The Only Greece Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need!

Are you looking for a Greece Travel Guide from someone who’s really been there, done that, made every mistake, and wants to teach you how to avoid them? Then this page is for you!

Hi there! I’m Greek-American and I’ve been to Greece over 20 times with family, with friends, and with my husband Larry. I’ve gone for vacations, weddings (including our own!!), and to visit family all over the country. I am so excited to put together this Greece Travel Guide (hopefully the first of many!) to answer the questions I get from so many people. The is the only Greece Travel Guide you’ll need!

1. Greece Travel Guide – What should I include in my Greek Itinerary?

I. AM. A. PLANNER. And I know it can feel overwhelming when you’re planning a Greek travel itinerary and doing all the research!! This is because the more you research, the more you learn how many awesome islands, cities, monuments, and historical sites there are to see … no matter how many times you’ve gone!

If I’m describing you, you NEED to check out my Step-by-Step Guide to planning your own Greek travel itinerary. I don’t want to repeat everything from that blog post here, but make sure to check it out for tons of ideas for 10 day Greek travel itineraries and 7 day Greek travel itineraries.

2. How do I get around the Greek Islands?

You have two options: Fly or Ferry!

Fly:

• This is my strong preference when going from Athens to the islands and back. Otherwise, you’ll be driving, taking an expensive taxi, or a long train from Athens to Piraeus (the main port of Athens at least 45 minutes away once accounting for delays and traffic), then boarding a ferry to your island.
• Ferries are often delayed by weather, strikes, maintenance issues, etc. You don’t want to miss your flight back home!
• Within Greece, I always use Aegean Airlines for best prices and the most flight options.

Ferry:

• OKAY, despite all that negative stuff I just wrote about ferries, I want to make it clear that I love taking ferries AMONG THE ISLANDS, just not from Athens. I have taken dozens and dozens of ’em … from short ferry rides taking only a couple hours, to nearly 24-hour ones across the Aegean.
• This is a quintessential Greek experience … island-hopping is as fun as it looks! Definitely the best way to get between islands, especially those in the same island region. As a reminder, here are the 3 main island regions that foreign travelers visit:
  • The Cyclades – Milos, Paros, Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, and more
  • The Ionian – Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, and more
  • The Dodecanese – Rhodes, Patmos, Mytilini, Kos, and more
• My favorite way to book ferries is through Ferry Scanner.

3. Is Athens worth it?

This is probably the question I get the most, and the simple is ABSOLUTELY YES! We LOVE Athens, and if you know what to do and what to expect, you’ll love it too. Make sure to read this Perfect 3 Day Athens Itinerary, and you’ll be all set!

Okay team, this part is really important! I strongly recommend doing Athens as your last stop in your Greece itinerary. Very briefly, here’s why:

• You need to get to Athens at least 24 hours before you fly out of the Athens Airport to go home, anyways.
• You can do amazing souvenir shopping in Athens – hello, Monasteraki! – and you don’t want to carry that stuff around with you all over Greece.
• It’s easier to get to the islands directly from the Athens Airport by a flight connection, so better to fly direct to the islands rather than go into the city and then return to the airport.

4. What’s the deal with Greek toilets?

I think something that surprises a lot of tourists in Greece is that the plumbing is old … like really old! That means you SHOULD NOT THROW TOILET PAPER INTO THE TOILETS, unless there is specific signage saying it’s ok.

You’ll see most of the toilets in Greece have a small, lined, covered waste basket directly next to the toilet seat. That’s where your paper goes. Typically, these bins get emptied at least once a day (nice hotels will do it twice a day), and they’re always covered, so you don’t have to see or smell it.

BUT, if this thought just really bugs you, if you’re embarrassed about this around your friends and family, or if you’re on a romantic holiday and this practice makes you uncomfortable, a simple hack is to bring a roll of doggie poop bags. Just like if you had a dog, you’d carry these around with you, put your dirty toilet paper in there, and then put that bag into the waste bin.

I know that may sound wasteful, but truly it’s much better than throwing your paper into a toilet that is simply not build for it.

5. Is Greece safe?

The easy answer is Yes, Greece is a very safe country!!

Now, Athens is a major European capital city, and like any other city, you want to be smart. Petty theft and pickpocketing is rare compared to Paris or London, but does happen. Be careful with your bags and belongings, especially at major tourist attractions like the Acropolis.

Neighborhoods where we have stayed when visiting Athens are Makrigianni, Glyfada, Plaka, and Koukaki. We’d happily stay in these neighborhoods again. We felt safe, even walking around at night.

I’ve also stayed in Kalithea many times, but can be a little harder to get into the main tourist areas from here and felt a little less secure, so wouldn’t recommend it for first-time visitors.

Let’s talk islands: I have always felt super safe on the Greek islands. I have heard of people having sunglasses, purses, wallets stolen on Mykonos and Santorini, but again, these are super busy and touristic hot spots. So, certainly be careful with. your belongings in places like that. But regarding the less busy islands, I feel very safe even when I’m by myself.

Honestly, the biggest safety to threat to tourists isn’t theft or mugging … it’s falling off a motorbike! And that brings us perfectly to our next topic …

6. Can I drive in Greece?

YES again! Unless we’re spending a short amount of time on a tiny island, Larry and I always rent a car. Here’s why:

• Public Transportation is not tourist friendly in most places in Greece. You need to read and speak some Greek to confidently navigate the bus routes on most Greek islands (not Santorini or Mykonos, but most others), and the schedules can vary, be delayed, be affected by strikes, etc …. having your own mode of transportation is well worth it.
• Air Conditioning! As romantic as it sounds to rent an ATV or scooter in Greece, the truth is that Greek summer heat is brutal, and you’re gonna fry in the sun if you aren’t covered and don’t have A/C. (been there, done that, got the burns to prove it)
• Danger – I’ll just be honest here, Greek roads can be windy, narrow, full of blind turns, no shoulders, sharp drops, random goat herds … you name it!! I don’t take that risk with my life anymore, and I’m sad to say we see way too many tourists on crutches or in slings.

Okay team, this part is really important! If you think you’re going to be driving in Greece, you may need an International Driving Permit (IDP)!! Those of us who live in the USA do need an IDP while in Greece. You can get this through AAA, and it costs only $20. Most car rental agencies will ask for this before handing over the keys, and if you should get pulled over by Police, you’ll need this. Go ahead and get yours ahead of schedule by clicking here.

Well, I hope I’ve answered your burning questions in this Greece Travel Guide! Make sure to check out my Perfect 3 Day Athens Itinerary and Step-by-Step Greek Travel Itinerary Planner. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any more questions!