Greece Travel Guide

Social Conventions

Greeks are very aware of their strong historical and cultural heritage. Traditions and customs differ throughout Greece, but overall a strong sense of unity prevails. The Greek Orthodox Church has a strong traditional influence on the Greek way of life, especially in more rural areas. The throwing back of the head is a negative gesture. Dress is generally casual. Smoking is prohibited on public transport and in public buildings.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

Olympic Air (OA) (www.olympicair.com) and Aegean Airlines (A3) (www.aegeanair.com) run direct flights from London Heathrow.

Departure Tax

€12.

Main Airports

Athens (ATH) (Elfetherios Veniselos) (www.aia.gr) is located 33km (23 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: There is a six-lane motorway linking the city and the airport, and regular airport buses run 24 hours from the center and the port of Piraeus. In addition, metro line 3 has been extended so that some trains run between Monastiraki in the city center and the airport. Facilities: Duty-free shops, car hire, banks, ATMs, bureau de change, bar and restaurant facilities, post office, business center and hotel.

Thessaloniki (SKG) (Macedonia) is 14km (9 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Regular coach and taxi services are available. Facilities: Duty-free shops, restaurants, bars, banks/bureau de change, car hire and a post office.

Corfu (CFU) (Kerkira) is 3km (2 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Regular coach, taxi and local bus services are available. Facilities: Duty-free shop, cafe, bar and car hire.

Rhodes (RHO) (Paradisi) is 16km (10 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Coach, taxi and local bus services are available. Facilities: Duty-free shop, car hire, bank, bureau de change, cafe and bar.

Departure Tax: €12.

Heraklion (HER) (N. Kazantzakis) is 3km (2 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Taxi and local bus services are available. Facilities: Duty-free shop, car hire, bank, bureau de change and bar.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: Corfu, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa, Patras, Piraeus (Athens) and Rhodes.

International car ferry lines link Patras and Igoumentisa with Ancona, Bari, Brindisi and Venice in Italy year round, and there are also summer services from Corfu to these ports. There is also a service between Rhodes and Marmaris in Turkey.

Major ferry operators covering the international routes are Superfast (tel: 210 891 9000; www.superfast.com), Minoan (tel: 210 920 0020; www.minoan.gr) and ANEK (tel: 210 323 3481; www.anek.gr).

Greek ports (notably Piraeus, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Heraklion) are used by a number of cruise lines.

Getting There By Rail

The national railway company is Hellenic Railways Organization Ltd (OSE) (www.ose.gr; tel: 1110). A good way to travel from the UK is to take the Eurostar through the channel tunnel, from London to either Brussels or Paris, both of which have onward connections to Greece. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: 0843218 6186 within the UK, www.eurostar.com) or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, within the UK; www.raileurope.co.uk).

Rail Passes

InterRail: Offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass is available in durations of one month, 22 or 15 days for those looking to travel continuously; otherwise there are passes that allow for 5 days of travel to be used over a ten-day period or a ten-day pass to be used over a period of 22 days. Each pass is valid across all countries.

The One-Country Pass: Offers travel for three, four, six or eight days to be taken in one month in any of the countries except Belgium Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travelers 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. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064; www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).

Eurailpass: The global Eurail pass offers unlimited train travel in 21 European countries. Select, regional (Greece is grouped with Italy) and one-country Eurail passes are also available. Tickets are valid for two months or three months and permit between three and ten days travel in those periods. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe. Available from The Eurail Group (www.eurail.com).

Getting There By Road

It is possible to ferry cars and caravans across to one of the major ports of entry. Points of overland entry are from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia via Evzoni (550km from Athens), and Niki (633km from Athens); from Bulgaria via Promahonas (736km from Athens); from Turkey via Kastania (985km from Athens) or Kipi (892km from Athens). For car ferry information, see Getting There By Water.

Bus: There are routes from Athens via Thessaloniki to cities in Albania, Bulgaria and Turkey. Information and bookings are available from the Hellenic Railways Organization Ltd (OSE) (www.ose.gr; tel: 1110), which operates international coach services.

