91 Days: Olympic Journey Athens to Paris 2024
Every four years the Olympic torch makes it way from Athens to the host city: Paris in 2024. This same year, Robin and Cos made an identical trip starting in Greece and ending in Paris for the Paris 2024 Olympics. And what a trip it was.
This post will detail the 91 day journey. Also, it will provide you copies of some of the great pictures and experiences that we encountered on the trip.
Perhaps spending 91 days away from home and traveling throughout Europe for three months isn’t your “cup of tea.” Well, in any case, perhaps this post will provide you with some new DIY Travel ideas for exploring the old world and renewing your love of sports and travel.
Our 91 Day Olympic Itinerary: Athens to Paris 2024
The following charts detail our experiences by country as we followed the Olympic torch from Athens, Greece to Paris, France in 2024. Please note that dates in light green color are travel days. Also, please note that we have rated the lodging where we have saved on a scale of 1-poor to 5-great.
Greece
Our trip to Greece started in Santorini after a miserable transfer thru the Athens Airport. We had a three-hour connection and needed it all to make the transfer. Surprising, since we were traveling from Dublin, another EU city.
Santorini is getting very crowded from cruise ships. Not too bad when we were there. But you need to escape the tourist places to see the smaller towns. Here they still use donkeys to deliver goods.
Click either of the following two links to learn more about the Greece and the Balkans segments of our trip:
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments/ Travel Tips |
| 0 | 5/4-5/7 | NYC | Hilton Club NYC | Timeshare 4; Located in Hilton hotel | 4 | Cafe Carlyle, Gramercy Tavern, Notebook & Tommy plays on Broadway |
| 1 | 5/8/2024 | NYC-Dublin-Athens-Santorini | Transfer thru Athens took three hours, unexpected given it was an EU-to-EU country transfer. | |||
| 2-4 | 5/9-5/11 | Santorini | Petit Suite – Santorini | Hotel 4; Great Views | 3 | Staying in Santorini is much better way to see the island than via a cruise. We were able to visit a small town, not just the big two cities, Fira and Oia. |
| 5 | 5/12/2024 | Santorini-Mykonos | ||||
| 6-7 | 5/13-5/14 | Mykonos | Princess Hotel | Hotel 4; Close to the Cental City | 3 | Mykonos locals have left the island due to extensive growth of tourists and Airbnb. This has affected the cost of everything. |
| 8 | 5/15/2024 | Mykonos- Athens | Start of Olympic Athens to Paris 2024 Tour. | |||
| 9-10 | 5/16-5/17 | Athens | Herodion Hotel | Hotel 4; Great Rooftop Restaurant | 3 | Incredible rooftop view of the Parthenon (see picture) |
| 11 | 5/18/2024 | Athens-Meteora | Hotel Meteora, very small room | 1 | Stopped in Delphi on way to Meteora. Meteora is incredible with monasteries built of the top of steep cliffs. Met Orthodox group from Bosnia who invited us to celebrate with them. |
Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Note: This segment of the 91-day tour was a private tour led by the travel company ChooseBalkans.com. Our tour guide, Gentjan Dervishaj, was very knowledgeable. He led us to a few places that were off the standard tour itinerary.
