Greece : Transportation Options
This part of our guide to holidays in Greece sees us covering transportation…
Renting a car or moped in Greece is easy and inexpensive; do so and you’ll have the freedom to travel anywhere you want. Most roads are in good condition but if driving in the countryside or on the islands you’ll need to exercise extra care as some can be narrow and ill maintained. Prices start at around $40 per day for a car and $15 per day for a moped (make sure that the price you’re quoted includes all taxes and insurance) and all that you require is a passport and an internationally recognized driving license.
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 plentiful and reasonably priced; all are required to have a meter and you’re not expected to leave a tip. In the cities and on the islands, most drivers will speak a little English, but not all will. It’s also worth noting that it’s common for them to continue to pick up passengers until they’re full so you can still try to flag a taxi that already has passengers so long as they’re heading in the same direction that you want to go.
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.