Last Updated on February 19, 2024 by AMANDA CASTILLO
These aren’t really fails as much as they are adjustments I would like to make if I were visiting again. Taking any USD money! In both Santorini and Crete it wasn’t accepted anywhere. Only Euros were taken as a form of payment. I had actually read many blogs before our trip that were recommending to take USD so we decided to take $100 each. We only used our USD in the airport during our layover in Germany going back home! We mainly used our credit/debit cards while on our trip. By using your cards you do get a more accurate exchange rate anyways. When we needed actual Euros we pulled it from the ATM. Always use a bank ATM and not a random one on the side of the road or standalone machine. Take any and all precautions you can when being out of the country. See more of my tips on traveling on my resources page.
Santorini
Being on somewhat of a budget and traveling to both Santorini and Crete it wasn’t feasible or found during the time I visited but I would have preferred accommodations with a pool. Having a private built-in jacuzzi was so nice and it made our stay feel so special but in the Mediterranean Sun and Sea you want a nice fresh dip that you can swim around in. Our jacuzzi wasn’t overly hot, it was pleasantly barely warm and great at night. In between activities and on down time when we were laying out for an hour or two at the hotel, a pool would have been nice. You might be thinking why not dip and swim in the most gorgeous Grecian beaches that are all over Santorini instead?!? We did a lot of this, however the salt from swimming in the ocean is extremely dehydrating! It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. My skin actually hurt on some days not from the sun but from being so dry after swimming in the ocean. It wasn’t the end of the world and didn’t hold me back at all but something worth noting. Also, I would have eaten more spinach pies!!!! 
No seriously. I only had one on the last day and it was an explosion in my mouth like never before.
Another change I would have made is staying one to two extra days to visit additional parts of the island but not more than that. There were a few more places I would have liked to visit from my research and the list, but we did get sidetracked a few times meeting locals and going on alternate adventures instead. I think one to two more days would have been perfect! Some destinations I wish I had weeks or months to stay but 4 days in Santorini was still amazing with my best friend. It might have been different if I was traveling with a partner, rolling around in bed in the mornings and not with my best friend but hey still the trip of a lifetime. Most days were up and out right after our daily breakfast that was brought down to us and served on our deck overlooking the Adriatic. This was also such a special part of our trip. Shout out to Dimitri!!
Crete
In Crete there is not much I would change. It was so wonderful. Having a car to roam around let us really have the freedom to see so much we had wanted to and more!! However with that said we stayed in Chania’s Old Venetian Harbour the entire time. On the way to the airport to go home was when we realized that staying in other parts of Crete would have been nice too. The day we arrived in Heraklion was later than expected and we might have got a little lost on the way to Chania which is about an 1.5 hours away. Driving in the dark when we arrived we weren’t able to see all the amazing beaches and churches on the way to the hotel. Had I known some of the places on my list where along the route to the hotel I could have made changes to my hotel stay, planned better and been able to do and see more. Nevertheless it was still the most magical trip ever and we met locals that led us to places better than we could have anticipated.
Speaking of getting a little lost! We had zero cell service while driving in some parts of Crete as you are in between lots of mountains. While on our very merry way jamming out in the car to tunes, excited and taking it all in then BAM no service and a fork in the road! Ah! We had to make a decision to go back the way we came until we had service again or roll the dice and hope we come out on top. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top for that roll. We went the wrong way and still couldn’t get service for some time so we had to further back track etc. It was a minor setback but we considered it an adventure. To avoid that from ever happening I will print out a hard copy of directions along with other hardcopy documents I bring with me. I have also invested in a Solis Global Wi-Fi Hotspot to take with me on all my future trips.
Lastly, I would have wanted an adapter for my phone to play on the rental cars radio. Luckily I always bring a speaker with me when I travel so we were able to use the speaker in the car. Check out my packing list tips for more information on what and what not to bring on a trip.
2 Comments
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