25 Greece Travel Tips to Know Before You Go

Most Greece travel tips articles tell you to bring sunscreen, wear comfortable shoes on the Acropolis, and try the spanakopita. Those things are true. What follows is the more useful version — the things that change how your trip actually goes.

For the full planning framework, see how to plan a trip to Greece. For specific itinerary ideas, see the 7-day Greece itinerary and 10-day Greece itinerary.

Planning Your Trip

1. Book the Acropolis ticket online before you go.
The €30 Acropolis ticket is purchased online through the official Ministry of Culture booking system. In July and August, the morning entry slots fill 2–3 days in advance. Arriving at 8am (opening time) is the single best decision you can make for this visit — the site is coolest, emptiest, and most atmospheric in the first hour. By 10am on a summer day, the experience is meaningfully different.

2. June and September are the sweet spot.
The sea reaches its warmest in late August and stays warm through September. The weather in June and September is excellent — 28–30°C, clear skies, occasional breezes. The crowds in June are roughly half of August levels; in September they thin further. Hotel prices drop 20–40% from August rates. If your holiday dates are flexible at all, choose these months. See best time to travel to Greece for the full breakdown.

3. Don't try to see everything in one trip.
Greece covers 16,000 km of coastline and 227 inhabited islands. The most common first-time mistake is packing too many destinations into two weeks. Athens + one or two islands done properly is better than Athens + four islands done poorly. Leave something for next time — there will be a next time.

4. Decide between the Cyclades, the Ionian Islands, and the Dodecanese before you start booking.
These three island groups are geographically distant, have different characters, and do not combine efficiently in a short trip. The Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros) are in the central Aegean. The Ionian Islands (Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos) are on the west coast. The Dodecanese (Rhodes, Kos, Patmos, Symi) are in the southeast. Pick one group and explore it. Combining groups means flights and long days in transit.

5. Buy travel insurance that covers ferries and domestic flights.
Ferry cancellations due to bad weather are common — a southerly gale in the Aegean can close ports for 24–48 hours. KTEL bus tickets are non-refundable. Domestic Sky Express flights are small and occasionally delay. Greece-specific travel insurance is not expensive and genuinely needed. See Greece travel insurance.

Getting Around Greece

6. Book ferry tickets as soon as your dates are fixed.
This point deserves emphasis. A family of four wanting to take a car from Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini in the first week of August needs to book the car ferry space by April at the latest. Passenger spaces are easier but popular morning departures also fill. Use Ferryhopper (ferryhopper.com) for cross-operator comparison and booking. See the Greece ferry guide.

7. The Athens metro is excellent and covers the key tourist sites.
The Athens Metro connects the airport (direct to Syntagma in 40 minutes, €10.50 single), the port of Piraeus (for island ferries), and all the main tourist areas. The 90-minute ticket costs €1.40 and covers the metro, tram, and buses within that window. Do not waste money on taxis for journeys the metro does more efficiently.

8. Taxis in Greece use meters — insist on them.
All licensed Greek taxis are metered. Drivers offering a fixed price to tourists are almost always offering a bad deal. The correct procedure: get in, confirm the meter is running (you can say "metro, parakalo"), and pay what the meter shows plus 10%. Airport and port surcharges are legitimate and listed on a tariff card in the vehicle.

9. Renting a car unlocks the Peloponnese, Crete, and large islands.
The mainland and large islands like Crete and Kefalonia are significantly more rewarding with a car. The Peloponnese in particular — Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio, Mystras, Olympia — is designed for independent car travel. Greek roads outside the toll motorways are narrow but manageable. International driving licence not required for EU or US licence holders. See the Greece road trip guide.

10. On small islands, rent a scooter or ATV — not a car.
A car on Naxos, Paros, or Milos makes sense. On Mykonos, Hydra, Santorini's southern roads, or any island under 50 km², a scooter or quad is faster, cheaper, and more practical for beach-hopping. Hydra famously has no motor vehicles at all — everything moves by donkey or boat.

11. KTEL intercity buses are excellent value and underused by tourists.
The KTEL bus network covers mainland Greece comprehensively and connects major cities for a fraction of train or rental car costs. Athens to Thessaloniki: ~€35, 6 hours. Athens to Delphi: ~€18, 2.5 hours. Buses are air-conditioned and on time. The terminals in Athens are different for different directions — check which station serves your route.

Money and Costs

12. Greece uses euros — carry some cash.
Greece is increasingly card-friendly in tourist areas, but many tavernas, market stalls, island kiosks, smaller ferry operators, monastery entry fees, and archaeological sites (some secondary ones) still require cash. Keep €50–100 in small denominations. ATMs are everywhere in cities and on larger islands; on tiny islands, withdraw before you arrive.

13. Bottled water from a supermarket is dramatically cheaper than from kiosks.
A 1.5-litre water bottle from an AB Vassilopoulos or Sklavenitis supermarket costs approximately €0.50. The same bottle from a kiosk or tourist shop costs €1.50–2.00. In Athens, Crete, and on the mainland, tap water is safe to drink. On small Cycladic islands (Santorini, Mykonos), the water is desalinated and most people use bottled. Buy in bulk from supermarkets. See is tap water safe to drink in Greece.

