Greece
Getting there
BY AIR
From the UK to Athens:
Flights from the UK take 3.5 hours and there is a 2-hour time
difference.
There are direct scheduled flights year-round with
British Airways and
Aegean from London Heathrow, and with
easyJet from London Gatwick, Edinburgh
and Manchester.
From the rest of Europe to Athens:
Olympic Air and
Aegean fly from various European
cities; also try KLM from Amsterdam,
Lufthansa from Frankfurt / Munich,
easyJet from Berlin, Paris, Milan and
Rome, and Alitalia from Rome and
Milan.
From North America to Athens:
Delta flies direct to Athens from New York
and Atlanta, and Continental
Airlines has flights from Newark to Athens. There are also
seasonal flights from Toronto and Montreal with
Air Canada and
Air Transat. Otherwise,
Olympic Air flies to Athens from
various North American cities, including New York, Boston, Montreal
and Toronto (some routes involve connecting flights).
From the rest of the world to Athens:
Singapore Airlines,
Thai Airways,
Emirates,
Etihad, Qatar
Airways and Royal Jordanian fly to Athens
from their respective hubs in Asia, often with onward connections
to Australasia.
From the UK to the Greek Islands and regions:
EasyJet flies from London Gatwick to
Mykonos and Santorini, from London Gatwick and Liverpool to Rhodes,
and from London Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol to Corfu and
Heraklion Crete.
They also fly from London Gatwick to Thessaloniki several times a
week.
From Athens, Olympic Air and Aegean Air operate several connecting
flights to Thessaloniki every day.
British Airways has direct flights from
London Gatwick to Thessaloniki (for northern Greece) most
days.
Ryanair flies from Leeds Bradford to
Corfu and Crete, and from Liverpool and London to Rhodes.
Charter Flight Centre,
a UK charter flight consolidator, sells tickets for flights between
May and October from London and regional UK airports to various
Greek islands and regions. These flights are often at unsociable
times and limited to 7- or 14-night stays, and you may have to wait
until a month or less before travelling to get a flight-only deal.
Destinations include Crete (Chania or Heraklion), Cyclades islands
(Mykonos, Santorini), Dodecanese islands (Rhodes, Kos), Ionian
islands (Corfu, Kefalonia), Kalamata (Peloponnese; Sundays only)
and Preveza (for Lefkas; Sundays only).
First Choice operates charter
flights to Chania, Corfu, Heraklion, Kefalonia, Preveza, Santorini,
Salonika (Thessaloniki).
Avro sells Monarch Airlines seats to
Chania, Heraklion, Corfu, Rhodes and more.
From the rest of Europe to the Greek Islands and
regions:
EasyJet flies from Geneva, Milan, Rome
and Paris to Mykonos, from Berlin, Geneva, Milan and Rome to
Heraklion, from Berlin and Milan to Corfu, and from Milan to
Santorini.
From elsewhere to the Greek Islands and regions:
There are no direct flights, so fly via Athens with one of the
airlines listed above.
FROM ATHENS AIRPORT
Athens 'Eleftherios Venizelos' International airport (ATH)
is 20km southeast of the city centre. It's about 45-90 minutes into
the centre depending on traffic and mode of transport. See also
www.aia.gr.
By Metro and Suburban Train:
Metro line 3 runs from the airport to Monastiraki Station (Plaka
area) - this is the quickest and easiest route in to most central
parts.The suburban railway line runs from the airport to the
central rail station (Stathmos Larissis) and the port of Pireas -
this is normally the quickest route to Pireas.
By Bus:
There are buses to the city centre and Pireas port, though these
are usually slower than metro/train; and to the northern suburbs
and Rafina port (for Andros/Tinos), which are quite fast. The X93
and X95 services connect the airport with Syntagma Square.
By Taxi:
At busy periods this can be slower than the train, and some drivers
will try to overcharge. If there's any doubt on arrival at your
hotel, check with the staff what the rate should be.
