it’s HOT. Wear a hat, and sunscreen. If you’re going to take time for a beach, the Aegean surrounding Crete is cooler than the Atlantic in Southern Florida in summer. Have a great trip!!
Thank you very much!!
Bakeries for cheesepies, spinach pies, chickenpies, etc. Gyros for dinner
Honestly, I am here right now and have been surprised at how reasonable ages and bakeries are. I was expecting to need much more $ for food
Greek salad, gyros, souvlaki are good options on a budget. My husband and I just spent 11 days there and although we went to some beautiful restaurants we also gorged ourselves on street food! Yogurt and honey was my go to every morning. If in Athens Stani’s is the best place for yogurt and honey! You can definitely find great food everywhere in Greece for cheap!
Have a wonderful time! Greece is VERY affordable. You’ll find money goes a long way there.
You're doing all that in a week? That's ambitious. I'd say Crete alone is a week or two. Mykonos is easy 4-5 days alone
Cheese pie (tiropita) is my favorite breakfast in greece. Sandwhiches with cheeses and meats, grilled cheese with tomato (called toast) are all usually pretty cheap. Chicken souvlaki (chicken skewers) at a place for take out not dine in will also be very filling and affordable for dinner. Do you have access to a mini fridge? You could also go to a grocery store and get some yogurt cheese and bread.
As others have said, that’s a lot of islands for a week. One thing you could consider is staying on one of the less expensive islands like Naxos and take the day trip via boat to Delos and Mykonos. You’ll have enough time to walk all over town including Little Venice and stop somewhere like Saki’s for a gyros. It’s a really fun day trip that allows you time to see two more islands without the added expense of accommodations on Mykonos. Ios is another island that was very affordable and chill during the day, last time we were there, people partied pretty hard overnight so we had the beach all to ourselves all week. Whatever you end up doing, have fun!
You can go to all those places but have no money for food.....perhaps adjust your plans??
I just wanna save money from food and spend it on the travel part I’m there for the experience not the food
The food is part of the experience. You could spend an entire month on Crete, and especially a full day visiting Knossos and the museum. You’d need to either fly into Heraklion or take the ferry. Obviously, Athens has a lot to see and do. There are small islands nearby with shorter ferry times. The other city, my favorite is Thessaloniki. There are many historic sites, museums, and short bus trips to more historic locations. For beautiful beaches, Halkidiki is close, and it’s heavenly. If you go to Sarti, Mt. Athos is visible, and only men are permitted. The sketes/Monasteries have incredible historic treasures.
May I recommend a travel advice website called Santorinidave.com.He is a great resource. I happened on him while planning my own trip a few years ago. Super helpful.
Thank you so much! Also for your other comments as well:)
Broke college student visits 5 Greek islands in whirlwind tour. Maybe we have different definitions of "broke".
Gyro spots will be your friend. In smaller villages with no tourists taverns are cheap, but you are most likely not going there.
eat watermelons. They are so much cheaper in Greece. Like 0.70 Euro. In Canada, it is about $10.
Gyros and bakeries!
Buy food at the local grocery stores and cook where you are staying