Best Greece Travel Deals for 2026: How to Save on Your Trip

Here's a truth most travel content won't tell you: the difference between an expensive Greece trip and an affordable one often isn't what you do — it's how and when you book it.

I've seen travelers pay €3,000 for essentially the same trip that cost someone else €1,500. Same islands, similar hotels, comparable experiences. The difference? Booking strategy, timing, and knowing where to look.

This guide is about finding those deals — the flight sales that save €400, the booking timing that drops hotel prices by 40%, the credit card strategies that turn points into free flights. Some of this is common sense. Some of it requires effort. All of it works.

When Greece Travel Prices Are Lowest

Cheapest Times to Visit

Low season (November–March):

• Flight savings: 30–50% below peak
• Hotel savings: 40–60% below peak
• Catch: Many islands closed, weather cool/rainy
• Best for: Athens, mainland, history focus

Shoulder season (April–May, September–October):

• Flight savings: 15–30% below peak
• Hotel savings: 20–40% below peak
• Best weather-to-value ratio
• Best for: Most travelers

Peak season (June–August):

• Highest prices across the board
• Book 3–6 months ahead for any savings
• Best for: Those who can only travel summer

Price Drop Timing

Flights tend to drop:

• 6–10 weeks before departure (domestic wisdom says 54 days)
• Tuesday/Wednesday for booking (marginal difference now)
• January ("New Year, new travel plans" sales)
• After major holidays

Hotels tend to drop:

• Last-minute (1–2 weeks out) during shoulder/low season
• Never last-minute during peak season
• When booking direct (avoiding OTA margins)

Greek Holiday Price Spikes

Avoid booking during these periods unless necessary:

• Greek Easter week: Prices surge, availability scarce
• August 15 (Assumption): Major Greek holiday, everything booked
• July–August school holidays: European family travel peak
• Christmas/New Year: Athens prices spike

Best Deal-Finding Tools

Flight Deals

Google Flights The best overall tool. Use the calendar view to spot cheap dates, set price alerts, explore flexible destinations. Essential first stop.

Skyscanner Good for finding unusual routing and budget carriers. "Everywhere" search useful if you're flexible on Greek airports.

Scott's Cheap Flights / Going Email alerts for exceptional deals from your home airport. Free tier available. Premium membership worth it for frequent travelers.

Secret Flying Mistake fares and exceptional deals posted quickly. Check daily or set alerts.

The Points Guy Deal alerts, especially for business class and points redemptions.

Hotel Deals

Booking.com Largest selection, Genius loyalty program offers 10–15% off. Price match guarantee. Free cancellation options.

Hotels.com Collect 10 nights, get 1 free. Good for frequent travelers.

Direct booking: Often beats OTAs by 5–15%. Check hotel websites, email to negotiate longer stays.

Hotwire Hot Rate Blind booking (don't know exact hotel until confirmed) but significant discounts on 4-star+ properties.

Package Deals

Expedia Bundles Flight + hotel packages often 10–20% cheaper than booking separately. Use for direct comparison.

Costco Travel Consistent value for members. Greece packages with real savings.

For more package comparisons, see our Greece Vacation Packages guide.

Flight Booking Strategies

Mistake Fares & Error Pricing

Airlines occasionally publish fares with errors — €300 round-trip to Athens instead of €800, for example. These get corrected quickly, but if you book before they do, most airlines honor the fare.

How to find them:

• Follow Secret Flying, Scott's Cheap Flights
• Check FlyerTalk forums
• Set up broad Google Flight alerts
• Act immediately when you see one (hours, not days)

Important: Book directly with the airline when possible. Third-party bookings are sometimes canceled when errors are caught.

Positioning Flights

Sometimes flying to a different US city first, then to Athens, is significantly cheaper than direct from your hometown.

Example: Los Angeles → Athens direct might cost €1,200. Los Angeles → New York (cheap domestic), then New York → Athens might total €850.

When this works:

• You're flying from a smaller US city
• There's a hub with lots of Athens competition (JFK, Newark)
• You're flexible on travel time

Open-Jaw Bookings

Flying into Athens and out of Thessaloniki (or vice versa) can:

• Save backtracking time
• Sometimes be cheaper than round-trip to one city
• Enable more efficient road trip routing

Check multi-city search options on Google Flights and Skyscanner.

