Travel advice for Greece
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Greece
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The standard overland public transport in Greece is the bus. Train networks are limited, even more so with recent cutbacks. Buses cover most primary routes on the mainland and provide basic connections on the islands. The best way to supplement buses is to rent a scooter, motorbike or car, especially on the islands where – in any substantial town or resort – you will find at least one rental outlet. Inter-island travel means taking ferries, catamarans or hydrofoils, which will eventually get you to any of the sixty-plus inhabited isles. Internal flights are relatively expensive, but can save literally days of travel: Athens–Rhodes is just two hours return, versus 28 hours by boat.
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The Historical and Mythological Cyclades islands
The Cyclades islands include two of the most famous Greek Islands: Mykonos and Santorini. Visit these and some of the smaller, quieter, islands. With white washed houses, narrow cobbled streets, blue domed roofs and stunning beaches, they are what Greece is all about.
customize ⤍A secluded villa stay on Mainland Greece
Stay in a secluded private villa with magnificent views to the sea and explore this beautiful corner of Mainland Greece with your own rental car. Under the impressive Mt Taygetos in Southern Peloponnese, the region of Mani will give you a snapshot of authentic Greece.
customize ⤍Along the Coast of Crete: from Heraklion to Platanias
As Greece's largest island, Crete's culture and atmosphere is distinctly different from mainland Greece. Thousands of years of unique culture and rich history complement the island's untamed natural beauty. Explore Crete at your own pace with this unique self-drive trip!
customize ⤍Cultural and natural sites of Athens and the Peloponnese
Welcome to wonderful Athens for an unforgettable adventure. Enjoy getting lost in this maze of charming streets, where the modern sits beautifully with the ancient. Venture out into the Peloponnese on mainland Greece, and discover historical, cultural and natural wonders the region is blessed with.
customize ⤍An Odyssey Adventure in Ancient Greece
Learn the secrets of Ancient Greek mythology and history visiting the world-renowned site of the Acropolis, explore the unspoiled landscape of Peloponnese, become a true Spartan warrior in Thermopylae and much more - this self drive tour takes you on a real Greek adventure.
customize ⤍Explore Classical Greece: self-drive motorhome trip
This 15-days motorhome road trip will take you to Athens, the city of legends and some of the most fascinating classical sites, such as Epidaurus, Olympia, Delphi and the man-made marvels of the Corinth Canal and Byzantine monasteries of Meteora. A perfect tour for history.
customize ⤍Athens: City of the Gods
Welcome to wonderful Athens. Wander this maze of charming streets, where the modern sits beautifully with the ancient; discover the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the crowning architectural achievements of the Classical Age; indulge your sense with delicious Mediterranean food at local tavernas.
customize ⤍Discover Naxos in style
Stay in a secluded private villa and explore Naxos at your own pace in your own rental car. Lasting just above 1 week, this itinerary leaves plenty of room for relaxation and exploration of the amazing island of Naxos, with its authentic mountainous villages and magnificent sea views.
customize ⤍Epirus and Athens: The Ancient Sites
Discover the ancient cities of the Epirus region and Athens. Shrouded in myths and legends of Greek gods and Roman and Byzantine warriors, the sites in the Epirus region of Greece, temples, castles, fortresses and rivers, all have tales to tell.
customize ⤍An exclusive stay in Milos
Get to know the most exotic island in the Aegean by staying in a private luxury villa by the sea. Volcanic rocks paint the beaches red, pink and orange, white rock formations, emerald green waters and caves eroded by the sea, are steeped in stories of pirates. Milos is truly unique.
customize ⤍Greek Island-Hopping Honeymoon
Hop between the islands of Milos, Naxos, and Amorgos on this romantic trip. Drive around stunning coastlines, explore mountain villages, visit ancient sites, and luxuriate on golden beaches as you are transfixed by the allure of the Aegean’s turquoise waters.
customize ⤍Relaxing discovery of classical Greece
Spend a wonderful few days exploring Athens and the ancient sites surrounding the capital on mainland Greece. Blessed with glorious weather, nature and beaches, see sites that rival anything which you may find on the Greek Islands.
customize ⤍From major departure points ticketing is computerized, with assigned seating, and on intercity lines such as Athens–Pátra such buses often get fully booked at the ekdhotíria (ticket-issuing office). On secondary rural/island routes, it's first-come, first-served, with some standing allowed, and tickets dispensed on the spot by a conductor (ispráktoras). Prices are fixed according to distance and there are no cheap advance booking fares; Athens–Pátra costs €27.
