How to get to Greece

By | May 3, 2022

Overview

Greece is an eclectic mix of chic nightclubs, freshly caught seafood, sparkling Mediterranean passion and legendary Greek myths. It is a fascinating and enchanting travel destination, whether you want to relax on the eternally sunny beach or discover ancient ruins. Greece’s cities are home to some of the most precious architectural monuments in history – think of the Parthenon in Athens – and are the setting of the Greek sagas of heroes and gods, which are among the oldest legends in human history. Off the coast of the mainland are 1. 400 Greek islands such as the party Mecca Mykonos or the picturesque Santorini, which invite you to island hop with their paradisiacal landscapes. On Kafalonia and Amorgos you will find real rest and relaxation, ideal hiking areas over the mountains and valleys of Crete, and first-class diving and sailing conditions pretty much everywhere. Greece is a member of European Union defined by aristmarketing.

Getting there

Arriving by plane

Note: Online registration is mandatory for entry by sea, air or land. Travelers must fill out an online form at least 48 hours before departure to Greece. The code assigned above must be presented upon entry. The Greek airline Aegean Airlines (A3) flies non-stop to Greece from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Aegean Airlines (A3) flies from Hamburg to Athens and Thessaloniki. Numerous other airlines offer regular direct flights to Athens, including Lufthansa (LH) from Frankfurt/M. and Munich, Austrian Airlines (OS) from Vienna and Swiss (LX) from Zurich and Geneva as well as Ryanair (FR) from Memmingen and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden. Helvetic Airways (2L) flies from Bern and Zurich to Heraklion and from Zurich to Kos. Eurowings (EW) flies from numerous German, Austrian and Swiss cities to Greece. Among other things, Eurowings (EW) flies from Hamburg to Heraklion. Lufthansa (LH) also flies from Frankfurt to Santorini, Rhodes and Zakynthos in the summer. Austrian myHoliday (OS) connects Vienna, Graz, Linz and Innsbruck with various Greek islands such as Rhodes, Crete or Kos. Tuifly (X3) flies to Greece from numerous German cities as well as Vienna and Zurich. Condor (DE) flies from numerous German cities to Heraklion, Kos, Kalamata, Corfu, Chania, Mykonos, Preveza, Rhodes, Samos and Zakynthos. Condor (DE) flies from Zurich to Kos and Rhodes. Corendon Airlines (XC) flies from Weeze and from Paderborn/Lippstadt to Rhodes and Crete.

Flight times

Frankfurt – Athens: 2 hours 50 minutes; Vienna – Athens: 2 hours 15 minutes; Zurich – Athens: 2 hours 40 minutes

Departure fee

Airport taxes are included in the price of airline tickets.

Arrival by car

Car: There is a direct motorway connection from Germany via Budapest or Zagreb to Belgrade and from there via Nis and past Skopije to Thessaloniki. The route from Frankfurt aM is approx. 1950 km long and the journey takes approx. 20 hours. Toll: Motorways are usually subject to a fee. Payment is made while driving on the toll route. At the Antirrio-Rio bridge, the Preveza-Aktio tunnel and the Athens bypass, the toll has to be paid at the beginning of the route. Documents: The national driving license is sufficient. There are car ferries from Italy to Greece; Ports of departure in Italy are Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste and Venice, Greek ports of destination include Patras, Igoumenitsa and Corfu.

Arrival by train

The Organismós Sidirodrómon Elládos is the national Greek railway company, which maintains the entire railway network in Greece, Trainose (OSE) operates the rail traffic in the country. Information about timetables, economy fares and car travel trains is available at the information desks of Deutsche Bahn AG, the Austrian Federal Railways and the Swiss Federal Railways, as well as online.

rail passes

Interrail offers different types of passes for Greece: – the Interrail Greece Pass; – the Interrail Greece Plus Pass, which also includes ferry crossings between Greece and Italy, and – the Interrail Greek Islands Pass, which includes ferry connections to Greek islands such as Mykonos, Crete or Santorini. The Internet Global Pass is also valid for Greece. The Balkan Flexipass allows unlimited travel in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey on 5, 10 or 15 days within a month.

Note on arrival by train

Reservations and supplements are required for most high-speed and night trains.

Arrival by ship

The largest Greek ports are Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Volos, Igoumenitsa, Heraklion, Corfu, Patras and Rhodes. Cargo ships and ferries depart from these ports to Egypt, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, the Russian Federation and Cyprus, among others.

Cruise ships

Greece is included in the program of the following cruise lines: Aida, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Tui Cruises.

Ferry provider

The following shipping companies, among others, offer regular ferry services between Italy and Greece: Anek Lines: Ancona/Bari/Venice – Igoumenitsa/Corfu/Patras; Superfast Ferries: Ancona/Bari/Venice – Igoumenitsa/Corfu/Patras; Ventouris Ferries: Bari – Igoumenitsa/Corfu; Agoudimos Lines: Bari/Brindisi – Igoumenitsa/Patras and Bari – Kefalonia; Minoan Lines: Ancona/Venice – Patras/Corfu; Grimaldi Lines: Venice/Ancona/Brindisi – Patras/Igoumenitsa.

How to get to Greece