Airplane: the majority of domestic flights in Greece are operated by the national airline Olympic Airlines taken over. There are domestic flights between the islands of Samos, Chios, Lesbos, Limnos and Ikaria to Athens and Thessaloniki. On Thasos and Samothrace there are no airports.
Domestic flights are also offered by Aegean Arlines based in Crete. It flies from Athens to Alexandroupolis, Corfu, Chania, Ioannina, Heraklion, Kavala, Lesbos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini and Thessaloniki. The airline also offers flights from Thessaloniki to Heraklion, Lesbos, Mykonos, Rhodes and Sontorini and from Heraklion to Rhodes. Domestic flights are also on the schedule with AirSea Lines and Sky Express. Ship: Greece with its numerous inhabited islands has an extensive and complex ferry network. There are numerous connections from May to October, but the ferry service is limited in the other months.
High speed catamarans have become an integral part of the ferry fleet. They are more comfortable than speedboats and better suited to rough weather. Most of the islands also have water taxis – small speed boats for transporting people.
The center of the Greek ferry network is Piraeus, the port of Athens. From there, ferries depart to the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the Aegean Islands, the Saronic Gulf and Crete.
Athens’ second port, Rafina (about 70 kilometers east of the city), ferries leave for the northern Cyclades, Evia, Lesbos and Limnos. The most important starting point for ferries to the Cycladic island of Kea is the port of Lavrio in southern Attica. There are regular bus connections between Athens and Rafina and Lavrio.
The Ionian Islands are approached from the ports of Patras, Kyllini, Astakos and Mytikas in the Peloponnese. Ferries to the Sporades depart from Volos, Thessaloniki, Agios Konstantinos, and Kymi on Evia. The latter two ports can be easily reached by bus from Athens. Some islands in the northeast Aegean have connections to Thessaloniki and all of them to Piraeus.
Rail: the Greek Railway Organization – Organismos Sidirodromon Ellados (OSE) – operates the national route network. The main problem with the Greek rail network is its limitations. There are essentially only two main lines: the connection from Athens to Alexandroupoli via Thessaloniki and the narrow-gauge line to the Peloponnese. There are timetables on the OSE website.
Car: Exploring Greece by car is not without risk due to the high accident rate. Still, it’s a great way to get to know the country off the beaten track. The road network has been expanded over the past few years, as have the motorways. Almost all islands can be reached by car ferries.
Insurance
Insurance is always included in rental car packages. Nevertheless, drivers should check whether this is also a fully comprehensive insurance. Otherwise, the costs in the event of an accident through personal negligence are horrendous.
Bus: all long-distance buses, on the mainland as well as on the islands, are operated by regional collectives – Koino Tamio Eispraxeon Leoforion (KTEL). The collective network is extensive. There are direct bus connections between the islands of Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos and Athens. The bus ticket is also valid on the ferry. Bus trips are quite cheap.
The Greek buses are modern, safe and mostly air-conditioned. In many villages there are daily buses, only in very remote areas there are bus connections once or twice a week. Most cities have a central, covered bus station with seating, waiting rooms, toilets and a snack bar. Bigger cities like Athens, Heraklion, Patra and Thessaloniki have more than one bus station. Each with connections to different regions. In smaller towns there are mostly no train stations, only stops. Adjacent cafes and taverns then also serve as ticket offices.
Local transport: buses are also used in local transport in all major cities in Greece. However, this only really matters in such large cities as Athens, Patras, Kalamata and Thessaloniki.
Bicycle: because of the hilly landscape, cycling is not very common in Greece. There are therefore no bike paths. If you still want to explore Greece by bike, you should have good leg muscles. From a scenic point of view, the island of Kos is the most bicycle-friendly place in the country. The plains of Thessaloniki and Thrace are also well suited.
There are bike rentals in most of the tourist areas. The bikes can be transported on ferries at no additional cost. Interested parties can also book guided tours lasting several days.
Greece climate
Greece can be in different climatic regions are divided. North Macedonia and northern Epirus have a climate similar to the Balkans (freezing cold winters and very hot, humid summers), while the Attica Peninsula, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete and the central and eastern Peloponnese have a typically Mediterranean climate with hot, have dry summers and mild winters. Visit petwithsupplies for Greece Tour Plan.
Snow is rare in the Cyclades, but the high mountains of the Peloponnese and Crete are covered with snow in winter, and it snows occasionally in Athens. In July and August, temperatures can rise to 40 ° C almost anywhere in Greece. July and August are also the months of the Meltemi, a strong north wind that blows on the east coast of mainland Greece (including Athens) and the Aegean islands, especially the Cyclades. This wind is caused by differences in air pressure between North Africa and the Balkans. The Meltemi has positive and negative sides: it reduces the humidity, but also messes up the ferry timetable and blows away anything that is not paved.
The western side of the Peloponnese peninsula, Epirus and the southwestern Ionian Islands are spared from the Meltemi and have less severe winters than northern Greece. However, these are also the regions with the highest rainfall. The northeastern islands of the Aegean Sea, Chalkidiki and the Pelion peninsula lie between the Balkan climate of northern Greece and the Mediterranean climate in the south. Crete stays the longest warm, you can swim here from mid-April to November.
In mid-October the rain begins in most regions, the weather stays cold and wet until February – but there are also occasional winter days with clear, blue skies and sunshine.
