Greece is definitely on our bucket list - after France and Germany. However, with Greece in its Euro-crisis, I'm thinking that it's won't be a good time to go there at my expense for a few years.

Does anyone have any recent experience relative to costs, general services lile lodging and restaurants, etc. Any advice based on your experiences?

Thanks.

The only experience is a cruise ship stop in June 2012 that almost did not happen. A general strike was planned for the one day we were in port. It was called off. It not, we would not have stopped.
Also, the part of our excursion to see downtown Athens was eliminated due to security concerns of just driving the bus through the area.
I am glad we got to see the Parthenon.

I think that there are more important considerations than restaurant and lodging prices. Greece's perilous finances are starting to lead to reports of shortages of essential drugs in their hospitals. My wife and I had booked to go to Greece earlier this month, but cancelled the trip (at considerable expense) because of the uncertainty of getting adequate medical care in an emergency. We went to mainland Spain instead.

We are currently in the Greek islands and have sailed from the northern part to Crete so far.

The exchange rate is more favorable now than in the past and here in Crete, even though it is high season, the stores are having sales!

Restaurant prices for a meal for 2 persons is around 30 Euros including appetizers, main course and a glass of wine or beer at the more expensive places. Lunch consists of Gyros that cost 2.5 Euros each.

The beaches are doing a good business because of the summer weather but always have chairs available. Rental cars are having some sales like renting for 5 days and getting 7 days.

We went to two pharmacies in a small town to get some prescriptions since you don't need anything written from a doctor and they stocked everything we needed. The hospitals that we have walked by don't seem in any dire straights as far as we could tell and we would be very comfortable with their services.

Greece is definitely cheaper than either France or Germany and in Greece the tourist is very well liked and crime in the Greek islands is pretty much zero, as opposed to the mainland. At least that is what we have found.

So we would recommend Greece if you would like to go there.

I agree with Maria and Steve, the crisis offers very good value for travel to Greece now.
We certainly would go right now, if we could.
Go for it!
Cheers
irina