Greece Travel Tips
My Greece travel memories are some of my fondest. I have been to Greece on two different trips and I dream of hitting all islands in the Mediterranean one of these days. However, it was travel to the charming country of Greece that sparked this desire.
I have loved all islands I’ve visited, but some more than others! There is also one island I consider unmissable, but I do have some recommendations to enhance your experience. If you are a planning a trip to visit Greece, here is how to avoid crowds and get the most for your money!
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Budget | Greece Travel Tips
For years, I thought Greece would be super expensive and didn’t even bother researching. I suppose I assumed the yacht’s and celebrity vibes meant it was out of range for me. Then one day, a friend said she wanted to visit Greece, so I put aside my assumptions and began my research. To my surprise, Greece is absolutely affordable! In fact, it’s cheaper than a lot of other destinations in Europe!
My best Greece travel tip and main way to save money, is to be strategic about when you go!
When to Go | Most Important of Greece Travel Tips
Shoulder season is my absolute favorite time to visit any destination! Less crowds and lower costs being the top two reasons. However, the weather can also be just as good, or in Greece’s case, even better! My number one best Greece travel tip is go during shoulder season.
Greece travel is best, in my opinion, during the shoulder seasons of April and May and September and October. Summer is the high season and when I say high season, I mean incredibly inflated prices and massive amounts of people. Santorini, for instance, will get about two million visitors each year, but only has about 15,000 residents.
A restaurant owner I spoke to in Santorini spends April through October in Santorini every year, and learns new languages during the winter months in Athens. So winter is very sparse in terms of tourism.
While visiting in the winter is still possible, and perhaps with its own charms, the shoulder seasons allow for a full experience with significantly less crowds. The hundreds of lounge chairs lining the beach in Santorini when I was there in May were mostly unused and gave me the feeling of having the whole place to myself!
Prices in Greece During Shoulder Season
Pricing is also significantly better! When I visited Mykonos, there was a night where I stayed in a beachfront hotel. The price was about $110 for the night and we stayed here early October. Out of curiosity, I checked the price during the high season of Summer (July and August) and discovered this same hotel goes for $350 a night. You can save so much money or get way more for your money if you travel Greece during the shoulder season!
You can save so much money or get way more for your money if you travel Greece during the shoulder season!
Weather in Greece During Shoulder Season
Now you might be wondering if the weather is good for Greece travel during the shoulder season. If you are wanting to lounge on a HOT beach for a true Summer vacation, then the shoulder season might be a touch cool for you (Florida girl talking so “cool” is subjective). Otherwise, the weather is absolutely dreamy!
It’s cooler in the mornings and evenings, and doesn’t get super hot during the day. So you actually enjoy exploring the island, which is also less crowded.
The Mediterranean Sea is cold by my standards. The only warm waters I’ve experienced were in Cyprus, which is a completely different region of the Mediterranean to Santorini and Mykonos (Aegean Sea). In Florida, our Atlantic ocean warms up over the Summer, but even in September, the Mediterranean Sea was cold to me in Mykonos. When I was in Santorini in May, I swam to the cliff. Before entering the water some people from Melbourne, Australia mentioned the water temperature wasn’t bad. However, some people from Florida were there and offered their perspective that it’s rather cold. I jumped in and the cold took my breath away, but I made it to the cliff! My cold and your cold are probably different, so I wanted to provide a full picture.
I really can’t recommend shoulder seasons enough, especially for Greece!
How to Get There | Greece Travel Tips
For both of my trips to Greece, I was limited on time. One trip was about ten days and the other two weeks. With a time limit, it’s best to fly rather than take the ferry (depending on where you are going, of course).
The beauty of Santorini and Mykonos is they both have airports and due to their popularity, it’s very easy to find flights to these islands! Other islands also have airports, and ferry rides, in some cases, would make sense depending on distance and time.
Europe Flight Costs
When it comes to Europe, just get there with the cheapest flight possible and fly to the next destination once there. I have saved money with this strategy as it’s so easy and budget friendly to get around Europe once you’re there.
My Greece Trips
For both trips, London was the cheapest option into Europe. From London, I booked a round trip flight to Athens, then a round trip flight to Santorini. The other trip, I booked a one way to Mykonos, round trip ferry to Tinos, a one way plane ticket from Mykonos to Cyprus and finally a one way plane ticket from Cyprus to London.
In the first trip, I spent under $700 total for all airfare (6 flights) and the second was over $700 for all airfare and ferry (5 flights and 2 ferry rides). These are also including luggage fees for my carry-on for the budget airlines. The bulk of the cost is crossing the Atlantic, but flights within Europe can be really cheap depending on the destination!
Island Hopping in Greece
While I chose to mainly fly from island to island due to my limited time, Tinos was reached by ferry and I had a great experience!
Whether you fly or ferry, the Greek Islands are easy to hop! Since Santorini and Mykonos are easy to fly into or out of and connect to several major European cities, especially from April to October, island hopping can be really easy!