Please contact us at cos@cosguide4travel.com if you might be interested in the ChooseBalkans.com tour. We can help you with your booking,
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments |
| 12 | 5/19/2024 | Meteora-Gjirokastër | ||||
| 13 | 5/20/2024 | Gjirokastër | Hotel Argyropolis | B&B – 5 Great Value | 2 | Wonderful B&B with very friendly staff. Great example of why B&B is better than short-term rental. |
| 14 | 5/21/2024 | Gjirokastër-Berat | Hotel Oufri | Hotel – 3 Great Location | 1 | Great Cooking class at Family Home. Met couple traveling from Australia. Encouraged visiting Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, (planned for 2025). |
| 15 | 5/22/2024 | Berat-Ohrid, N. Macedonia | City Palace | Hotel – 3 Great Location | 1 | Hotel, Restaurant and St. John Orthodox Church are all located on the lake. Has special trout only available in Lake Ohrid. |
| 16 | 5/23/2024 | Ohrid-Tirana | ||||
| 17 | 5/24/2024 | Tirana | Repeat Apts | Rental Apts 3 – Very Modern, limited privacy | 2 | Tirana is a very well-developed modern city. |
| 18 | 5/25/2024 | Tirana-Prizren, Kosovo | Stopped in the village of Kruje on the way to Kosovo. Visited the fortress of Kruja which was the home of the Albanian hero Skanderbeg who defeated the Ottomans. | |||
| 19 | 5/26/2024 | Prizren, Kosovo | Prior Hotel | BnB- 3 limited choices in town | 2 | Visited famous Orthodox Monastery that is protected by Nato forces. |
| 20 | 5/27/2024 | Prizren – Shkoder | Hotel Lorendo | BnB – 3 good location in city | 1 | Great boat trip on Lake Shkoder. Car accident on the way to the castle. |
| 21 | 5/28/2024 | Shkoder – Kotor, Montenegro | Hotel Marija | BnB – 3 located outside of town, not near restaurants | 1 | On the way to Kotor, visited the town of Budva which is a rapidly growing beach resort area, mostly Russian tourists. |
| 22 | 5/29/2024 | Kotor – Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina | Mostar is a beautiful city. More Muslim influence than other places we visited. | |||
| 23 | 5/30/2024 | Mostar & Sarajevo | Villa Divani | BnB – 4 very friendly and helpful staff | 2 | Sarajevo is an incredible place to visit: WWI origination and impact of Balkan Wars of 1990s |
Croatia
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Our tour guide dropped us off in Dubrovnik and from there we were on our own. We had visited Dubrovnik and Split once before on a cruise. But this time we really wanted to explore the Dalmatian Coast and other regions in Croatia.
Furthermore, click here for more information about Croatia.
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments |
| 24 | 5/31/2024 | Mostar-Dubrovnik | ||||
| 25 | 6/1/2024 | Dubrovnik | Hotel Imperial Hilton | Hotel – 5 high class, more like a Waldorf or Conrad, great location | 2 | Walked the Wall, Great Views of the City |
| 26 | 6/2/2024 | Dubrovnik – Korcula | Took Ferry, very big & crowded | |||
| 27 | 6/3/2024 | Korcula | The Fabris | BnB – 4 Good location, friendly staff | 2 | Excellent Wine Tasting Tour (GRK) & Good Restaurants |
| 28 | 6/4/2024 | Korcula-Hvar | Took Ferry, Less crowded than Dubrovnik-Korcula | |||
| 29 | 6/5/2024 | Hvar | Hotel Podstine | Hotel – 3 Nice Walk to town, but room & staff were less than expected | 2 | Hvar is more upscale than other Dalmatian islands. |
| 30 | 6/6/2024 | Hvar – Split | Third ferry, short trip to Split | |||
| 31-34 | 6/7-6/10 | Split | AC Hotel by Marriott | Hotel – 4 Friendly staff and nice room, long walk into City Center | 5 | Really explored Split and neighboring town of Trogir. Diocletian’s Palace is impressive. |
| 35 | 6/11/2024 | Split-Zagreb-Rovinj | Flew to Zagreb to get rental car for round trip in the Northern Regions | |||
| 36 | 6/12/2024 | Rovinj | Villa Tuttorotto | BnB – 5 Outstanding service, great location and nice room | 2 | Rovinj is a wonderful place to visit in the Istria region of Croatia. Istria is known for its wine production. |
| 37 | 6/13/2024 | Rovinj-Zadar | We visited the town of Pula, also part of Istria. Very nice Roman ruins. | |||
| 38 | 6/14/2024 | Zadar | Aurum Ponte Apts | Apt. 2 – very poor accommodation, falsely marketed. However, owner was helpful with car parking problem. | 2 | Zadar is a wonderful city with many historic sites and the ocean organ. |
| 39 | 6/15/2024 | Zadar – Rastovaca | Rastovaca is home to the Plitvice Waterfalls and is off the beaten path. | |||
| 40 | 6/16/2024 | Rastovaca (Plitvice Waterfalls) | Restoran Antemurale | BnB – 5 Staff was wonderful. Watched Euro2025 Futbol match with owner. Unfortunately, Croatia lost. | 2 | Plitvice Waterfalls are worth the visit. Spectacular! |
| 41 | 6/17/2024 | Rastovaca – Zagreb | ||||
| 42 | 6/18/2024 | Zagreb | Hilton Garden Inn | Hotel -3 Not very convenient to central city. Nevertheless, was an inexpensive place to stay. | 2 | Capital of Croatia, Zagreb is an interesting historic town. However, due to earthquake, much was still closed. |
Ljubljana, Slovenia and London, United Kingdom
We returned to Slovenia for our second visit. This time we stayed in Ljubljana. Visited Lake Bled and the famous Predjama Castle before returning to London, our favorite European city.
