There are so many things to know before leaving for an adventure, that is why I always create a very long article with all the information you need to visit Greece and plan the best travel you have ever planned.
This article is quite long, I know, so be prepared to receive so many tips and info about the fabulous country of Greece.
Down below I added a table of content so you can just jump right to the subjects you are looking for.
Travel Tips: As soon as you book your next adventure, make sure to buy good travel insurance in case you need to “unfortunately” delay, extend or cancel your trip. I recommend VisitorsCoverage for short trips up to 1 month and SafetyWing for longer trips.
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TABLE OF CONTENT:
What is the Time Zone in Greece?
Greece is in the Eastern European Time Zone, 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1).
During summer, Greece observes daylight-saving, where the time is moved forward by 1 hour, so it becomes 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +3). In winter, the time in Greece is pushed back by 1 hour to Eastern European Time.
These changes always happen on the last Saturday of March and the last Saturday of October.
what is the currency in Greece?
The official currency of Greece is the euro. Always bring some cash with you, especially on the islands and in little towns.
You won't be paying cash all of the time, as there are shops and merchants in Greece that are well equipped to accept card payments – Visa and Mastercard are more common than American Express. Check here the actual currency change.
Do I need vaccinations to visit Greece?
You should ask your family doctor before travelling to Greece and make sure that you receive all of the appropriate vaccinations.
Just make sure you’re up to date for recommended vaccinations for your home country and have a look at The Travel Vaccines and Advice here.
Do you want to know more about Greece?
Check out “The Most Complete Guide of Greece“ and read all the articles I wrote about it.
Which Voltage and Adaptors there are in Greece?
The standard voltage is 220-240 volts. Most of the sockets are European plugs of the two round-pin varieties.
I recommend you buy a universal travel adaptor. You will need a voltage converter and plug adaptor to use other appliances.
Check the Plug adaptor that I use.
How can I get to Greece?
At the moment, Greece has 15 international airports. They are located mainly on the islands since they are a top-rated tourist destination.
Many airlines connect Greece with the rest of Europe. To check which one connects you to one of the most amazing places in Greece, check out here on Skyscanner, a travel search engine that allows users to compare airline prices and offers, specializing in low-cost airfare and find the best deal for your next trip.
Otherwise, if you prefer to get on the mainland by train or bus, check here on Trainline for the best solution.
If you plan to visit an island, you can reach many Greek islands from other countries by Ferry, like Turkey and Italy.
When I visited Greece, I book all my tickets on Ferryhopper, the best website to book ferries in Greece, Turkey and Italy.
How can I go from the Airport to the city centre?
I think it is always wise to check how to go from the Airport to your accommodation. There are always many ways to choose.
There are shuttle buses that go to the city centre, train lines, or book a private taxi in advance that will take you to your accommodation.
In every article, "Everything you need to know before visiting (a city)", I listed all the ways to go from that specific city airport to the city centre and how to move around.
I always think it is better to book a private transfer from the Airport to the hotel. So, you can start your holiday right upon arrival and save your time and energy. Have a look at KIWITAXI or at HOLIDAYTAXI.
Travel Tip: Greece is a beautiful country and like any other country, you need to plan your travel in advance, even if you travel with your partner or your friends and especially if you visit Greece with kids.
By Bus:
You can move by bus, every city is very well connected, and there is a bus company to move around every place.
I always advise booking bus tickets in advance to plan your holiday in the best possible way. Check bus ticket options and prices on Omio when you can check if the best option is by bus or train.
By Train:
Not every Greek airport has a connection to the main city by train, but luckily, most have it. I always use Omio while traveling, it is a great website for booking buses and train tickets.
By Taxi:
The best websites I always use to book an airport private taxi is KiwiTaxi and Holidaytaxi, where I always find great prices.
HolidayTaxis: it provides airport transfers by airport taxi, group minibus, shuttle, coach or limousine to over 21,000 destinations and resorts in over 150 countries worldwide.
Kiwitaxi: is a site where one can book a transfer to get from or to the airport in 98 countries, between two tourist destinations or other locations popular with tourists.
Do you want to know more about Greece?
Check out “The Ultimate Guide of Greece“ and read all the articles I wrote about it.
How to rent a car to visit Greece?
If you like driving like me, you can always rent a car, and in this case, I always have a look at my favourite rental car websites and I see where I find the best deals.
Have a look at them here:
DiscoverCars is a Skyscanner but for rental cars. And since you're comparing many different companies, you also get to choose from many different cars.
Rentalcars is an international car rental booking service that is present all over the world, it offers great prices so I highly recommend you to have a look at it.
Are tap water and food safe in Greece?
It’s safe to drink water in the mainlands from taps and also from drinking fountains that you will find, especially in the major cities and parks.
I always carry with me a reusable bottle so I can fill it up anytime I have the chance.
On the islands instead, it would be better for you to avoid it.
