Popular winter destinations in Greece for gataways

With a view to the Omicron variant but also to the forthcoming announcement of the new measures to limit its spread, travelers are planning, even at the last minute, to spend Christmas and New Year holidays in some of the most popular destinations in Greece and abroad.

The demand within the country remains at high levels and the occupancy of hotels in Arachova, mountainous Arcadia, Ioannina, Metsovo, Pelion and Kalavrita already reaches 100%. Similar is the situation in properties (houses, villas, etc.) that are available through the short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb.

On the contrary, travelling abroad has been significantly affected by the latest announcements of the destination countries’ governments but also by the measures taken so as to limit the spread of the Omicron variant, which is spreading throughout Europe. The aforementioned announcements had as a result the cancellations to reach 30%.

At 60% the average occupancy in hotels

Inside the country, the reservations for the ten days of Christmas, New Year and Epiphany have already been formed since the end of last week.

According to the president of the Panhellenic Hoteliers Federation, Grigoris Tassios, the average occupancy of hotel units in all the mountain destinations of the country reaches 60%.

However, in popular destinations, such as Arachova, mountainous Arcadia, Ioannina, Metsovo, Karpenisi, Pelion and Kalavrita, the occupancy is much higher and in some cases reaches up to 100%.

For travelers who have not yet booked a vacation package, finding accommodation in the aforementioned destinations is extremely difficult to impossible, as the situation is “suffocating” not only in hotels, but also in Airbnb accommodation, where demand is higher.

Most travelers mostly choose self-contained apartments, villas and chalets available through short-term rentals, in order to avoid overcrowding. In hotels the demand is lower.

Popular Destinations

The interest of the tourists is consistently high for Arachova, which is at a stone’s throw from Athens and where the reservations of accommodation (in hotels and Airbnb) for Christmas day reach 98% to 100%.

Zero availability in Metsovo and Karpenisi for Christmas, while Portaria and Kastoria seem to be the first two options for the New Year.

Also, in Ioannina, which is a classic traditional destination for winter getaways, bookings reach 98% for Christmas days, while, for New Year, they reach 96%.

Demand is also high in Kalavrita, Trikala, Corinth and Arcadia.

However, for those interested in booking the last available rooms, the cost of accommodation for Christmas in Arachova for four people starts from 180 euros, in Metsovo from 110 euros, in Kalavrita from 100 euros, in Karpenisi from 160 euros and in Pelion from 90 euros.

Accommodation costs

In particular:

*** In Arachova, Christmas bookings reach 98%, with few homes available for rent. The total cost of accommodation in a chalet οf 90 sq.m. with three bedrooms amounts to 720 euros. For the days of the New Year the corresponding cost is set at 750 euros for two nights.

*** In Karpenisi, which mainly attracts travelers from Athens, bookings for Christmas and New Year have now reached 100%. Some accommodations are still available in neighboring villages, such as Koryschades, with a rental cost of 188 euros per night, Megalo Chorio, with a cost of 412 euros per night, Nostimo, with a cost of 376 euros for two nights, and Agios Nikolaos with a rental price of 100 euros per night. For New Year’s travelers, the cost for two nights starts from 350 euros, while bookings already reach 96%.

*** The city of Ioannina is a traditional destination for winter getaways for the residents of the Prefecture of Etoloakarnania and the surrounding areas, via the Ionian Road, and for the people of Thessaloniki via the Egnatia Highway. For this reason, there are not a lot of available accommodations.

At the same time, Ioannina records intense tourist footfall during the winter months. Already, bookings reach 98% for Christmas days and availability is limited day by day, while for the three days of the New Year bookings reach 96%.

*** In Metsovo, the availability of accommodation for the Christmas days is zero, while for the three days of the New Year the cost for two nights starts from 350 euros and the reservations already reach 96%.

*** In Kalambaka, accommodation bookings reach 98%, with costs ranging from 410 to 540 euros for Christmas days. There is no availability for New Year’s days.

*** In Kalavrita, for the days of Christmas the reservations amount to 96%, with the requested rental prices for an entire apartment and/or a detached house ranging from 480 to 730 euros. The apartments available for rent are mainly from 55 to 75 sq.m. and can accommodate up to six people, depending on the policy of each property owner – manager. For the New Year the reservations reach 94%, with the cost of renting for two nights ranging from 450 to 570 euros.

*** In the Prefecture of Arcadia, a lot of mobility is recorded mainly for winter destinations. The availability of accommodation in Dimitsana and Levidi is almost zero for Christmas and New Year. The good road network that connects Athens with the Prefecture of Arcadia has brought to the fore the Arcadian winter destinations that are affordable getaway solutions not only for the holidays, but also for the weekends of the winter months.

The reservations for the Christmas days in Dimitsana, Vytina and Levidi reach 98%, while the requested rental prices range from 270 to 800 euros. For the three days of the New Year the reservations are at 95%, while the rental prices for two nights start from 500 euros.

*** Trikala, Corinth, located near Athens and Patras and easily accessible thanks to the good road network, are high on the list of popular winter destinations in our country. Until yesterday, the bookings for Christmas reached 98%, with the requested rental prices for an entire apartment – independent house ranging from 360 to 1,100 euros.

The highest rental price concerns an independent chalet with two bedrooms, 72 sq.m. Also, the reservations for the New Year days reach 96% and the rental cost ranges from 670 to 1,000 euros for two nights.