Furthermore, click here for more information about Slovenia.
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments |
| 43 | 6/19/2024 | Zagreb-Ljubljana | Took train, horrible layout, no A/C. No direct flights, need alternatives. | |||
| 44 | 6/20/2024 | Ljubljana | InterContinental | Hotel – 4 Close to Train Station, short walk to central city | 2 | Hired driver for a guided tour to take us to Lake Bled and Predjama Castle. At Lake Bled we took a boat tour to the famous island church. |
| 45 | 6/21/2024 | Ljubljana – London, UK | British Air Flight | |||
| 46-49 | 6/22-6/25 | London | Conrad London St. James | Hotel – 5 Good location, nice rooms | 5 | British Museum, & National Portrait Gallery, “Starlight Express” Play in Wembly with Taylor Swift also there, and “Back to the Future” in Covent Garden |
Spain: Madrid and the Basque Country
We flew from London to Madrid. There we picked up a car to start our 11-day journey following the Camino de Santiago from the Basque Country to Santiago de Compostela in the Northern half of Spain. We ended at the starting of the “Running of the Bulls” in Pamplona.
We stayed in a number of Paradors while we followed the Camino. Great historic, comfortable places to stay.
Even more information is available about the Basque Country and Northern Spain, if you click here.
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments |
| 50 | 6/26/2024 | London-Madrid | Hilton Madrid Airport | Hotel – 3 Hotel was difficult to find, roads around the airport are confusing. | 1 | |
| 51 | 6/27/2024 | Madrid- Olite | Parador de Olite | Hotel – 4 The Parador de Olite occupies the oldest wing of the majestic palace-castle of the kings of Navarre | 1 | |
| 52 | 6/28/2024 | Olite-Bilbao | Visited impressive San Sebastian and museum on the way to Bilbao | |||
| 53 | 6/29/2024 | Bilbao | NH Collection Villa de Bilbao | Hotel 3 – Hotel chain is popular in Spain, the quality of their hotels varies. | 2 | Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walking Tour of Bilbao with Get Your Guide |
| 54 | 6/30/2024 | Bilbao – Cangas de Onis | Parador de Cangas de Onis | Hotel 4 – Classy hotel was once a monastery. | 1 | Ten-minute drive into city center, charming village. However, city closed down Sunday evening. Nature lovers will enjoy, not much to do, other than river rafting or hiking. |
| 55 | 7/1/2024 | Cangas de Onis – Santiago de Compostela | ||||
| 56 | 7/2/2024 | Santiago de Compostela | Parador de Santiago de Compostela | Hotel 5 – Also known as the Hostal Reis Catolicos, this great hotel is set on Praza do Obradoiro across from the famous Cathedral. | 2 | In addition to visiting the Cathedral, and walking the city, we traveled out to Fisterra, Spain’s end of the world finding a real hidden gem. |
| 57 | 7/3/2024 | Santiago de Compostela to Leon | Parador de Leon | Hotel 4 – Twenty-minute Walk to City Center and famous Cathedral de Leon | 1 | Cathedral in Leon is truly one of the great European Cathedrals. See our 50 famous Cathedral Post. |
| 58 | 7/4/2024 | Leon to Burgos | Parador de Lerma | Hotel 3 – Lerma is a thirty-minute drive to Burgos | 1 | Cathedral in Burgos has similar outstanding secret hidden gems as Leon. |
| 59 | 7/5/2024 | Burgos to Pamplona | Hotel Castillo de Gorraiz Golf & Spa | Hotel 4 – Resort is twenty-minute drive to Pamplona. | 1 | Shuttle service provided to Pamplona to attend ceremonies. |
| 60 | 7/6/2024 | Pamplona to Madrid | Attended Opening Ceremony of the “Running of the Bulls” in the AM and then drove to Madrid. Two-hour delay in Madrid getting to hotel due to LGBTQ+ Pride Parade. |
Madrid Spain to Lisbon Portugal via the Douro Valley
We took a 13-day tour including a 7-day river cruise through the Douro Valley. Altogether, we started in Madrid and ended in Lisbon. In addition, we spent 5 days in the Algarve Region of Portugal. As a history buff, you will really enjoy this tour. Specifically, because Portugal has gorgeous natural beauty and a rich history.
Click here for more information about the Portugal and the Douro Valley.