14. Tipping is appreciated but not the same system as the US.
The standard in Greece is approximately 10% in restaurants, or simply rounding up. Service charge is not automatically added to the bill. For taxis, rounding up the fare is sufficient. At beach bars and casual places, leaving small change is the norm. Not tipping is not offensive — tipping well is genuinely appreciated.

15. The tourist-facing price and the local price are sometimes different.
This is most pronounced in tavernas near major tourist sites and in some island port towns. The simple fix: walk one block away from the main square or tourist strip and prices normalise immediately. A coffee in the Plaka in Athens costs €4–5; the same coffee in Monastiraki or Psiri costs €2–3.

Food and Drink

16. Lunch is the main meal — dinner is often late.
Greeks eat lunch as their substantial meal (1–3pm) and dinner late — rarely before 9pm, often at 10pm or later. Restaurants in tourist areas serve from 7pm to accommodate visitors, but the locals arriving at 10pm are eating the freshest food at its best. If you eat at 7:30pm, you will probably be the only people in the restaurant and everything will be fine; it will just feel slightly different.

17. Meze culture means sharing — order more dishes than you think you need.
Greek food is designed to be shared. Order 4–6 small plates for two people rather than one main each. A typical spread: tzatziki, fava, grilled octopus, horta (boiled greens with olive oil), a fresh cheese, and a main to split. The total will cost less than two individual three-course meals and be more enjoyable. See the Greek customs guide.

18. Ouzo should be drunk slowly and with food.
Ouzo — the anise-flavoured spirit that is Greece's national drink — is typically served with a small glass of water and ice alongside a small meze plate. Add water to ouzo (it turns cloudy, which is correct) and drink it slowly with food. Drinking it quickly on an empty stomach in the afternoon sun is how many first-time visitors have a very bad second half of their day.

19. The fresh fish on island menus is priced by the kilo — ask first.
On fish tavernas, items listed simply as "fish" with a price per kilo are charged by weight. Ask the waiter what the fish they are recommending weighs and what the total cost will be before you order. This is entirely normal and not rude. A large sea bream for two people might weigh 800g at €45/kg — excellent value. Or it might be larger than you expected.

Culture and Etiquette

20. Orthodox churches and monasteries have dress codes.
Covered knees and shoulders are required in Orthodox churches and monasteries throughout Greece. This applies equally to all visitors regardless of gender. Many sites provide wraps at the entrance. The rule is observed; visitors who ignore it are asked to leave. Packing a light scarf or carrying a sarong is the simple solution.

21. Greeks are extraordinarily hospitable — accept what is offered.
The concept of filoxenia (love of strangers) is genuinely embedded in Greek hospitality culture. Refusing a coffee, a sweet, or a glass of something offered by a Greek host is mildly rude. Accept, enjoy, and reciprocate with interest in the person offering. This applies in village settings more than in tourist-facing businesses, but the principle is real.

22. Photographs inside churches and of military installations require permission or are prohibited.
Photographing inside active Orthodox churches is generally not permitted — and where it is technically permitted, doing so during a service is poor behaviour. Photography near military installations, border areas, and some government buildings is restricted by Greek law. Photographing the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens is fine; photographing the Prime Minister's residence without permission is not.

23. Greek time is real but not universal.
"I will be there in five minutes" in Greece can mean fifteen. Shops may open slightly after their stated time. Restaurants may close slightly after their stated closing. Ferries depart on time — do not apply Greek time to ferry departures. Archaeological sites open on time and close on time.

Practical Tips

24. The Acropolis in summer requires water, sunscreen, and proper footwear.
The Acropolis hill is exposed marble in direct sunlight with no shade and limited water points. The path is uneven, polished by millions of feet, and slippery when wet. Bring a full water bottle, apply sunscreen before arrival, and wear flat non-slip shoes. People visit in heels every day and regret it. The Archaeological Agora below the Acropolis has trees, shade, and a museum — doing that first on a hot day is sensible.

25. Learn five words of Greek — it makes a significant difference.
Yassas (hello / goodbye, formal), efcharistó (thank you), parakalo (please / you're welcome), sygnomi (excuse me / sorry), ne/óchi (yes/no). Greeks are consistently pleased when visitors make any effort at all with the language. These five words will be used dozens of times daily and they will change the quality of your interactions every single time.

Plan Your Trip

• How to Plan a Trip to Greece — the full planning framework
• Best Time to Travel to Greece — season-by-season breakdown
• How Much Does a Trip to Greece Cost — full budget guide
• Greece Ferry Guide — how to navigate Greek ferries
• Getting Around Greece — every transport option explained
• Is Tap Water Safe in Greece — the honest answer by island and city
• Greece Travel Insurance — what to cover and why
• Greece Packing List — what to actually bring
• Greek Customs and Traditions — culture tips in depth

🇬🇷 Ready to plan your trip? Use our AI Trip Planner to build a personalised Greece itinerary in minutes — or take our quiz to find the right Greek destination for your travel style.