About Vanessa From Real Greek Experiences

Hi! I am Vanessa from Athens and I love helping people with information about Athens and Greece. Here’s a little background info about me!

A super short bio

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I was born in Athens in 1974. This is a few years before Greece joined the European Union, and long before the blue and red metro lines started running in Athens. If any of you had visited Athens then, you will definitely remember how different the city was!

As a kid, I loved reading and learning new things, and was very interested in Math, Art and English – not necessarily in that order. I also loved listening to old people’s stories about Athens and Greece in the past – and still do 🙂

Some of my first family holiday memories include observing tourists who came on vacation to Greece. I remember looking at the tall, suntanned backpackers on every single ferry my family and I were travelling on, and wanting to be “like them” one day.

At the ripe old age of 27, I moved to London to study, which was really a pretext to explore a new, amazing city. At that time, I got hooked to travelling abroad and using hospitality exchange networks. I consider myself extremely fortunate, as I’ve been to many European countries, the USA, Latin America, the Middle East and South East Asia. 

I also got involved in various social networks, and organizing events and parties. Showing foreigners around Athens became a hobby – and still is.

How I started blogging about Greece

After over a decade of answering visitors’ questions on various online communities and FB groups, I started this blog to help people travelling to Greece. 

In 2018, a little before the Covid pandemic hit the planet, I gave up my office job to focus on my blog. Great timing, eh! But, as of late 2023, travel seems to have resumed, and these times are hopefully behind us now.   

Along with my partner Dave, we have explored over 50 Greek islands – and also travelled to other parts of Europe and the world. Our aim is to write blog articles and books which will help you plan your trip to Greece independently, and to help you with any questions you might have. 

We also provide important local news and information about moving to Greece. As a couple, we both have first-hand experience of what it means to move to another country, especially if you don’t speak the language. We aim to bridge the gap!

I guess that’s me in a nutshell! Apart from travelling, writing and meeting people, I enjoy walking, hiking, yoga, fitness and snorkelling. I also love cooking and experimenting with random food ingredients, vegetables and spices. I’m also into music and art, and love visiting art museums when I go abroad. 

A few Greece travel guides to get you started

Here are a few of my most popular articles to get you started:

• Combined ticket for the archaeological sites in Athens
• The Greek alphabet and 20 useful words
• More useful Greek words and phrases
• How to swear like a Greek
• Things you should know about Greece
• Travel tips for Greece
• Best things to do in Athens
• What to pack for Greece for every season
• Island hopping in the Cyclades
• Ancient Greek theatres
• Evil eye in Greece

If I had to choose, I’d say that my favourite articles are the ones about Greek culture, traditions and food. In other words, articles which define “Greekness” – whatever that means!

Incidentally, my field of study was Statistics and Social Research, and I have an ongoing interest in contemporary social issues. This explains why many of these articles are full of numbers, facts and trivia – for example check out this one, with the number of Greek islands 🙂

Booking ferries and tours in Greece

Finally, here are a couple of websites that you will find helpful, especially if it’s your first time visiting Greece:

Ferryscanner – a search engine where you can easily compare ferry schedules and prices, and book your ferry tickets online.

GetYourGuide – a website with a great selection of tours and activities in Athens, the Greek islands and the rest of Greece. Choose from sailing trips and cruises, guided tours of the ancient sites, food tours, cooking classes, and so much more!

Booking – I’m sure you’ve heard of Booking.com before. In my experience, it offers a lot more choice in Greece than other websites such as AirBnB, plus you can often find the same properties at lower prices. So, before you book an AirBnB, have a look at Booking as well.

If you have any questions about Greece, feel free to contact me at realgreekexperiences@gmail.com. You can also get in touch through my FB page, or follow me on Instagram and Pinterest.

Enjoy your stay in Greece!