Rather, click here to learn about other wine regions in the world.
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments |
| 61-62 | 7/7-7/8 | Madrid | NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado | Hotel -4 Better than the NH Hotel we stayed in Bilbao. Good location across from the Prado Museum | 3 | Great Walking tour of Madrid, despite previous visits, first time I really understood the city. Entire day trip to Toledo was also excellent. |
| 63 | 7/9/2024 | Madrid – Vega de Terron, AMA Waterways Douro Launch | Ama Waterways Vega Terron | 1 | Visited Salamanca on the way to the Douro Valley | |
| 64-65 | 7/10-7/11 | Pinhao | Vega Terron | 2 | Incredible terraced wineries. Great wine tours. Historic Train station with historic tiles. Quaint Village. | |
| 66 | 7/12/2024 | Regua | Vega Terron | 1 | Sanctuary of our Lady of Remedies walked down the Holy Staircase to the charming town. | |
| 67 | 7/13/2024 | Entre-os-Rios | Vega Terron | 1 | Scenic River Tour | |
| 68-69 | 7/14-7/15 | Porto | Vega Terron | 2 | Walking tours thru Porto. Very fun city. | |
| 70 | 7/16/2024 | Porto – Lisbon | Stopped in Tomar to visit the Templar Knight Castle. | |||
| 71-72 | 7/17-7/18 | Lisbon | Sofitel | Hotel 4 – Great location | 3 | Somewhat disappointed with Lisbon. Perhaps we were over-traveled. |
| 73 | 7/19/2024 | Lisbon – Almacil, Portugal | Took ferry ride on coastal route. | |||
| 74-77 | 7/20-7/23 | Almacil, Portugal | Conrad Algarve | Hotel 5 – Really nice hotel, shuttle service to beach | 5 |
France: Bordeaux and Paris 2024
While our tour is coming to an end, we saved the best for last. Specifically, after a quick stop in Bordeaux, we traveled up to the “City of Lights.” There, we attended the Paris 2024 Olympiad. It was special since so many events happened around iconic landmarks in the French Capital like the Eiffel Tower. While the security may have caused long lines to get into the events, it was well worth the wait. What a unique experience and a great finale to our 91-day journey. Undeniably, the complete Olympic: Athens to Paris 2024 Tour. And a great ending to our tours of Eastern and Western Europe.
Especially if you are interested in learning more about Paris and France in general please click here and check out our France in 7-days Post.
Paris 2024 Olympic Events
| Day | Date(s) | Place | Lodging | Type/Rating | # Nights | Comments |
| 78 | 7/24/2024 | Madrid – Bordeaux | ||||
| 79-80 | 7/25-7/26 | Bordeaux | Hotel Indigo Bordeaux Centre Chartons | Hotel – 4 Located about a twenty-minute walk or tram ride from the City Center. | 3 | Attended two Olympic Futbol matches prior to the Opening Ceremony – Visited the Opera National de Bordeaux for lunch and Portrait Exhibit. |
| 81 | 7/27/2024 | Bordeaux-Paris | This should have been a short train ride. However, the High-Speed Train Route was cut-off the day prior to our trip by arson on the tracks in an attempt to disrupt the Olympics. Our train journey was only delayed a little while other direct trains were cancelled. | |||
| 82-85 | 7/28-7/30 | Paris, Montparnasse | Graphik Montparnasse | Hotel 1 – Despite the good location close to the Gare Montparnasse, this hotel room was the smallest of all places we stayed. Poor value for what we paid. | 4 | Attended 3 Days Beach Volleyball, 1 Tennis and One Futbol Match. Paris is well known for stunning architecture. |
| 86-90 | 8/1-8/5 | Paris, La Defense | Hotel Renaissance Paris La Defense | Hotel 3- the A/C did not work in our room. They gave us a fan. Hotel is not convenient for travel to central Paris or many of the Olympic locations, other than swimming. | 6 | Attended 1 Day Tennis, 1 day Beach Volleyball, and 2 Days of Men’s Golf including the final Gold Medal Day in the French Countryside near the Palace of Versailles. Plus, an art lovers Louvre Visit to see the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece, Eiffel Tower Climb and Hospitality at Charles V, Four Seasons Hotel, where Robin got to drink her favorite Veuve Clicquot. |
| 91 | 8/6/2024 | Paris-Dublin-NYC | Completion of Olympic Athens to Paris 2024 Tour. | One of our two bags was lost and not delivered to NYC until two days late. |
