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Getting around in Greece

Air: 

Olympic Airlines (www.olympicair.com) and Aegean Airlines (www.aegeanair.com) operate flights on over 30 domestic routes. Major routes include Athens-Thessaloniki and Athens-Heraklion (on Crete). For many people, travelling from Athens to the islands by ferry is far more enjoyable than flying, though if time is an issue, flights are quicker for more distant islands such as Corfu, Crete and Rhodes. Through summer, advance bookings are recommended. Private charter flights are also available.

Air notes: 

As of spring 2010, when Greece’s economic crisis became serious, flights have often been disrupted by strikes – especially on Tue, Wed and Thurs. Greek workers are less likely to take industrial action Fri-Mon.

Air passes: 

Olympic Air have a Travelair Club which offers frequent fliers the chance to earn air miles, while Aegean Airlines run a similar Miles&Bonus scheme.

Departure tax: 

€12.

Road: 

The motorway network is gradually being upgraded to link Athens to all the other major cities on the mainland – due to Greece’s mountainous terrain, this requires the building of several new tunnels. Motorways and some bridges incur a toll. In rural areas, and especially on the islands, many roads are narrow, twisty and poorly surfaced. Beware that roads up steep mountains may involve hairpin bends and plummeting cliffs with no guardrails. To reach some of the more isolated beaches you may have to negotiate unsurfaced tracks – in which case it is often better to walk.

Side of road: 
Right
Road quality: 

Greece has a good road network.

Road classification: 

Greece’s major motorways are the A1 linking Athens and Thessaloniki; the A2 linking Igoumenitsa (on the west coast) to Evros (on the border with Turkey) passing through Thessaloniki en-route; and the A8 linking Athens and Patras. Some stretches of these motorways are still being upgraded. Secondary roads are known as ‘national roads’ and numbered from 1 to 99.

Car hire: 

Most major international car hire firms operate throughout Greece, with offices at airports, ferry ports and in all major cities. The legal age for hiring a car is 21.

Taxi: 

In Athens, taxis are safe, plentiful and cheap. It is common practise to share the ride (but not the cost) with other passengers going in a similar direction. The same applies for other major cities. On the more commercial islands, such as Santorini, taxis can be expensive and also difficult to find during peak season. On the less touristy islands, taxis are cheaper but often scarce.

Bike: 

Greeks can be erratic drivers and big cities are risky for cyclists. That said, the Greek countryside offers superb terrain for mountain bikers. Various companies hire out bikes, and organise guided and self-guided tours of anything from a half-day to one week. The most popular regions for cycling are the island of Crete and the Peloponnese, both of which offer cycling paths, rural back roads and stunning mountain scenery.

Coach: 

All Greece’s main cities and many small destinations too are connected by an extensive network of long-distance buses, which almost always prove more efficient than the train. Major routes include Athens-Thessaloniki and Athens-Patras. The private companies involved operate under the umbrella of KTEL (tel: 14505, within Greece only; www.ktel.org).

Regulations: 

The minimum age for driving is 18. Children under 10 must sit in the back seat. Seat belts must be worn. There are fines for breaking traffic regulations. The maximum speed limit is 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 110kph (68mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas. It is illegal to carry spare petrol in the vehicle, and to use a mobile phone (without hands-free) while driving. It is also illegal to use the horn in built up areas except in cases where there is immediate danger.

Breakdown service: 

ELPA (Automobile and Touring Club of Greece; tel: 210 606 8800; www.elpa.gr). Emergency breakdown services can be contacted toll-free by dialling 10400.

Documentation: 

A national driving licence is acceptable for EU nationals. The car registration documents must be carried at all times. Nationals of non-EU countries may need an International Driving Permit and should contact ELPA.

Getting around towns and cities: 

Athens: Athens city centre is well served by frequent buses and trolleybuses. Tickets can be purchased from the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (www.oasa.gr) at various booths and kiosks situated around the city.

