Guide To Greece : Transportation Options
In this installment of our guide to holidays in Greece we look at the transportation on offer there…
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.
Greece’s superb ‘KTEL’ (intercity) bus system lets you travel easily anywhere on the mainland. It’s great value for money and lets you visit parts of Greece that you would otherwise never get to see. But the system was designed for locals, not tourists, so you might run into some language problems. However, most young Greeks have a little English and you will probably find one is willing to assist you.
Taxis are abundant and inexpensive. Meters are mandatory and tips are not required. In Greece, taxis often keep picking up passengers until they’re full, so even if a taxi already has some passengers you can still try to hail it providing it is heading in the direction you want to go. (But you also must be prepared to share your cab with strangers). Most, but not all, drivers in the cities and on the islands will have a smattering of English.
Getting to the islands requires traveling by boat or by plane. Flying is the most convenient transport to the more far-flung islands with many of these destinations having with regular flights from Athens or Thessaloniki. As Greece is relatively small, flying to even the more distant islands takes less than an hour.
Ferries are the best option for islands near the mainland. These boats run regularly throughout the day, but trips may be more leisurely than you expect as the ferries can making stop at several islands before reaching their final destination.