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.

Greek 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 5 non E.U states which are part of the EFTA – Iceland, Liechenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania are not part of the Schengen Area but have visa policies based on Schengen acquis.

For more information on travelling in the Schengen zone read our in depth article here

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