Travel to Greece is always a good idea. With an exquisite coastline dotted with numerous coves, bays, and peninsulas, Greece and its islands are a traveler’s dream destination.
White sandy beaches, on the Greek islands, look out over the clear blue seas of the Mediterranean and sprawling whitewashed villages cling to the high sea cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea.
Villas, towns, churches, forts, mosques, ghost villages, ancient harbors and cities with old quarters each have fascinating stories and histories waiting to be explored.
These Greece Travel Tips will help you plan your next vacation.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Fast Facts About Greece
- Greek power voltage is 220 V 50 Hz; Power sockets C, E & F
- The local currency is the the EURO and is around 1 Euro to 1.15 USD
- Try the local alcoholic beverages, like tsiupouro – distilled from grape residue.
- Value added tax (VAT) is charged on purchases, such as meals at restaurants, shopping expenses and hotel accommodations.
- If you are resident of a non-European Union country, you can get a refund of this tax in certain participating shops.
- For more info on VAT refunds, click here.
Things to See and Do in Greece
- Go Hiking Through the Monoliths of Meteora to explore the incredible ancient monasteries set high on cliffs.
- Visit Santorini – Considered the most beautiful of the Greek islands, Santorini is a couples paradise. With so much to see and do it should be on your Greece itinerary.
- Explore Costa Navarino – Visit the luxury and beauty of Costa Navarino dating back 4500 years through Byzantine, Ottoman, and Venetian rule. The archaeological sites are really impressive and virtually people-free.
- Explore the ancient city of Athens – This is one of the most impressive cities in Europe. From exploring the winding streets to discovering the ancient archaeological sites, you will want to give yourself a few days here.
- Relive Mama Mia in Pelion, Greece – Located on the Pelion Peninsula, this little slice of paradise is true greek living. If you want to feel like a local and soak up the greek culture Pelion should be on your list.
- Go Island Hopping in the Greek Islands: No trip to Greece would be complete without visiting at least one of the famous Greek islands. Take your pick; Crete, Mykonos, Zakynthos, Skiathos, Kos. All of them are worth a visit.
- Relax in Halkidiki – This is an area located in the northern part of Greece and is famous for its blend of culture and magnificent beaches.
- Hike the Samaria Gorge – We love hiking and we can say that this is definitely the best hike in Greece. It offers some incredible views as well as getting a workout.
Greece Travel Guides
Budgeting
Accommodation
Budget – You can stay in a budget hotel in Greece for around $50. They offer free Wi-Fi and shared or private rooms.
Mid Range – A mid-range hotel in Greece often includes free breakfast and a fitness facility. You may also have access to laundry service if you need to clean your clothes on your trip.
High End – A luxury hotel in Greece often comes with a view of the water. You may often have a jacuzzi tub and a private balcony to enjoy.
Food
Food: Greek food is some of the best in the world and you can sample it quite reasonably.
- Moussaka – made from eggplants, minced meat, and béchamel
- Kabobs – a mixture of meat and veggies on a skewer
- Pastitsio – baked pasta dish
- Skordostoumbi Melitzana – hundred cloves of garlic and eggplants dish
- Melitzanosalata – an eggplant dip perfect for meaty dishes
- Tyropitakia – small crunchy pastries filled with feta cheese
Read our Greek Food Guide to find out more.
The Best Ways to Get Around Greece
Getting to Greece: Most flights fly into Athens which is a major hub in Europe. There are many direct flights to Athens from North America and Europe.
Buses: You can ride a bus in most major cities in Greece. You can get an all-day ticket starting at 4 Euros.
Taxis/Uber: Taxis start at a base rate of 2 Euros and increase by 1 Euro per 1 km. Uber currently offers Uber X or UberTAXI in Greece.
Car Rental: Car rentals start at 20 Euros per day in Greece and increase base on the car size and features you want.
But you can find great deals for car rentals too so look around.
When to Go to Greece
For the best weather, the best time to visit Greece is from April to November.
But Greece is good to visit year-round.
For the best deals, visit Greece during shoulder season from March to May and Sept/October. We have seen amazing deals at luxury hotels.
Where to Stay in Greece
Athens: Check out our complete guide on Where to stay in Athens. It is broken down into neighbourhoods and budget levels. Perfect for the first time visitor to the city.
Santorini: Andronis Luxury Suites – This is the ultimate in Santorini Luxury with infinity pools, whitewashed walkways, cave dwellings and private balconies.
Meteora: Divani Meteora – Amazing setting among the monoliths of Meteora. Four-Star hotel with a pool, fitness center, spa, and restaurants. Includes free parking too.
Greece Accommodation Guides
What to Pack for Greece
Greece is a year-round vacation destination that is known for its lack of cold winters, with yearly temperatures ranging from 10 – 40 degrees Celcius.
Greece has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild and rainy winters to relatively warm and dry summers.
The country can be divided into the northern and southern climatic regions, the former known to have a climate similar to the Balkins (cold winters vs hot, humid summers) while the latter is known for longer summers and milder rainy winters.
- Hat – A wide-brimmed hat is a must, especially if you’re taking a boat tour. Pack one that easily rolls up.
- The protection basics – Along with the hat, travelers should stock up on the essentials: sun block, mosquito/insect repellant containing DEET and sunglasses
- Bring more than one swimsuit – there are plenty of opportunities to swim, from the Aegean Sea to hotel pools, so pack at least two swimsuits that you can rotate between during your trip.
- Pack loose clothing with breathable fabric – cover up with fabric you know will breathe. Tunics are a great options as they can be dressed up or down, are light weight and offer good coverage. Linen layers are another great option.
- Leave your heels at home – Cobblestone streets are common in many towns that curve along the side of hills. Heels and cobblestone do not mix so opt for flats, boots and/or sandals.
- Classic Basic items – You do not need to be a fashionista to blend in. The key is in embracing neutral toned items that can be mixed and matched easily. Avoid logos, baseball caps, shorts, hoodies, flip-flops and running shoes as these items scream tourist
See our packing tips: Ultimate Packing List and Packing Tips for Europ.
Greece Travel Guide: Best Booking Resources
Whenever we travel to Europe we make sure to start with these companies.
We have tried a lot of different ones over the years and all of these have consistently proven to be the best when it comes to offering great prices as well as great customer service.
We have used every one of these personally and continue to do so.
Booking.com: This is our go-to site when comparing prices for accommodation. It is usually and has the cheapest prices, especially in Europe and we love their interface. Not to mention you get free cancellation and you are guaranteed the best price.
Trip Advisor: What we like about Trip Advisor is that we can look at all the reviews and then book our accommodation. TripAdvisor is where we go when we want to compare prices with multiple accommodation providers.
VRBO: Airbnb is the main search engine we use when we are looking for a home or apartment rental. It can sometimes be cheaper than hotels and it is the best way to stay in areas that offer a more local feel.
Hostelworld: With one of the largest databases of hostels in the world, Hostelworld is the go-to site when you are looking for budget accommodation.
Skyscanner: This is the first place we check for flights. It consistently comes back with the cheapest and best options. It allows us to compare a lot of airlines to get the best price.
Rome 2 Rio: If you want to see how to get somewhere by plane, train, bus, ferry, or car Rome2Rio lays it all out for you as well as related costs. I love how they show it all to you on a Google Map and it works offline.
Get Your Guide: For all your day trip and city guide needs, we use Get Your Guide. It has the world’s largest collection of things to do with more than 30,000 activities in 7500 destinations.
World Nomads Insurance: When traveling to Italy you should always have travel insurance. We have found the best bang for your buck is by far World Nomads.
