Athens Tour Guides

[bruingary]

Websites and E-mails for Spiros, George, and Petros please.

[missyal]

[Texed]

You can contact Spiro at:

spirotours@yahoo.com

 

Texed

 

[dondiane]

Petros Petrou : info@greek-taxi.tour.gr

George the taxi driver : greektaxi@aol.com

[ECBoca2]

Be careful with Spiros. We booked with him on our recent Med cruise and he pulled a switch on us.

I would recommend Dimitris. He doesn't have an email yet but his fax in Athens is 210-4912027.

he will be driving the whole month of the Olympics for NBC, in case you need him during that time.

Also, please note - these drivers do not guide you thru the Acropolis - you are on your own ( including the entrance fee 12EU).If you can possibilbly go in the afternoon it is less crazy than in the morning.

Also shop the Plaka early in the day before the rest of the tourists get there.

[bruingary]

Thanks for the info. It is for a post cruise stay in mid June. We have been there a couple of times, but it will be a first time for friends.

[drwong]

If you're looking for a tour guide of the Acropolis, I'd recommend arranging for a guide in advance, as the guides waiting at the booth next to the ticket stand tend to get snapped up pretty quickly by tourists.

 

If you're looking for an Acropolis guide (or anywhere around Athens, for that matter), I can recommend Maria Skiniti. Her knowledge of the place and her English are both excellent, and she has a son attending university here in the States. Her e-mail address is mskiniti@hol.gr.

 

Richard

 

From the Insignia's Inaugural sailing (4/3/2004)

 

[meg9020]

ECBoca2,

 

What happened with Spiros and a switch? We are booked with him in June - should I be a little nervous about something changing?

 

Mediterranean Here We Come

 

[mooreke126]

Hi, does anyone have a phone number where Spiros can be reached. Seems his email isn't answered frequently....thanks

[Host Karen]

I wrote Spiros at *****@yahoo.com last week and he answered within 24 hours. Is this the address you are using?

 

He lists his mobile number on his website *****.

Karen

[ewong]

We have booked Spiros for June 2. What exactly happened?

Is it pretty easy to get to Acropolis and Plaka on our own? If we need to hire a guide in Acropolis, the purpose of hiring Spiros is only to have him drive us around. Is it worth the money (200 euros for a day, driver only)? I have read from others' reviews that the cab ride from the pier to Acropolis is around 10 euros, am i right? We would save a lot by getting a taxi at the pier and hire a guide for the Acropolis. Besides the Plaka and the Acropolis, are there other places in the area worth seeing?

 

Thanks,

Evelyn

[Host Karen]

Tried to reach Petros at that e-mail address but it bounced back. Does anyone have an update?

 

Karen

 

6/5/05 Brilliance Mediterranean roll call

 

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[ECBoca2]

Regarding Spiros ( drivers in Athens) we

were under the impression that we were to get a tour of the Acropolis - instead they drive and drop you off in the crowd and you are on your own.They wait for you and then drive you out of the city to a restaurant for lunch - nice on the water. A stop at the Plaka to shop.

If this is what you want to do - you will not get a "guided" tour - you will be getting a driver.

Spiros is a one man band. He wrote us for weeks and said he would personally take us around and when we got off the ship he had another "driver" assigned to us and took other passengers who we know wrote to him after we did.

We were very upset and he knew it. He had his car follow ours and we met at the restaurant.

We told him we didn't like the way he did business. If he was switching he should have informed us.

Lucky for us the driver we had, Dimitris Vakirizis, was much better than Spiros. If I had to do it again I wouldn't hire a taxi but a real guide.

Eileen

[ewong]

Eileen, thanks for sharing your experience. I will now reconsider my booking with Spiros as I think there are others from my ship who have also booked with him. He told me he was free on that day and I guess that was what he told the other passengers too (not 100% sure though). Based on your experience, they only provide the transportation. Did they actually show you the city or did they just drop you off and wait for you in different sites? Did you go to Sounion as Spiros suggested?

 

Thanks.

