Five Quick Facts About Travelling In Greece

1. Greece is a safe country to travel in with the majority of people being helpful and friendly. Crime rates are low, however scams do happen in high tourist areas so be aware.
2. Greece is part of the Schengen Visa Area Policy with visa free travel to citizens of many countries – see VISA tab for more details.
3. There is very good public transport which is easy to navigate and inexpensive to use.
4. English is widely spoken making travel easy. As always it is polite to learn a few basic works of the language.
5. It is illegal to take photographs of military installations or other strategic locations and these laws are taken very seriously.

When To Travel In Greece

Greece has three distinct travel seasons High Season, Shoulder Season & Low Season. It is important to note that travelling between islands during low season is tricky especially the lesser populated Islands.

High Season May – August

• Accommodation is busy and prices can double. booking ahead is advisable.
• The weather is hot and the crowds large across the country.
• Transport is frequent and easy to manage, all sights are open and operating at maximum hours

Shoulder Season April, September – October

• The days are still hot but they are now bearable.
• Accommodation is cheaper and less busy.
• Most sights are still open with some operating at reduced hours.
• Internal flights and ferry timetables are reduced.
• Less crowds.

Low Season November – March

• Many of the islands are shut along with many restaurants and hotels across Greece.
• There are few ferries running and those who are takes circuitous routes stopping frequently.
• It is much cooler even cold with snow on the mountains and at times even in Athens.
• Accommodation is much cheaper.

Greece Currency

The currency in Greece is the Euro which is the currency of the 24 other EU member states plus Andorra, Kosovo, Monarco, Montenegro, San Marino and the Vatican.

ATMs can be found throughout Greece. It is advisable to always carry a small amount of cash as not all eftpos machines accept foreign cards.

Greece Visa Policy

Greece is part of the Schengen Area Visa Policy.

Nationals / Citizens from Schengen States have right of movement and entry without a visa but will need a passport as proof of identity.

The policy applies to the Schengen Area which is 22 E.U member states and 4 non E.U states which are part of the EFTA – Iceland, Liechenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area but have visa policies based on Schengen acquis.

Schengen Visa Policy Map

Schengen Area Map

Source: Wikipedia

Getting Around Greece

Trains, planes, automobiles, ferries. Greece has just about every mode of transport you can think of.

Buses

Buses are a popular and easy way to travel between towns and cities. KTEL is the national government-subsidized network of independent businesses which cooperate together to form a dense route system serving almost the entire country. The system is efficient, reliable, and relatively inexpensive.

Train

Greece does have a rail system however it is limited. There is a train that runs from Athens to Thessaloniki in the north.

Ferries

Greece has multi ferries plying many routes. During the high season ferries run regularly around the islands, in the low season ferry services are limited and are often slow with the ferry that is running stopping at many islands.

Ferry Companies and Routes

• Aegean Speed Lines – Cyclades

• Agoudimos Lines – International and Greek Islands

• ANEK Lines – Crete and international

• Blue Star Ferries – Italy-Greece and Aegean Islands

• Euroseas – Saronic Gulf

• Hellenic Seaways – Aegean Islands

• Minoan Lines  – Italy-Greece and Crete

• SAOS Ferries – Aegean Islands and northern mainland

• Superfast Ferries – Italy-Greece

• Ventouris Ferries – Italy-Greece

What To Pack In Greece

What to pack for Greece is very dependent on when you will be travelling to the country and where you will be going. Summers are warm to hot but if travelling to the mountains a jacket or coat is advisable.

Winters are cold especially in the mountains so cold-weather gear will be needed.

It’s all about layering which allows you to add or loses clothing as needed

Packing List

Clothing

1 pair jeans – I know they are heavy and take ages to dry but I wear them constantly and find them comfortable
1 pair black travel type pants – Black pants are little smarter than jeans so good if going somewhere a little dressier. Mine is the lightweight fabric in the style of jean,
2 x pair of shorts. 1 denim and one lightweight travel fabric
2 x singlets – good for layering and sleeping in
4 x short sleeve cotton shirts, lightweight and breathable
1 x long sleeve sloppy joe.
1 x zip-up shell jacket
1 x lightweight raincoat – packable version that packs down into a small bag.
5 x socks
5 x underpants
2 x bras

Shoes

1 x pair walking or hiking shoes.
1 x pair slip on flats
1 x pair flip flops (great for hostel showers)

Toiletries
Shampoo & Conditioner
Bar of Soap
Deodorant
Razor
Tweezers
Brush / Comb
Hair Ties

Electronics

1 x Earbud headphones.Light and small,
1 x IPad
1 x 6S iPhone
Charging leads for above
2 x USB
1 x power bank
1 x Cable organiser which keeps everything tidy
1 x 14” laptop – we run a business so this is essential for us.

Photography

This year I have left behind my DSLR and lenses to travel only with a GoPro and a LUMIX TZ80. At the end of the day it came down to weight when travelling a long way and having to carry a pack – so let’s see how we go….

1 x GoPro Hero 5
2 x Spare GoPro Batteries
1 x LUMIX TZ80
Spare micro SD Cards

Other Stuff

1 x padlock
1 x headlight or torch
1 x Swiss knife
1 x medical kit
Ziplock bags