In this part of our guide to holidays in Greece we focus on how you can get around the country...
It is inexpensive and easy to hire a car or moped in Greece. All you need is an internationally recognized driving license and a passport. Prices per day start at about $40 for a car and $15 for a moped - but make sure the quoted price includes all insurance and taxes. Hiring a vehicle offers the freedom to travel where you please. Most roads are good, but be careful in some parts of rural Greece or on the islands as some roads in these areas can be narrow and poorly maintained.
The bus system is very efficient and you can travel anywhere on the Greek mainland on the 'KTEL' (intercity) buses. It's great value for money and lets you travel through parts of Greece that you would otherwise never get to see. The bus system was never created to accommodate tourists though so you might encounter some language problems; if you do, most young people in Greece speak a little English and most would be more than happy to assist you.
Taxis are readily available and reasonably priced, and by law every cab must have a meter. Tipping isn't customary, but continuing to pick up passengers until the taxi is full is a local custom. So you can flag cab that already has passengers as long as they are going in the same direction that you want to travel. On the islands and in the cities, most - but not all - drivers will speak some English.
To travel to and from the islands, you'll have to take a ferry or a short flight. Many of the more distant islands have airports and can be flown to from Athens or Thessaloniki - distances within Greece are small, so even the farthest islands are less than an hour's flight.
When travelling to islands close to the mainland, ferries - which run regularly throughout the day - are the best option. But these trips can be more time-consuming than you first expect as the ferries will make multiple stops on various islands.
It is inexpensive and easy to hire a car or moped in Greece. All you need is an internationally recognized driving license and a passport. Prices per day start at about $40 for a car and $15 for a moped - but make sure the quoted price includes all insurance and taxes. Hiring a vehicle offers the freedom to travel where you please. Most roads are good, but be careful in some parts of rural Greece or on the islands as some roads in these areas can be narrow and poorly maintained.
The bus system is very efficient and you can travel anywhere on the Greek mainland on the 'KTEL' (intercity) buses. It's great value for money and lets you travel through parts of Greece that you would otherwise never get to see. The bus system was never created to accommodate tourists though so you might encounter some language problems; if you do, most young people in Greece speak a little English and most would be more than happy to assist you.
Taxis are readily available and reasonably priced, and by law every cab must have a meter. Tipping isn't customary, but continuing to pick up passengers until the taxi is full is a local custom. So you can flag cab that already has passengers as long as they are going in the same direction that you want to travel. On the islands and in the cities, most - but not all - drivers will speak some English.
To travel to and from the islands, you'll have to take a ferry or a short flight. Many of the more distant islands have airports and can be flown to from Athens or Thessaloniki - distances within Greece are small, so even the farthest islands are less than an hour's flight.
When travelling to islands close to the mainland, ferries - which run regularly throughout the day - are the best option. But these trips can be more time-consuming than you first expect as the ferries will make multiple stops on various islands.
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