As an example, you can fly from London to Mykonos, then ferry to various islands stopping for a night or two at each and end in Santorini. Once you’ve explored this dreamy island, fly back to London, Athens, or another major city in Europe. Just liked that, you’ve island hopped multiple Greek Islands!
Whether you stick to flights or do a combination, island hopping is easy!
Sailing Greek Islands
I have yet to sail the Greek Islands, but one of these days, I’ll mark this off my bucket list! However, I’ve learned it’s more affordable than I thought! SEARADAR can help you book a boat, with a captain and crew if you’re not experienced! There are also boats to accommodate various group sizes.
According to their site, most boats are rented for a week, so keep that in mind when planning your vacation! This is the ultimate in freedom when it comes to island hopping.
Quick Greece Travel Tips
Credit Cards versus Cash
I used credit cards mainly while in Greece! It’s very easy and I never encountered issues. Having some cash could be helpful, but overall, I used my credit card when booking ATVs or enjoying Greek cuisine!
Driving or ATVing
In Santorini and Mykonos, I rented ATVs to explore the islands! I loved it! However, I will say Santorini’s landscape is more intimidating. Overall, I had no issues with the actual rentals.
While in Tinos, I rented a car, but they required an International Driver’s License, which spoiler, I didn’t have. So they gave me a website past customers had used and I was able to get the license.
Some destinations in Europe do require an International Driver’s License, but I had never needed one. Just keep that in mind as you island hop. There are some that may require it!
Also worth noting, most cars are manual. I know how to drive one, so it wasn’t an issue, but it’s worth noting. I’m not amazing when stopped on a hill, so navigating Santorini with a manual would have been intimidating while the ATV was just fun!
I did drive a manual around Tinos and Cyprus with no issues! It’s just something worth noting. If you only want an automatic, you should reserve it ahead of time.
My Greece Travel Destinations
Athens
My first trip to Greece included a stop in Athens. I had read you don’t need more than two days and I’m so glad I listened. My friend and I stayed for a day and half and it was plenty of time to visit the historical spots.
One thing I hated about Athens was seeing all the graffiti. It was everywhere. Not just in certain areas where it had an artsy vibe, but everywhere! Really diminishing the impact of a city with so much history! It has been some time since I went to Athens, so this could be different now, but it’s worth noting.
Overall, I don’t think you need a lot of time for Athens. The historical sites are worth visiting, but I enjoyed the islands so much more and there’s no lack of history in the islands!
Santorini
This is one place in Greece, I think everyone needs to go at least once in their life! Some destinations are popular for good reason and Santorini is one! This island is magical, charming, and absolutely worth seeing. A bucket list destination, but you should go during the shoulder months!
I explored Santorini at a chill pace. Since I was there with a friend, I stayed in the southern part of the island. However, for those romantic and famous Santorini vibes, stay in Oia (pronounced eee-uh).
Mykonos
Mykonos is known as a party island, but I’m not a party girl. However, I was going end of September and early October, and I was counting on the party days to be over.
While I think Santorini is unmissable, Mykonos does not hold the same sentiment. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy my 3 days in Mykonos. However, it lacks that magical scenery of Santorini. Though, for white sand beaches, Mykonos is beautiful!
The advantage of Mykonos is it can be cheap to fly here and it’s still a Greek island in the Mediterranean, so it definitely holds a charm nonetheless. Just like in Santorini, I rented a four wheeler and rode around exploring the island. And that Sea is just beautiful no matter what island you’re viewing it from!
Tinos
Tinos is the first less touristy Greek Island I visited and it did not disappoint. A quick, thirty minute ferry from Mykonos will land you in Tinos.
I spent a 2 days in Tinos and loved it! Chasing sunsets, walking in sleepy villages and enjoying what felt like the more authentic Greek island life. It left me only hungrier for more Mediterranean Island hopping.
Cyprus
Sometimes I just let airline prices and flight schedules help me narrow down places for a trip. That is basically how I ended up spending 6 days in Cyprus. I saw the flight from Mykonos directly to Cyprus and it was nice and cheap.
I have mixed feelings about Cyprus. I liked it and it puzzled me. Cyprus is full of Greeks but also partly occupied by Turkey. The island is full of history and beautiful places, but also smelled like a cat litter box. I enjoyed my time in Cyprus, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it over other islands. Then again, I loved the people we met and memories like driving a boat in the Mediterranean.
While Mykonos and Tinos were cooling down in temperature, Cyprus was hot which made our boat day amazing but walking historical sites were sweaty! Cyprus has a complicated history, but it’s beautiful as well!
Greece Travel Tips
I hope this travel guide was helpful for planning your Greek Islands vacation! Santorini is absolutely dreamy and Tinos stole my heart! Just remember to avoid peak season, because shoulder months are best for less crowds and lower prices!
If you’re visiting Greece for the first time, I hope you have the best time exploring and that you leave as charmed as I did!
For more things to do and detailed itineraries, check out my other posts on Greece!