If you are not sure, it’s always safe to ask locals or in doubt just drink bottled water.
About food, honestly, Greece has so much to offer that the only problem you will have is that your stomach is not big enough to eat everything you wish.
Disclaimer: This article contains some general information about natural remedies. Before using any of the items featured here it is strongly recommended that you check that it is appropriate to do so by consulting a medical practitioner. This is particularly important if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have an existing medical condition and/or are taking prescription drugs.
That's why I always carry with me some Milk Thistle, just in case I overeat because, as my mom always says "I eat with my eyes and not with my mouth".
Unfortunately, bad luck happens everywhere, sometimes is not the food but just our stomach that needs to get used to the new cuisine (and let's be honest, we all eat and drink more than usual when on holiday) take some of these natural remedies with you in case you will have stomach upset or food poisoning.
My favorite Natural remedies for stomach upset or food poisoning that I always have with me when traveling:
Milk Thistle: is a traditional herbal medicinal product used to relieve the symptoms associated with occasional over-indulgence of food and drink, such as indigestion and upset stomach. Milk Thistle is a great natural remedy to always have when traveling.
Charcoal capsules: recent studies prove that charcoal can be a good help in case you eat something that is not good and can prevent you from having diarrhea. I never travel without some charcoal capsules, to make sure to enjoy my holiday and all the food I wish to eat.
Probiotics: These are a wonderful help while having food poisoning. Take it as soon as you start to have symptoms and also after, for a couple of days at least. My doctor advises me to start taking probiotics a few days before my travel, as a prevention, in case I visit a country where water and food can be easily contaminated.
Before using any of these natural remedies, talk to your doctor.
How is eating and drinking out in Greece?
In Greece, you will find a wide variety of food from meat to fish and delicious vegetables.
Check out my articles about "39 delicious food and drinks you have to try in Greece" and if you love sweets as much as I do, don't forget to read my "20 most amazing sweets to eat in Greece".
In there you will find everything you need to know about the delicious Greek cuisine.
Prices may vary from locations and bars and restaurants, but these are the approximate prices for the most common foods and drinks in Greece:
In Supermarket
Bottle 1.5 L water: around 0.70-0.80 Euro
Imported Beer 0.33 L: approximately 1.90-2.00 Euro
Bottle of Wine: 5-8 Euro
At a Bar:
Coffee-latte: 2.80 Euro
A glass of domestic beer 0.5 L: around 3.00-4.00 Euro
A bottle of wine: 12-20 Euro
Coke in a Can: Around 1.70-1.80 Euro
A glass of Wine: Around 4.00-6.00 Euro
Restaurant on a budget per person: Around 7/10 Euro
Restaurant medium-range per person: Around 15-20 Euro
Fine dining Restaurant per person: From 60 Euro
In Greek restaurants, a gratuity of 10-20% is often added to the bill, so check that you're not already paying the tip before adding more.
If it's not, a tip of 10-15% is encouraged, primarily in tourist places. The tip should reflect the customer service you received, so it is up to you to decide how much to give.
Is it expensive to visit Greece?
Greece is a very famous country, so if you want to save some money, I advise you to avoid it from June to August when it can be boiling, crowded and more expensive.
Don't forget to read my article on how to visit Greece on a budget where I spill all the secrets I used to save money on my trip to Greece.
Flights can be very cheap from September to May (Once I went from London to Athens and a one-way ticket cost me 55 £) so have a look at my favourite flights' website that I used to travel to check flights to Greece:
Skyscanner is a travel search engine that allows users to compare airline prices and offers, specializing in low-cost airfare.
In Greece, you can find accommodations for every budget.
The website that I love the most to find amazing deals is always Booking.com: which allows you to find and compare worldwide hotel prices provided by leading reservation systems.
Hotellook provides aggregated information on more than 250,000 hotels in 205 countries, working with more than ten online reservation systems such as Booking.com and Agoda.
What I like about Greece is that you can have lunch spending only 5 Euro if you want and end up feeling very satisfied.
Do you need some Travel Tips, like how to pack for your next travel, how to plan a budget for solo travel or for a couple's travel?
Check out my Travel Tips section where you will find all the help, tips and tricks to plan your next adventure in the most organized way!
Shopping and souvenirs in Greece
The options are limitless in a cultural country like Greece, and you will find many shops selling arts and crafts wherever you go.
Locally hand-crafted ceramics, wood carvings, textiles, and jewelry are perfect as souvenirs.
If you want to buy antiques, please be careful, beware of fakes, and stick to reputable sellers. Read my article if you wish to know what is worth buying in Greece.
Also, liquors and food are amazing ideas to take home with you like Ouzo the famous anise-flavoured spirit, honey, herbs for cooking like thyme or oregano, olive oil is delicious in Greece and of course olives.
Check my article about "58 Wonderful Things You Have to Buy in Greece" to better understand the typical things that are worth buying.
Is Greece safe for a solo woman traveler?
