During your vacation to Greece, you will be presented with a lot of different options for getting around. The sky is pretty much the limit here for transportation, and it all might depend on how much time you have, and how much of that you want to spend getting from place to place. Greece as a whole has been working to improve its transportation system, especially inspired by the 2004 Olympics. The result is ease of travel for visitors in Greece and a number of ways to get from point A to point B. Maybe you want to take on the roads and get a rental car in Greece, or hop on a bus. Its really up to you when putting together your Greece vacation package.

When booking a Greece vacation package, you can often book your flight to Greece with your hotel and transportation included. Many full package deals even arrange for various Greece tours with their options, and you can peruse a wealth of options either with a travel agent or online. Most flights to Greece from outside of Europe will land in Athens, with the airport in Thessaloniki accepting international flights as well. From a list of European cities you can often find charter flights that not only service Athens and Thessaloniki, but the Greek islands as well. If you are planning on entering Greece from another country and want to save time and money, look for deals and routes with the various charter companies. Within Greece, there are daily flights to islands like Crete, Santorini or Mykonos that leave from Athens and Thessaloniki, and many islands have flight between them.

Traveling from the mainland to the islands and back is also quite popular using the different ferry lines. You can also find various ferries to Greece from other countries like Italy or Turkey. Greece ferries are especially popular during the summer, when Greeks and tourists alike are flocking to the islands. It can be customary to switch islands as well, or island-hop, and you will find a bunch of routes between various islands. Ferries to the islands from the mainland leave primarily from Athens and Thessaloniki and if you want a cabin on your boat be sure to book ahead of time if at all possible during the busy season.

Greece Map

Buses and trains offer the cheapest way to get around Greece, but and a good way to take in the countryside. The train system in Greece is known as the OSE, and they have been making efforts to improve their cars and the network as a whole. You can plan your rail options with the various European rail pass options, or find a train station and go as you please when you get there. Most of the capital cities in all of Greece’s prefectures are interconnected by train and by a full network of bus routes. Buses operate plenty of routes on the islands as well on the mainland. Buses, like trains, are an affordable way to go, and offer a variety of choices if you like to travel on a whim.

For many, finding a Greece car rental is the answer to their transportation needs. There are car rental agencies all over the country and on the more popular islands. While driving in Greece can be a bit crazy, you can’t beat the freedom of a rental car in Greece for getting where you want to go. While driving around Athens is not particularly recommended for most, there are a bevy of car rental Athens options. You can even find a luxury car for hire if that is how you choose to get around. Many of the best sights in Athens are close to each other, and the metro system serves the city pretty well, so there isn’t much of a reason to try to navigate the city, unless you are pulling out of the rental agency and have no choice. In Athens, you can be at Syntagma Square, have lunch in Kolonaki, spend the afternoon at the Benaki Museum, then enjoy dinner at a local taverna and require nothing but your own two feet to get around.

When you do decide to find a rental car in Greece, whether in Athens, or Pyrgos, or on the islands, there are some things you should know. Typically, most Greece car rental agencies will require either your national license or an international license that has been valid for at least a year. Usually have to be 21 or older to drive a rental car in Greece, and it is common for agencies to not rent a car to those under 23. There are occasional toll roads in Greece, so keep some euros handy just in case. You can find a lot of great deals on a rental car in Greece, and plenty of agencies advertise cheap rental car Greece options online, as well as the more expensive ones. You can rent a 4x4 at many Greece car rental agencies, and sometimes on the islands, 4x4 could help you get to that remote beach. You can also rent mopeds and motorcycles on the mainland and throughout the islands, however more and more it is becoming necessary to show a separate operator’s license for motorcycles.