Timetables are available annually as small, Greek-only booklets, but with continual austerity measure reductions in services, it's better to check online or at station schedule boards or information counters. If you're starting a journey at a station with computerized facilities you can (at no extra cost) reserve a seat; a carriage and seat number will be printed on your ticket.
There are two basic classes: first and second, the latter about 25 percent cheaper. An express category of train, Intercity (IC on timetables), exists for departures between Alexandhroúpoli, Thessaloníki, Vólos, Kalambáka and Athens; also, when the line upgrade is completed, Pátra and Kalamáta, although at the time of writing all trains on that Peloponnesian route were terminating at Kiáto, from where bus transfers complete the journey.
A second-class ticket on the IC service between Athens and Thessaloníki costs €45 in person, €35 online, with occasional super deals as low as €9. The slower overnight train costs €25 (€19 online) for a seat, €49 (€39 online) for a sleeper.
Tickets issued on board carry a fifty-percent penalty charge; by contrast, under-26s and over-60s get 25 percent discounts at off-peak seasons for non-express trains. InterRail and Eurail pass holders must secure reservations, and pay express supplements, like everyone else.
Ferry connections are indicated both on the route map and in the "Arrival and Departure" sections throughout the guide. Schedules are notoriously erratic, however, and must be verified seasonally; details given are for departures between late June and early September. When sailing in season from Pireás to the Cyclades or Dodecanese, you should have a choice of at least two, sometimes three, daily departures. Out-of-season departure frequencies drop sharply, with less populated islands connected only two or three times weekly.
Reliable departure information is available from the local port police (limenarhío) at all island and mainland harbours of any size; around Athens there are offices at Pireás (t210 45 50 000), Rafína (t22940 28888) and Lávrio (t22920 25249). Busier port police have automated phone-answering services with an English option for schedule information. Many companies produce annual schedule booklets, which may not be adhered to as the season wears on – check their websites (if any) for current information, or refer to wgtp.gr or, even better, wopenseas.gr.
Tickets are best bought a day before departure, unless you need to reserve a cabin berth or space for a car. During holiday periods – Christmas/New Year, the week before and after Easter, late July to early September – and around the dates of elections, ferries need to be booked at least ten days in advance. Ticketing for most major routes is computerized and you cannot buy your ticket on board. Many companies allow you to reserve places and pay online, but tickets must still be picked up at the port at least fifteen minutes before departure.
The cheapest fare class, which you'll automatically be sold unless you specify otherwise, is ikonomikí thési, which gives you the run of most boats except for the upper-class restaurant and bar. Most newer boats seem expressly designed to frustrate summertime travellers attempting to sleep on deck. For long overnight journeys, it's worth considering the few extra euros for a cabin bunk; second-class cabins are typically quadruple, while first-class double cabins with en-suite bathrooms can cost as much as a flight.
Motorbikes and cars get issued separate tickets; the latter have risen in price dramatically of late to as much as five times the passenger fare, depending on size. For example, Sámos–Ikaría costs around €12 per person/€40 per car, while Sámos–Pireás is about €28/€100. It's really only worth taking a car to the larger islands like Crete, Rhodes, Híos, Lésvos, Sámos, Corfu or Kefaloniá, and only if staying a week or more. Otherwise, it is cheaper to leave your car on the mainland and rent another on arrival.
Catamarans and high-speed boats (tahýplia) are ruthlessly air-conditioned, usually without deck seating and with Greek TV blaring at you from multiple screens – paying extra for dhiakikriméni thési (upper class) merely gets you a better view. Car fares are normal, though passenger tickets are at least double a comparable ferry journey, ie similar to hydrofoil rates. Similarly, many don't run between October and April.
Fares to/between the islands cost at least double the cost of a deck-class ferry journey, but on inter-island routes poorly served by boat (Rhodes–Sámos, for example), consider this time well bought, and indeed some subsidized peripheral routes cost less than a hydrofoil/catamaran journey. The cheapest web fares on Aegean are non-changeable and non-refundable, but with Olympic you can change your flight date, space permitting, without penalty up to 24 hours before your original departure.