Flexible Date Searching

A single day can make a €100+ difference. Always:

• Use Google Flights calendar view
• Check Tuesday/Wednesday departures
• Consider +/- 3 days from ideal dates
• Compare weekday vs. weekend flights

Hotel Booking Strategies

Book Direct (Sometimes)

Hotel websites often match or beat OTA prices and offer:

• Best room selection
• Loyalty points
• Direct relationship for issues
• Sometimes: breakfast included, upgrades, late checkout

Check both: Compare OTA prices with direct hotel rates. Email hotels directly for longer stays — they'll often match prices and add perks.

Timing Your Hotel Booking

Peak season (June–August):

• Book 2–4 months ahead for best selection and prices
• Last-minute = expensive and limited
• Popular islands (Santorini, Mykonos) book out entirely

Shoulder season (May, September–October):

• Book 1–2 months ahead for good deals
• Some last-minute deals available
• More flexibility

Low season (November–April):

• Last-minute often cheapest
• Book 1–2 weeks out for maximum savings
• Much more availability

Loyalty Programs Worth Using

Booking.com Genius:

• Free to join
• Level 1: 10% off at participating properties
• Level 2: 15% off + extras (after 5 stays)
• Level 3: 20% off + more (after 15 stays)

Marriott/Hilton/IHG:

• Points redemption can offer exceptional value
• Status perks (upgrades, breakfast) add significant value
• Best for chains, obviously

Hotels.com Rewards:

• Collect 10 nights, get 1 free (value of average nightly rate)
• No elite status perks
• Simple and effective

Alternative Accommodations

Airbnb/VRBO:

• Often cheaper for groups and longer stays
• Kitchen access saves meal money
• More space than hotel rooms
• Book direct with hosts for repeat stays (lower fees)

Hostels (for budget travelers):

• €15–30/night in Athens, island towns
• Great for solo travelers, social atmosphere
• Private rooms available at many

Credit Card Travel Strategies

Best Cards for Greece Travel

Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve:

• Flexible points (transfer to United, Hyatt, others)
• Travel protections
• No foreign transaction fees
• Points worth 1.25–1.5¢ through portal, more via transfer

American Express Platinum:

• Premium perks (lounges, credits)
• Transfer partners include Delta, British Airways
• High annual fee but valuable for frequent travelers

Capital One Venture X:

• Simple 2x miles on everything
• Flexible redemption
• Good travel protections
• Strong transfer partners

Points Redemption for Greece

Best value transfers:

United MileagePlus:

• Partner with Aegean Airlines (same Star Alliance)
• Athens flights often 60,000 miles round-trip economy
• Good availability

British Airways Avios:

• Good for shorter flights (Athens–islands, European connections)
• Partner with American Airlines for transatlantic

World of Hyatt:

• Excellent value: 12,000–25,000 points/night
• Several properties in Athens, Santorini
• Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner

Maximizing Cards for Greece Trips

Before booking:

• Check if you can hit a sign-up bonus (often 60,000–100,000 points)
• Consider which cards earn bonus categories for travel

While traveling:

• Use no-foreign-transaction-fee cards
• Cards with travel insurance protect your trip
• Premium cards offer lounge access for long layovers

Money-Saving Booking Hacks

The 24-Hour Rule

US Department of Transportation requires airlines to allow:

• Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking, OR
• 24-hour price hold without payment

Use this to:

• Lock in deals while you confirm travel plans
• Book a price you spot, research later

Price Drop Refunds

Some booking methods offer price drop protection:

• Capital One: Price drop protection within 10 days
• Service fees: Services like "Paribus" track prices for refunds
• Some OTAs: Offer price match if price drops after booking

Shoulder Season Sweet Spots

The absolute best value windows for Greece:

• Late May (before June 15): Summer weather, pre-peak prices
• September (after schools start): Warm water, dropping crowds
• Early October: Still swimmable, significant discounts

Package vs. Separate Booking Analysis

Always check both options:

Example comparison for 7 days in Santorini:

Booked separately:

• Flight: €600
• Hotel: €1,000
• Total: €1,600

Package deal:

• Flight + hotel: €1,350
• Savings: €250 (16%)

Sometimes reversed:

• Package: €1,700
• Separate: €1,400
• Loss: €300

The takeaway: Never assume. Check both approaches every time.

Deal Alerts to Set Up

Flight Alerts

1. Google Flights: Track routes you're considering. Alerts when prices drop.
2. Skyscanner: Similar price tracking functionality.
3. Scott's Cheap Flights: Curated exceptional deals to your inbox.
4. Your airline's email list: Flash sales announced to subscribers first.

