If you’re planning to visit Greece and get a taste of Mediterranean holidays, you should keep in mind there are various options to actually getting there. Deciding what the right option is will usually depend on a number of factors, such as where you are travelling from, what’s your budget and even your schedule availability or sense of urgency. While reaching Greece by plane can be simple and inexpensive, you can also get there by ferry or you can even drive from a nearby country, which may provide a leisurely opportunity to explore the surrounding areas.
Flying to Greece – the basics
It’s not difficult finding inexpensive flights to Greece, even if you’re booking your flight at the last minute. In all circumstance, you should of course plan your journey in advance: doing so, you will sometimes find amazing deals available, if you don’t mind waiting for them. Here’s a comprehensive Low Cost Airlines Guide, make sure to use it to your advantage!
While booking your flight to Greece, you may be surprised to find there are well over a dozen international airports available, plus several dozen domestic airports. This is also something you can benefit from, since the vast offering means you’ll often get access to competitive pricing, if you bother to look around. If you’re planning to spend your limited vacations time on a specific Greek island, it might be better to just fly directly to that island; but if you’re either on a budget or you have plenty of time and you feel like exploring the Hellenic Republic, flying to the largest international airports and looking for domestic transportation might work best for you.
If you’re visiting Greece from another continent, it often pays off to fly to a nearby European major city such as Paris, London or Berlin, since there you’ll find a larger offering of low cost flights to Greece from these cities than you might imagine, compared to what you’d get coming in from Australia or America, for example.
Reaching Greece by Ferries
Since there are over 200 populated islands in Greece (out of nearly 2,000 isles and islets in total), it shouldn’t come as much surprise this country has a remarkably vast network of ferries that you can rely on to move around between those islands. If fact, if you want to spend some time exploring the uniqueness of this Mediterranean country, you should take some time to meet some of its picturesque islands, many of which are inhabited by just a few hundred persons.
Additionally, you can also reach Greece by Ferry. There are regular ferries available from coastline regions such as the ones in Italy, Cyprus, Turkey and Israel. Taking the ferry to Greece is usually a good option if you’re coming in from one of these neighbor countries, or if you just happen to enjoy travelling by sea and reveling in the local marine sceneries. It’s not necessarily cheaper than flying though; if you’re on a tight budget, you should probably focus on looking for transportation within the available low cost airlines operating in this region.
Driving to Greece
Deciding on whether driving to Greece is the right option for you depends on where you’re coming from, how much spare time you have, and whether you’re planning to visit different Greek islands.
If you’re visiting Greece from a neighboring country, you may feel like bringing your car in to enjoy maximum mobility and comfort, without having to rely on local car hire services. Since there’s a vast network of ferries operating in the region, you shouldn’t have much trouble getting your car to mainland Greece or any of the largest islands. In all circumstance, you should keep in mind that renting a car in Greece can be comparatively inexpensive, so it’s a good idea doing some math before deciding in driving in really is the best option.
If you’re looking to enjoy a road trip and you’re not in a rush, driving your own car to Greece might be a good idea. If you’re just planning on doing so because you suppose it might be cheaper… well, you should know that quite often getting your car in a ferry just once can be costlier renting a local car for a couple of days. As such, you should consider your options carefully, to ensure you make the choice that suits you best.