Athens has a reliable underground system that consists of three major lines. Line 1 (www.amel.gr) or the green line, runs north-south between Athens (suburb of Kifissia) and Piraeus daily; Line 2 or the blue line, runs between Aghios Antonios and Aghios Dimitrios and line 3 or the blue line, runs between Egaleo and the airport, passing through Monastiraki en route. Tickets can be purchased in the stations.

The tram system in Athens cuts through the city from Syntagma Square right through to the coast and runs a pleasant route from Peace and Friendship Stadium (in Neo Faliro) all the way to the most southern point of Glyfada. Tickets can be booked at all stations and trams connect with the Metro at Syntagma, Neos Kosmos and Neo Faliro.

Athens' large fleet of yellow taxis are extremely cheap by European standards. If you hail a taxi down in the street, it is not unusual to share the ride with other passengers going in a similar direction. Drivers are obliged to run a meter. Prices go up between midnight and 0500.

Thessaloniki: The city centre is well served by frequent buses. Tickets can be purchased from periptera (kiosks). Construction of the long-awaited metro in Thessaloniki finally began in 2006. If building work goes to plan, the single line running east-west will have 13 stations and should be ready for late 2014. Taxis in Thessaloniki are dark blue and white. As in Athens, they are cheap and plentiful.

Rail: 

Athens now has only one main train station, Larissa. Train information and tickets are available from the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) (tel: 1110, within Greece only; www.trainose.gr). Due to Greece’s current economic problems, some domestic services were cut during 2011, so now only a limited number of destinations are served every day going north and west from Athens. The most efficient service runs north-south, from Athens to Thessaloniki.

Rail passes: 

InterRail One-Country Pass: various tickets allow for travel for three, four, six or eight days to be taken during the period of a month and within Greece. The passenger must be an EU resident. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. The InterRail Greece Plus Pass also allows free deck tickets from Italy to Greece aboard Superfast ferries. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 08448 484 064;www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Balkan Flexipass: offers five, 10 or 15 days' unlimited rail travel within one month in Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of) and Romania. However, note that all international trains into and out of Greece were suspended in early 2011 until further notice. Available at the international ticket sales points in any of the participating countries.

By water: 

It is both cheap and easy to travel around the islands. There are ferry services (www.greekferries.gr) on many routes, with services most frequent during the summer. The main ports in Attica are Piraeus and Rafina, although there are regular services to the islands from the smaller ports of Alexandroupolis, Igoumenitsa, Kavala, Kyllini, Patras, Thessaloniki and Volos.

Tickets can be bought from the shipping lines' offices located around the quaysides or online. In major ports the larger companies have offices in the city centre. There are two classes of ticket (First Class and Economy Class) which offer varying degrees of comfort; cabins can be booked for the longer voyages or those wishing to avoid the sun. Most ships have restaurant facilities. During high season it is wise to buy tickets in advance, as inter-island travel is very popular.

Routes from Piraeus: Piraeus offers frequent services to most islands in the following groups: Argo-Saronic, Cyclades, Dodecanese and the northeast Aegean, plus Crete and several mainland ports.

Check sailing times either with individual lines, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, or in Piraeus.

Routes from Rafina: There are ferries to nearby Evia from Rafina, plus to some islands in the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and the northeast Aegean.

Other routes: Several other routes between the mainland ports and the islands are also covered.

Hydrofoil: A hydrofoil service, also called the Flying Dolphins, (www.hellenicseaways.gr) offers a fast and efficient service from Piraeus, travelling to many of the nearby islands. Although this is somewhat more expensive than travelling by ferry, journey times are cut drastically. They also serve some other routes. For further information on various ferry and hydrofoil timetables, see the Greek Travel Pages (www.gtp.gr).

Yachts: Numerous types of yachts and sailing vessels can be chartered or hired with or without crews. 'Flotilla holidays' are popular, and the Greek National Tourism Organisation has a full list of companies running this type of holiday.

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