Armed with a bus coupon, Diamantoula Vassiliou embarked on a four-hour journey to Avlaki Beach, an hour north of Athens. She was among thousands making similar excursions this month, often with plastic coolers and homemade lunches – the hallmarks of summer holidays in leaner times for many Greeks.
"We come here because there’s no money," explained Ms Vassiliou, for whom day trips have replaced week-long vacations for four years. This stark reality contrasts sharply with Greece’s booming tourism industry.
