The financial troubles these countries are encountering obviously presents certain challenges but it really depends where in Greece and Spain you are planning on going. Heading to the financial capitals such as Athens may lead you to some areas where there are demonstrations, protests and unrest but most other places (especially rural areas) should be unaffected from a tourist perspective. I have been to Greece and Spain in October and find it to be one of my favourite times of the year to visit.

Everywhere you go Is have some sort of problems,but you can't let it spoil you from have a vacation .It is time enjoy life,and be happy doing the things and places you like to go.It is a good time travel this time of the year.

There is no place on the Planet that one would go, including people visiting the USA, that the economic situations are always going to be "perfect". If you want a great trip to either Greece or Spain, please contact us directly. We have been in business in Los Angeles since 1985. You may Google us, or Bing us, for information. FriendsTravel LLP West Hollywood CA 90069-9309 JESS Kalinowsky Professional Travel Consultant.

Destination Greece is a Columbus, OH US tour operator having local presence in Athens, Greece. This allows us to have first hand news on what goes on in Athens and in Greece in general. Feel free to call us Toll Free at 888-473-3238 (888-GREECE-8) or email us at services@DestinationGreece.com for any information about Greece.

Little by little it becomes obvious, even to the uninitiated in global economics, that the financial situation in Greece, so vividly presented by most international media throughout the last couple of years, is after all common ground for most economies in the Euro zone. It is now becoming apparent that essentially there is no EU country that does not in one way or another suffer from some sort of financial woes. Italy and Spain ratings have been slashed by rating agencies and strikes are the rule rather than the exception in most South European capitals.

Media have always been experts in creating stories that absorb, engage and affect their readers/viewers, keeping in mind their ratings figures. Apparently, Greece has been selling and Spain and Italy promise to sell even better. Regarding Greece, all we can do, as we operate in Greece, is to place these stories in the right context.

So, how does this news affect or how should it affect your travel plans? Here are a couple of useful pointers:


Is it safe to travel to Greece in view of the financial situation the country is in?
Yes, it is as safe as traveling in any European Union country. The financial state of affairs does not have a direct impact on tourism. Having local presence in Athens, Greece we have first hand experience of the life in the country and we can attest to the safe conditions in Athens and beyond. Having said this, and independent of the travel destination, we always suggest that our clients stay abreast with the latest US Department of State travel news.

Is it a good time to visit Greece now?
It most definitely is. US travelers to Greece can enjoy gains:
because of the all-time lows in exchange rates of Euro to US Dollar in their favor,
because travel professionals in Greece have reduced rates and increased quality of service to counterbalance the effects of the Euro zone financial crisis affecting the country,
the quality of the travel product offered by Greece (culture and antiquities, sun, sea) is among the highest in the world.
Is my trip to Greece going to be affected?
Almost all of Europe is on strike because of recent austerity measures. Greece would not be an exception to what happens in Europe. However, so far in 2012 there have been no strikes or protests affecting client itineraries. Having said this, Destination Greece through its local presence in the country, has a number of alternative proposals and contingency plans in place, in case unexpected changes in client itineraries have to occur due to strikes or due to delays caused by strikes.

Is Greece bankrupt?
No, it is not. It is true that Greece has received low marks by international ratings agencies. However, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even Austria, the Netherlands and France have received low marks for their banks and economies. What is most important is that Greece represents only a very small fraction of EU economy as compared to Spain, Italy, the Netherlands or France. Greece has low financial ratings but has not defaulted.

Zack Protogeros
www.DestinationGreece.com
Your Trusted Experts to Greece

The economic situation in Spain and Greece does effect mainly local state employees in the countries, but does not have a big impact on tourism services that is why I do not see why you would not consider travel there during Month of October.The protests if any are usually limited to very small area of capital cities and for example in Greece there has been almost no protest since June.