Driving from Athens airport to the regions:
The 'Attiki Odos' ring road provides quick access to the
Peloponnese (follow signs for Elefsina then Corinth) and the north
(follow signs for Elefsina, then National Road / Lamia).
back to topGetting Around
BY AIR
You can fly with Olympic Air
from Athens to all islands which have an airport; between major
islands - Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Corfu; and from Athens
to a dozen or so airports around mainland Greece.
Aegean Airlines replicates some of
these routes, usually a little cheaper.
BY SEA
If you are island-hopping in the Cyclades, there are regular
ferries and hydrofoils to and between all major islands, though
they are less frequent in winter. Hydrofoils take about half as
long as ferries and cost about twice as much. Most services start
from Athens’ main port, Pireaus (for central-southern
Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete, Argo-Saronic and eastern Peloponnese);
a few leave from Athens' second port Rafina (for
Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Syros), while the tiny island of Kea is served
exclusively by Lavrion port. The southern Ionian islands
(Kephalonia, Zakinthos) are served by boats from Patras or Kimi on
the Peloponnese; the central and northern ones (Ithaka, Corfu,
Paxos) from other mainland ports.
There is no online boat timetable, but most of the islands
featured in our portfolio have daily ferries to the nearest island
and to the mainland (the exception is Folegandros, where you'll
need to plan your arrival/departure dates carefully). If you want
to try and plan ahead, consult the individual ferry companies
sites:
www.hellenicseaways.gr
www.bluestarferries.gr
www.aegeanspeedlines.gr
www.nel.gr
www.ventourissealines.gr
Dodekanisos Seaways (Dodecanese only)
www.agoudimos-lines.com
www.anek.gr (mostly Crete)
www.superfast.com (Crete only)
www.lane.gr (Crete only)
... or a 3rd party site like:
www.openseas.gr
www.ferriesingreece.com
... but there is no need to book ahead unless you are taking a
vehicle, or travelling over Easter / August 15th.
Don't forget that strong winds can mean cancelled or delayed
services, so it's best to return to your departure airport at least
a day ahead of your flight.
GETTING AROUND EACH ISLAND
To get around on an island, you may want to hire a car,
jeep, quad bike or moped; if the latter, then check the brakes and
insist on a helmet. Remember that riding two to a moped halves the
cost, but doubles your chance of a puncture. Every island has
several rental outlets.
Buses can be useful for exploring the island; buses tend to
meet ferries at the port and shuttle up to the main town (Hora) and
sometimes elsewhere too.
On Crete there is a good bus network linking the main cities
of the north coast (Hania - Rethymnon - Heraklion - Agios
Nikolaos), as well as a reasonable village network - see
www.bus-service-crete-ktel.com
for info (geared towards western Crete).
Taxis are not expensive either - from €1/km. On
Crete we have heard good things about
www.cretetaxi.com and
www.easytaxi.gr: taxi booking services
with good English who charge a small handling fee over and above
the prescribed rates. Most ex-airport rates are set by law; other
rates are metered.
AROUND MAINLAND GREECE
For mainland tours, you are usually best off hiring a car from your
arrival airport -
Holiday Autos
offers a competitively-priced service, using local suppliers such
as Europcar and Thrifty (but beware: in Crete they sometimes use
Kydon whose offices are out of town). It's a consolidator, which
means that errors can creep in, so you should double-check that
your voucher is correct before leaving, and what surcharges (e.g.
fuel discrepancy, delivery to hotel) may apply.
Alternatively the bus service KTEL is
regular and reliable, but not all are air-conditioned. The rail
network OSE is limited, slow and often late,
but the routes are scenic, especially in the Peloponnese.
