Greece Travel Guide

With an exquisite coastline dotted with numerous coves, bays and peninsulas, Greece and its islands are a traveler’s dream destination.

White sandy beaches 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.

Fast Facts

• 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.

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.

Check out our favorite booking platforms Booking.com, Tripadvisor and Air B&B for the best deals on accommodation.

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.

Transportation

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.

Flights: You can check for the best flights to —- on Skyscanner.

Getting Around Greece

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.

You can also compare prices here

Places to Stay

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.

12 Seasons Luxury Resort in Tsaragada you must try the

For your hotel stay in Volos visit the Xenia Volos located right on the water.

Packing Tips

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.

When to Go

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.

Things to Do

Adventure

• Go Hiking Through the Monoliths of Meteora to explore the incredible ancient monasteries set high on cliffs.
  

Culture

• Explore Costa Navarino – Visit the luxury and beauty of Costa Navarino dating back 4500 years through Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian rule.
• Take in the view at the Iconic Santorini Cave Hotel – watch the sunset from the privacy and seclusion of the Iconic Santorini while enjoying some of the island’s freshest catch of the day. 
• Don’t miss our post on the best things to do in Athens for more ideas.

What not to Miss

• Sizzle in Santorini – from the picturesque towns of Oia, Imerovigli, or Thera, Santorini is a fairytale Greek island that will take your breath away the minute you take your first peek out over cliffs.
• Get that Perfect Shot –  wander around and take some breathtaking photography shots of Santorini 

Tour Company Suggestions

• VisitMeteora – Great for setting up tours around Meteora and parts of Greece.
  Get Your Guide – Great tour company for day trips and city tours in Greece.

Booking Resources

Whenever we travel to 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.

We have used every one of these personally and continue to do so.

Booking.com: This is our go site to when comparing prices for accommodation. It is usually the has the cheapest prices, 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. 

Air BnB: Airbnb is the main search engine we use when we are looking for a home or apartment rental. It is the best way to stay in areas that offer a more local feel.

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.

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.

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 you should always have travel insurance. We do.

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