This is one time when being a broke college student is not a bad thing. With a student I.D., young adults may be able to take advantage of many deals and discounts on travel packages to Greece. Some agencies offering travel booking services to students, such as the well-known and highly regarded STA Travel, offer Greek vacation packages for several budgets. As of 2011, the cheapest package, the 4 Island Flexi-Hopper, starts at $399, and provides full days of boating excursions to a choice of island locations. Participants visit many of Greece's most famous islands, like Santorini and Ios, and spend time in the city of Athens. The cheapest packages, like this one, do not include air travel to and from Greece or meals. Slightly more expensive packages, which could be yachting around the islands or sightseeing through Greece's most beloved cities, range from $629 to $1,662, and last from six to 10 days.
For young adults without that crucial little piece of plastic (a student I.D.), Contiki Tours offers affordable tour packages across the globe. The company bills itself as the agency for 18- to 35-year-olds, and arranges its itineraries according to the wants and needs of travelers in that age group. As of 2011, its Greek Island Hopping package is $1,915 per person, which over the 14 days of the trip, breaks down to only $136 per day. The tour takes travelers to Mykonos, Santorini and Ios, three of Greece's most popular island destinations, and begins and ends with time to sight-see in Athens. The trip includes hotel accommodations and some meals (12 breakfasts and 4 dinners).
Many agencies, which service both students and non-students, also provide travel packages that cover ground in several regional countries, including Greece. STA Travel offers a tour of the entire Balkan region (Greece, Turkey and often smaller countries like Albania and Croatia). Contiki offers a huge variety of European tours that take travelers through a whole list of countries, including Greece and its islands.
Cruises are also a great economical option. They can offer accommodation and the chance to see several parts of Greece and its islands at a reasonable rate, while giving travelers slightly less structure than guided tour packages and the chance to hop on and off the ship at will. Major cruise lines, like Princess Cruises, will take travelers to Greece and its islands, or on cruises through much of the Mediterranean that stop at ports in Greece, for prices similar to or only slightly more than those of most tour packages. As of 2011, two travelers sharing a stateroom can take a 12-day cruise for about $1,600 to $3,000, depending on the type of room you choose, which ports and islands you wish to visit and the time of year you travel.