When To Go
Spring (April-May) and autumn (late September-October) are our
favourite times, being moderately warm (typically 20-30 celsius)
and much quieter than midsummer. Spring is great for wild flowers
and lush landscapes; autumn for warm seas. If you are restricted to
school summer holidays, we'd recommend July over August –
which sees swarms of holiday-makers and proportionately higher
prices. If you're worried about the heat (which can reach 40
celsius on a hot day in Crete, for example), consider heading up to
the mountains of the mainland; here, it's 5-10 degrees cooler in
summer - and, in winter, can snow quite heavily. Hotels often close
or renovate over the winter – some have no central heating -
but most aim to reopen for Greek Easter, at which point they fill
rapidly for the holiday period.
Key Greek festivals include Orthodox Easter and the Assumption of
the Virgin Mary (15 August), plus a host of local saints’
days which provide an excuse for a summer night of dancing and
feasting. On major feast days, transport and public services go
haywire; try and avoid travel around Athens over any festive
weekend, and to/from the islands around 15 August.
GREEK EASTER
This is usually a bit later than western European Easter:
2012 - Easter Sunday - April 15th
2013 - Easter Sunday - May 5th
2014 - Easter Sunday - April 20th (same)
2015 - Easter Sunday - April 12th
2016 - Easter Sunday - May 1st
2017 - Easter Sunday - April 16th (same)
2018 - Easter Sunday - April 8th
The biggest festival in the Orthodox calendar prompts a nationwide
exodus to the country for socialising and church-going, followed by
fireworks and feasting. It usually coincides with some lovely
spring weather, and makes a wonderful focal point of any
holiday.
OTHER FESTIVALS
New Year’s Day: January 1 (public holiday)
Epiphany: January 6 (a crucifix is thrown into the sea and
retrieved by boys)
Carnival (Apokriés): 60-40 days before Easter (huge
parade in Patras, festivities in Athens, ‘goat-dance’
on Skyros)
Clean Monday (Kathari Deftera): Last Monday before Lent
(kite-flying throughout Greece)
Lent (Sarakostí) and Holy Week (Megali
Evdomáda): 40-1 days before Easter (fasting,
church-going)
Independence Day: March 25 (costumed parades)
St George’s Day: April 23 – can vary (rural
service, feast and dancing; also start of summer pastures for
transhumants)
May Day: May 1 (flower-picking, wreath-making)
Greek Easter (Pascha): Date varies from 0-5 weeks after
western Easter (see below)
St Constantine: May 21 (firewalking in Macedonian
villages)
Pentecost (Whitsun)50 days after Easter (long weekend)
Prophet Elijah (Ilias): July 20 (mountaintop celebrations
and fires, notably on Mt Taygetus)
St Paraskevi: July 26 (feasts in Epirus villages)
Transfiguration of Christ (Metamorfosi): August 6 (feasts in
Evia & elsewhere)
Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Dekapentávgousto):
August 15 (the biggest summer exeat - Greeks return to their home
village or make pilgrimmages e.g. to Tinos)
Birth of the Virgin Mary (Genisi): September 8 (rural
service and feast)
St Demetrius: October 26 (new wine tasted, also end of
summer pastures)
Ochi Day: October 28 (parades to celebrate Metaxa's historic
“No!” to Mussolini)
St Nikolaos: December 6 (services at coastal chapels)
Christmas: December 25 (public and religious holiday, but
less commercial than in western Europe)
New Year’s Eve: December 31 (nightlong services,
parties and card-playing)
back to topOther Essentials
No vaccinations are required. EU citizens are entitled to
reciprocal state medical care in Greece (take your EHIC card), but
hospitals can be chaotic. Of course, additional medical insurance
is recommended. There are good, English-speaking (and
English/US-trained) private doctors and dentists throughout
Greece.
In summer, take mosquito repellent and use strong suntan cream.
Avoid the midday sun in summer (when you are in or by the sea, its
effects are not so apparent) and drink plenty of water. Water is
generally safe but in coastal areas is heavily chlorinated. Cheap
bottled mineral water is widely available.
It is customary to tip 10% or to round up generously at
restaurants, and to round up to (say) the nearest 5 Euros when
paying for taxis and other services (but not anything with a
printed price on).