This country is pretty safe.
During the day with tourists and locals around the streets, the only thing you will have to worry about are pickpockets that unfortunately can be present in every tourist city.
So I advise having with you an antitheft purse or an antitheft backpack. Prudence is never enough when you are far from home even in the safest place in the world.
Overnight I advise a solo woman traveler to keep her eyes open wherever she may go because bad things can happen anywhere, anytime to anybody so please safety first.
During my solo travels, I always contacted locals through travelers' Facebook groups and I have been lucky to meet people that took me around and show me their city so I was feeling pretty safe being out late in the evening because I wasn't alone.
Duty-Free Allowance from Greece
If you travel from a European country, there are no limits on the amount or value of goods you want to take home with you if your items are only for your personal use.
Every item imported for commercial proposals is subjected to duty and the following guideline amounts are in place to determine whether this is the case:
800 cigarettes or 1 kg of loose tobacco
10 litres of alcohol that has more than 22% volume, 20 litres of alcoholic beverages that has less than 22% volume, 90 litres of wine (it has to be no more than 60 litres of fizzy wine) and 110 litres of beer
If you come from a country outside the EU, the following goods may be imported into Greece by travellers over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g of loose tobacco
4 litres of wine (excluding sparkling wine) and 16L of beer and 1L of spirits over 22% volume or 2L of alcoholic beverages less than 22% volume
Other goods up to the value of €430 for air and sea travellers and €300 for other travellers
You are not allowed to import meat or dairy products into Greece from outside the EU.
How to move around Greece?
When I plan a journey, I always make sure to have a well-planned trip. as you probably already know. That is why they call me the super-organized traveler.
I am not talking about planning where to be at what time of the day, because when traveling, it is nice to be spontaneous but not too much, if you know what I mean.
I like to book everything in advance, like:
Because I have learned during my travels that the sooner, the better in these cases.
I save a lot of money and time because I book things in advance and also because if you research at what time the train or bus is due to departure, you are going to make sure to don't end up without a train to reach your next destination and have to wait till the day after.
So here are some links that will help you to plan at least the essentials.
Explore Greece by Trains
An excellent website to buy train tickets in Greece is Omio, where you can check all the trains available and book your tickets in advance. I always use it when traveling in Italy, and it is a great website.
Explore Greece by Bus
It is an excellent way to travel around Greece, cheaper than the train but not so fast, so it all depends on your time and budget.
Sometimes if there is no train, there is a bus, so in case you are looking to buy some tickets, I advise you to do it on Omio, where you can also purchase train and flight tickets.
Explore Greece by Car
An excellent way to visit Greece is by renting a car, so you can stop whenever you want and go wherever you need anytime.
The cost of renting a car in Greece is pretty cheap so in case you are on an island and you want to explore every single beach and little village like I love to do, the best way to do it is by renting a car.
I always look at my favourite rental car websites, and I see where I find the best deals.
Have a look at them here:
DiscoverCars is like Skyscanner but for rental cars. And since you're comparing many different companies, you can also choose from many other vehicles. Click here to check prices.
Another wonderful rental car website is where you can find great deals and save money on renting a car.
EconomyBookings: this is the website where I usually find th best prices, but I always lie to heck all these three websites so I can see which one offers me the best car rental deal.
There is also another way to travel that not everybody thing about it and it is by Renting a Scooter or a Bicycle.
If the weather is nice, why not enjoy the beauty of Greece driving a nice Scooter or a Bicycle without the issue to find a car park?
If this is an option you may consider, I have a fantastic website to advise you to check:
where you will be able to choose between any scooter, motorbike, quad and bicycle. Click here to check prices.
Book Tours and Activities in Greece
If you want to check which attractions or museum tickets to buy to visit Greece, check on Tiqets, the best website to book any activity around the world.
Also, suppose you are looking for a guided tour or a day trip around Greece to explore what this wonderful country has to offer. In that case, you will find everything on GetYourGuide, and Viator, a website like Skyscanner where you can find every kind of tour or activity to do in Greece.
Also, a fantastic way to explore Greece is by boat. In this way, you can visit more islands and little secluded bays and have fun in a private boat with your friends.
Look at Searadar, a fantastic website where to book private sailing boats and yachts worldwide to have an amazing vacation with your friends.
Is easy to find wifi in Greece?
You won't have any problems finding wifi here, it is available and pretty fast in all hotels and most restaurants or bars.
Important telephone numbers
Emergency 112
Ambulance 166
Fire Department 199
Police 100
Coast Guard 108
Tourist Police 171
Forest Fire Authority 106
International Phone Assistance 139
Do you want to know more about Greece?
Check out “The Ultimate Guide of Greece“ and read all the articles I wrote about it.
Did you enjoy my article?
I have plenty like this one about Greece.
Feel free to leave a comment below and share this article with your friends, maybe someone you know is planning to have their first solo travel.
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