[CAPinBoynton]

For those of you who are booking private tours for the first time, perhaps a little clarification would help. A tour driver and a tour guide are not the same. It is to your advantage when booking a private tour to be sure that you understand the difference and know in advance what you are paying for. A tour guide has a license, usually issued by the state / country. He or she has attended school to learn all about the sites you will see. A guide is permitted to go into the historical sites with you and tell you about the history. Naturally, their services will cost more.

 

A tour driver is not licensed, has not attended "guide" school, and is not permitted inside the site to tell you about the history. Naturally, their services will be more economical. Many drivers are just as well versed in the area history as the guides. The difference of course is that they have to tell you the facts before you go inside. Those of you who have read our webpage review know that Mike and I have had some excellent results using drivers, as well as guides. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using a driver. Just know what you are getting. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

 

 

 

 

See our reviews and pictures at Mike and Carol's Website

 

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[mooreke126]

Sorry, I meant a phone number for Petros. His is the email and web site I've been having trouble contacting. I am suppose to be reserved for a tour for 9 family members, but have been having trouble trying to contact him back....thanks

[ECBoca2]

Sounion is where the restaurant is. Quiet and lovely on the water.

All we did was eat at the retaurant and leave - no sightseeing just a pretty drive.

[cactusrose]

Ewong,

 

Spiros has indeed booked other passengers on your cruise. I have also received confirmation from him for June 2nd.

 

This is very interesting as he also said that he would meet us at the ship.

 

Hummmm!

 

1952 - Excalibur (freighter)

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5/28/2004 - Star Princess, Venice to Barcelona

 

11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera

 

 

[dmiller1951]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dondiane:

Petros Petrou : info@greek-taxi.tour.gr

George the taxi driver : greektaxi@aol.com<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

have you used George? we have him booked on6-26-04 Brilliance of the Seas Elaine emiller@zoominternet.net

[Ditome]

Hello...I also have a tour booked with him for the June 14the sailing...He said he would meet us at ship....after hearing others were booked with him...I emailed him and asked him if he had other driver and his response was everything is confirmed I will see you at the ship. Interesting now that all seem to be getting same message. What's Up!!!

[Flashman1]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ECBoca2:

Be careful with Spiros. We booked with him on our recent Med cruise and he pulled a switch on us.

I would recommend Dimitris. He doesn't have an email yet but his fax in Athens is 210-4912027.

he will be driving the whole month of the Olympics for NBC, in case you need him during that time.

Also, please note - these drivers do not guide you thru the Acropolis - you are on your own ( including the entrance fee 12EU).If you can possibilbly go in the afternoon it is less crazy than in the morning.

Also shop the Plaka early in the day before the rest of the tourists get there.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[jaslgv]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ditome:

Hello...I also have a tour booked with him for the June 14the sailing...He said he would meet us at ship....after hearing others were booked with him...I emailed him and asked him if he had other driver and his response was everything is confirmed I will see you at the ship. Interesting now that all seem to be getting same message. What's Up!!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi Ditome!

OK, now this post has my attention.....are you sailing on the Milli leaving Venice June 14th and booked spiros for the 18th of June??

 

Thanks!

Joe

[ewong]

Cactusrose,

 

I sent an email to Spiros asking him if he will be guiding us personally. Instead of replying my email directly, he asked for my phone number. He tried to contact me but I missed his call. I am not sure what's up with that. Athens is pretty easy to do on your own anyways and it is not difficult to grap a taxi near the port. We may just want to stay within Athens as ECBoca2 said they went to Sounion for lunch only (no sightseeing).

 

What other private tours have you arranged for the other ports?

 

Evelyn

[meg9020]

JASLGV

 

I also booked with Sprios for June 18th - I did this about two months ago - After reading all these messages about him double booking - I have now booked Paul from Greek taxi. I find it disheartening that you are confirmed with someone only to have the possibility of being switched as the last minute.

 

Mediterranean Here We Come

 

[Mike Andrews]

Athens like Rome are two places that we have always done on our own with the help of some good guidebooks. I reserve driving tours for places such as Npales and the Amalfi Coast where public transportation to the places we want to visit is difficult to arrange