National Geographic Traveler: Greece, 2d Ed.

by Mike Gerrard

All the travel experts agree—consumers want more and different experiences from travel than they did in the past. They want to deeply understand their destination before they go, feel a meaningful connection to the place while there, and return home feeling enriched and ready to share their experiences with others. With these trends in mind, and the results of extensive, proprietary market research, National Geographic Traveler has been enhanced with engaging new features and a contemporary redesign.

Each guide begins with an introduction that enables the traveler to sample a bit of the culture, history, and attractions before they go and plan the trip based on their own interests and length of stay. Travelers can immerse themselves in active, in-country "Experiences" and "Off-the-Beaten-Path Excursions" they won't find anywhere else, like visiting a family in a South African township or learning to cook Maori cuisine with a renowned New Zealand chef. Other new features, such as "Insider Tips" from National Geographic photographers, writers, and experts, as well as "Not-To-Be-Missed" lists ensure that each person's visit will be one-of-a-kind and memorable.

To make the most of these and all the other great new features, the guides' design has been simplified, opened up, and enhanced with easy-to-read tinted sections. Gorgeous color photographs, high-quality maps, and the popular walking and driving tours are still highlights of our crisp, new look. To complete the update, our new covers boast a striking, single image of the destination, along with the clear National Geographic branding that signifies quality, trust, and all the best in travel.

With more than a century of travel expertise, new content, and a new look, National Geographic Traveler is the right guide at the right time—poised to meet the changing needs of today's traveler better than ever and better than anyone.

Greece charms its guests with breathtaking islands, sumptuous cuisine, and spectacular ruins. See where to find the best tavernas, finest gold jewelry, and marble sculpture workshops.

Genres: Travel, Reference, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Mike Gerrard is the author of Cask Strength: The Story of the Barrel, the Secret Ingredient in your Drink, out in July 2023 from the Matt Holt imprint of BenBella Books.

Before branching out into writing about spirits (the kind you drink), Mike was a prolific and award-winning travel writer.

AWARDS
I’ve written on travel for newspapers, magazines and websites in the UK, the USA, Australia, Africa and Asia. I’ve won several awards for my writing and photojournalism:

Travel Distilled gained 3rd place in the AITO Travel Blogger of the Year Awards
A Travelex Award for Best Consumer Magazine Feature. The story, for London’s Time Out, was about eating snake in China and is now the title piece in my collection of travel writing, Snakes Alive!
A British Guild of Travel Writers Award
Two Awards for Excellence from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild
A Benjamin Franklin Award in the USA for a guidebook to Paris
AITO Online Travel Writer of the Year
Named as one of the 50 Most Influential Travel Journalists in the UK by the Press Gazette
GUIDEBOOKS
I’ve also written or contributed to over 40 guidebooks for major travel publishers, including the AA, AAA, National Geographic, Fodor’s, Insight, Dorling Kindersley, Thomas Cook, Michelin, Moon Guides and many more.

FOOD AND DRINK
I have always loved writing about food and drink for the travel pages, and as well as visiting distilleries I’ve toured vineyards in France, Greece, New Zealand, the UK and even Arizona. I’ve toured breweries in many countries, written about Bernachon’s chocolate shop in Lyon, visited the Champagne region of France and the sherry bodegas of Jerez. I’ve interviewed chefs including Raymond Blanc and Alain Ducasse, and worked for a week as a waiter in a taverna in the Greek islands. (As a result I now leave bigger tips.)

EXOTIC TRAVELS
My more exotic travels have taken me camel-trekking in the Sinai Desert, walking in the Great Rift Valley of Tanzania to raise money for charity, learning to jive in Barcelona, looking for orang-utans in the rain forests of Sumatra and staying with a farming family in China.

OTHER WRITING
As well as hundreds of travel pieces and dozens of guidebooks, I’ve also written a podcast for American Express, worked on mapping software for Microsoft, written hotel reviews for Google, written a crime novel, a collection of travel writing, an erotic novel, and three radio plays for the BBC.

Reviews

[Hoan]

This was a nice skim across the surface for various areas in Greece. I wish there was less focus on museums and more focus on beaches! There are small sections for each of the major islands but not too many tips about actual local spots. Also it would be helpful to have more short phrases and maps of the popular areas. I thought Athens was covered well but the Cyclades left much to be desired. This wasn't as helpful as my first National Geographic Traveler guide for China. That was simply amazing and incredibly helpful. This I think I could probably have done without. You can also try Lonely Planet's version of Greece.

[AskNezka]

I made the mistake of buying this book for the pictures--but upon closer inspection, the information was spotty, not detailed at all, and honestly quite stupid in it's culture tips. I really like the NatGeo Traveler magazine, so I was very disappointed to see how bad this guidebook was--and my Greek friend agreed! This was the first non-DK guide I have bought in years, and it will be my last. The DK guides rule all the way!

[Kristýna]

Soon my love, soon ^-^!

[Kat]

One of my favorite Greece guides so far. Lots of great color photos and maps...easy to read.