Duty Free

Overview

Greece is within the European Union.

If you are traveling from the UK or elsewhere within the EU, the following goods may be imported into Greece by visitors without incurring customs duty:
• 800 cigarettes or 200 cigars or 400 cigarillos or 1kg of tobacco.
• 10L of alcoholic beverage or 90L of wine and 110L of beer.
• There is no limit for perfume.

If you're arriving from a non-EU country within Europe, the following goods may be imported into Greece by visitors without incurring customs duty:
• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco.
• 1L of alcoholic beverage over 22% or 2L of alcohol beverages of 22% or less and 2L of wine and liqueurs.
• 50g of perfume and 250mL of eau de cologne.
• Gifts up to a value of €175 per person and €90 if under 15.
• Up to €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies)

If you're arriving from outside Europe, the following goods may be imported into Greece by visitors without incurring customs duty:
• 400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 200 cigarillos or 500g of tobacco.
• 1L of alcoholic beverage over 22% or 2L of alcohol beverages of 22% or less and 2L of wine and 2L of still table wine.
• 50g of perfume and 250mL of eau de cologne.
• Up to €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies)

Note: The tobacco and alcohol allowances listed above are not available to passengers under the age of 18.

Restricted items: It is forbidden to bring in plants with soil. The export of antiquities is prohibited without the express permission of the Archaeological Service in Athens; those who ignore this will be prosecuted. One windsurf board per person may be imported/exported duty-free, if registered in the passport on arrival.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Olympic Airlines (www.olympicair.com) and Aegean Airlines (www.aegeanair.com) operate flights on many domestic routes. Private charter flights are also available.

Getting Around 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 center. There are two classes of ticket (First Class and Economy Class) which offer varying degrees of comfort; couchette 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, Dodacanese and the Northeast Aegean, plus Crete and several mainland ports.

Check sailing times either with individual lines, the Greek National Tourism Organization (see Contact Addresses), or in Piraeus.

Routes from Rafina: There are ferries to nearby Evvia 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, traveling to many of the nearby islands. Although this is somewhat more expensive than traveling 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 Organization (see Contact Addresses) has a full list of companies running this type of holiday.

Getting Around By Rail

Athens now has only one main train station, Larissa. Train information and tickets are available from the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) (tel: 1110, within Greece only; www.ose.gr) and a large number of destinations are served every day going north and south from Athens.

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. Travelers 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: 0844 848 4064; 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. Available from the Hellenic Railways Organization Ltd (OSE) (www.ose.gr).

Getting Around By Road

Greece has a good road network. Traffic drives on the right.

Coach: Coaches link Athens and all main towns in Greece. Services on the islands tend to be less reliable, and on some small islands there is no motorized transport at all. Fares are low.

Bus information: There are two long-distance bus terminals in Athens: Terminal A (100 Kifissou Street) and Terminal B (260 Liossion Street). KTEL run long-distance bus journeys (tel: 14505; www.ktelattikis.gr).

Car hire: Most major international car hire firms operate throughout Greece.

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.

Emergency 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 dialing 10400.

Documentation: A national driving license 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 center is well served by frequent buses and trolleybuses. Tickets can be purchased from the Athens Urban Transport Organization (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.isap.gr) runs north-south between Athens (suburb of Kifissia) and Piraeus daily; Line 2 (www.metro.gr) runs between Aghios Antonios and Aghios Dimitrios and line 3 (www.metro.gr) 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 center 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 2012. Taxis in Thessaloniki are dark blue and white. As in Athens, they are cheap and plentiful.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours) from Athens to other major cities/islands in Greece.

	Air	Road	Water	Rail
Corfu	0.50	11*	-	-
Crete	0.50	-	6-9**	-
Rhodes	0.55	-	14	-
Thessaloniki	0.50	6	14	5

Note: *The journey time by road to Corfu includes a sea crossing from Patras.
**The overnight ferry is slower, taking 9 hours instead of the usual 6.