Hotel Alerts

1. Booking.com: Track specific properties, get price change notifications.
2. Trivago: Price comparison across sites, alert options.
3. Direct hotel newsletters: Early access to promotions.

General Deal Sources

Follow on social media:

• @SecretFlying (Twitter/X)
• @ThePointsGuy
• @ScottsCheapFlights/Going
• Flight deal Facebook groups

Seasonal Deal Calendar

January–February

• New Year sales: Airlines and hotels offer deals for new travel planning
• Low season prices: Best accommodation deals of the year
• Book for: Summer trips (best selection at reasonable prices)

March–April

• Easter deals: Some pre-Easter promotions
• Shoulder season approaching: Prices starting to rise
• Book for: May–June trips

May–June

• Last-minute shoulder deals: Hotels with availability dropping prices
• Peak season locked: July–August mostly at full price
• Book for: September–October

July–August

• Few deals available: Peak demand, peak prices
• Exception: Last-minute openings (cancellations)
• Book for: Off-season/next year

September–October

• End-of-season deals: Hotels reducing prices for final weeks
• Off-season sales begin: Airlines promoting winter travel
• Book for: November–March, next spring

November–December

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Watch for travel deals
• Holiday sales: Flight deals for winter and early next year
• Book for: Spring trips

Common Booking Mistakes to Avoid

Booking Too Early

Peak season requires early booking. But for shoulder/low season, prices often drop closer to departure. Monitor prices before committing.

Ignoring Budget Airlines

Ryanair, easyJet, and others fly to Greek islands for €30–100 from European cities. If connecting anyway, these save hundreds.

Catches: Extra fees for bags, seats. Read the rules. Can still be cheapest option.

Not Comparing Package vs. DIY

Sometimes packages save 20%. Sometimes they cost 20% more. Always check both.

Loyalty Over Value

Don't stay at an expensive hotel just for points if a cheaper option serves you better. Loyalty programs are tools, not religions.

Not Reading Cancellation Policies

Cheap rates often are non-refundable. For uncertain plans, pay slightly more for flexibility — or use cards with trip protection.

Summary: Deal-Finding Checklist

For flights:

• [ ] Set Google Flights alerts for your dates
• [ ] Join Scott's Cheap Flights or similar
• [ ] Check flexible dates (+/- 3 days)
• [ ] Consider positioning flights and open-jaws
• [ ] Look for mistake fares when planning starts

For hotels:

• [ ] Compare OTA vs. direct booking
• [ ] Use Booking.com Genius or similar loyalty programs
• [ ] Check if package deals beat separate booking
• [ ] Book timing: early for peak, later for shoulder/low
• [ ] Consider Airbnb for groups/longer stays

For overall savings:

• [ ] Travel shoulder season if possible
• [ ] Use credit card points strategically
• [ ] Book cards with sign-up bonuses before big trips
• [ ] Set deal alerts and act quickly when found
• [ ] Never assume — always compare options

For complete cost breakdowns, see our How Much Does a Trip to Greece Cost guide.

Need personalized trip planning? Try our free AI trip planner for customized recommendations.

FAQ

When is the cheapest time to go to Greece?

The cheapest time is November through March (excluding Christmas/New Year), when flights are 30–50% cheaper and hotels are 40–60% cheaper than peak season. However, many islands close and weather is cool/rainy. For the best value (good weather + reasonable prices), book late May, early June, or September. These shoulder periods offer summer-like conditions with prices 20–30% below July–August peaks. For summer travel, book 3–4 months ahead and fly midweek for best rates.

How do I find cheap flights to Greece?

Start with Google Flights — use calendar view to find cheap dates, set price alerts for your routes. Join Scott's Cheap Flights/Going for exceptional deal alerts. Check Skyscanner for unusual routing and budget carriers. For best prices: book 6–10 weeks ahead, fly Tuesday–Wednesday, consider connecting through budget-friendly hubs (Istanbul, London). Watch for mistake fares on Secret Flying. Consider positioning flights if traveling from smaller US cities. Open-jaw tickets (fly into Athens, out of Thessaloniki) can save money and time.

Are Greece travel packages worth it?

Sometimes. Packages (flight + hotel bundles) through Expedia, Costco Travel, or similar often save 10–20% over booking separately — but not always. Always compare: check the package price, then price flights and hotels separately. Packages are typically best value for: all-inclusive resorts, first-time visitors wanting simplicity, complex multi-destination trips. DIY booking typically wins for: budget travelers, those wanting specific hotels, flexible itineraries, those using credit card points. For package comparisons, see our Greece Vacation Packages guide.