Island flights are often full in peak season; if they're an essential part of your plans, make reservations at least a month in advance. Waiting lists exist and are worth signing on to, as there are almost always cancellations. Many Olympic flights use small prop planes which won't fly in strong winds or (depending on the airport) after dark; Aegean and Sky Express use more robust jets. A 15kg baggage weight limit can be strictly enforced; if, however, you've just arrived from overseas or purchased your ticket outside Greece, you're allowed the standard international limits (20–23kg).
Road conditions can be very poor, from bad surfaces and inadequate signposting to unmarked railway crossings. There is a limited but growing number of motorways on which tolls (€2–3) are levied, adding over €30, for example on the drive from Athens to Thessaloníki. Fuel, whether regular unleaded (amólyvdhi), super or diesel, is currently over €1.65 per litre across the country, often €1.80-plus in remoter areas. Be aware that many petrol stations close after 8pm and on Sundays, meaning quite a hunt in rural areas at those times.
Parking in almost every mainland town, plus the biggest island centres, is uniformly a nightmare owing to oversubscription. Pay-and-display systems, plus residents-only schemes, are common, and it's rarely clear where you obtain tickets.
Seat-belt use (and helmet wearing on scooters and motorcycles) is compulsory and children under the age of 10 are not allowed to sit in the front seats of cars; infractions of these rules are punishable by fines. It's illegal to drive away from any kind of accident – or to move the vehicles before the police appear – and where serious injury has resulted to the other party you can be held at a police station for up to 24 hours.
Rental prices in Greece almost never include collision damage waiver (CDW) and personal insurance. The CDW typically has a deductible charge of €400–600, which may be levied for even the tiniest scratch or missing mudguard. To avoid this, it is strongly recommended that you pay the €5–7 extra per day for full coverage. Frequent travellers should consider annual excess insurance through Insurance 4 Car Hire (wwww.insurance4carhire.com), which will cover all UK- and North America-based drivers.
All agencies will require a blank credit card slip as a deposit (destroyed when you return the vehicle safely); minimum age requirements vary from 21 to 23. Driving licences issued by any European Economic Area state are honoured, but an International Driving Permit is required by all other drivers (despite claims by unscrupulous agencies). You can be arrested and charged if caught by the traffic police without an IDP if you require one.
Avance, Antena, Auto Union, Payless, Kosmos, National/Alamo, Reliable, Tomaso and Eurodollar are dependable Greek, or smaller international, chains with branches in many towns; all are cheaper than Hertz, Sixt or Avis. Specific local recommendations are given in the guide.
EU citizens bringing their own cars are free to circulate in the country for six months, or until their home-based road tax or insurance expires, whichever happens first; keeping a car in Greece for longer entails more paperwork. Non-EU nationals will get a car entered in their passport; the carnet normally allows you to keep a vehicle in Greece for up to six months, exempt from road tax.
True motorbikes (mihanés) with manual transmissions and safer tyres are less common than they ought to be. With the proper licence, bikes of 125cc and up are available in many resorts for around €20 per day. Quads are also increasingly offered – without doubt the most stupid-looking and impractical conveyance yet devised, and very unstable on turns – make sure helmets are supplied.
Reputable establishments demand a full motorcycle driving licence (Class B) for any engine over 80cc (Greek law actually stipulates "over 50cc"). You will usually have to leave your passport as a deposit. Failure to carry the correct licence on your person also attracts a stiff fine, though some agencies still demand this rather than a passport as security.
Many rental outfits will offer you (an often ill-fitting) crash helmet (krános), and some will make you sign a waiver of liability if you refuse it. Helmet-wearing is required by law, with a €185 fine levied for failure to do so; on some smaller islands the rule is laxly enforced, on others random police roadblocks do a brisk commerce in citations, to foreigners and locals alike.
Before riding off, always check the brakes and electrics; dealers often keep the front brakes far too loose, with the commendable intention of preventing you going over the handlebars. Make sure also that there's a kick-start as backup to the battery, since ignition switches commonly fail. If you break down on a scooter or motorcycle you're often responsible for returning the machine, although the better outlets offer a free retrieval service.
If you have your own bike, consider taking it along by train or plane (it's free if within your 20–23kg international air allowance, but arrange it in writing with the airline beforehand to avoid huge charges at check-in). Once in Greece you can take a bike for free on most ferries, in the guard's van on most trains (for a small fee), and in the luggage bays of buses. Bring any small spare parts since specialist shops are rare.
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From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Greece
written by Rough Guides Editors
updated 19.05.2021
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