What budget to travel Cyclades? Money and currency

What budget for activities and outings Cyclades?

Your museum budget will often be divided by two (like the price of many admissions) if you travel between November and the end of March. Otherwise, look out for the free days on the sites: March 6 (Melina Mercouri day), June 5 (Environment day), April 18 (Historical Monuments day), May 18 (Museums day), the last weekend of September (European Heritage day) and especially the first Sunday of each month, between November¹ and March 31.
Another interesting "plan" if you have a connection in Athens: there is a grouped ticket (30 € in high season, otherwise 15 € the rest of the year), valid for 5 days, to visit the Acropolis and the Archaeological Park. Finally, you should know that many major sites, with rather expensive tickets, are free for children under 18 years old.

Rental of deckchairs. Be careful, on the very touristy beaches of Antiparos, Milos or Kimolos for example, the prices can be prohibitive and reach 25 € per person (!), parasol included.

If free activities are rare and complicated in the big cities, the Cyclades, on the other hand, offer you a thousand possibilities on land and sea. The majority of outdoor activities will not cost you a cent, whether it is swimming or hiking. For diving, kiteboarding, canoeing or mountain biking, unless you come equipped, you will have to rent the equipment: many stores and associations offer quality equipment for rent, but often quite expensive in season.

You will find cheaper items in the markets or cooperatives where the locals go. Credit cards are generally accepted in all stores. Finally, without being smokers, we feel obliged to remind you that the price of a pack of cigarettes varies around 4 to 5 € only in Greece, that is to say twice cheaper than in France...

Going out doesn't have to be expensive. Many students (among others) take a drink to go and happily occupy the sidewalk of establishments that give concerts. For the summer cinemas, you will have to pay between 5 and 8 € per session, depending on the day. A reduced rate is usually applied during one or two days of the week.

What budget to eat Cyclades?

Although restaurants(estiatório) are slightly more expensive than taverns or ouzeries, eating out is still very affordable in mainland Greece. Unless you go to a trendy or very chic restaurant (in Mykonos, for example...), you will have to count about 15 euros per person for a complete meal with a carafe of local wine or raki/ouzo. There is one exception: fresh fish, sold by the kilo, is always expensive. To avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of the bill, go and choose your fish in the kitchen and ask for the price before ordering it, because the bill goes up quickly. In taverns, dessert (watermelon slices, halva plate, cake...) is often offered. In spite of the crisis, Greeks still do not depart from this pleasant tradition. But it is not a due: in the most touristic places, like Santorini, you can always wait!

Drinking coffee is an institution in Greece: you can stay for hours with a freddo or a frappé for a few euros, without having to renew your order. Be careful though: the coffees are not cheap. At 4 € a frappe, sometimes it is understandable that some customers linger...

What is the budget for accommodation Cyclades?

The best plan, when you have the choice, is always to travel in June or September, when prices melt or before the summer inflation (which can, in some places, vary from simple to triple...). If you spend one or more nights in Athens before going to the Cyclades, on the other hand, prices do not change much and remain quite high, unless you negotiate beforehand at the time of booking (and if the period is low). Without being a Greek specificity, it is important to know that the Airbnb platform has developed enormously, including in the most touristic islands, to the great displeasure of the local population which struggles to find accommodation. The competition is tough for the traditional hotel business, because these are often apartments rented for tourist purposes, so they are cheap and quite well equipped. Finally, you should know that many hoteliers still offer discounts in exchange for cash payment. We try to avoid this, but it does exist.

Travel budget Cyclades and cost of living

The prices of accommodation can vary from simple to double between June or September and August. No need to bargain. But a discount is sometimes offered if you pay in cash..