How to get to Greece by train. Cheap flights to Greece. Prices of flights to Greece

Greece is a country of mysteries, myths and legends, some of which have not been disclosed to this day. Coming here for the umpteenth time, I understand that I will never be bored here. Each time Greece surprises and subjugates me more and more.

It is impossible to describe in a few words - despite the fact that it is a very small country, it is as if divided into parts, each of which impresses with its color and beauty. A significant part of Greece and its capital is located on the Balkan Peninsula, and numerous islands in the Aegean, Mediterranean, Cretan, Thracian and Ionian Seas.

The islands represent the main tourist pride of this country. No wonder it is called the "Country of a Thousand Islands", at the moment more than 160 inhabited and no less than 1250 uninhabited are Greece. The largest - Crete, Euboea - attract tens of thousands of tourists every year, despite the crisis in the country and the world.

Visa and border crossing

Mainland Greece has common land borders with Macedonia, Albania, Turkey and Bulgaria. Like all countries that are part of Schengen, Greece requires a visa of the same name to enter its territory. Since September 2015, in order to make a Schengen visa, you need to personally come to the consulate, take fingerprints and take a photo. Children under 12 years old do not need fingerprinting.
Active travelers can not worry - you need to perform a similar procedure no more than once every 5 years. The cost of self-registration for an adult ranges from 35 to 37.5 euros, depending on its type.

Russian citizens can apply for the following:

1. Transit visa - to travel to other countries through the territory of Greece.
2. Guestbook - available at the invitation of citizens of the state.
3. Student - necessary for studying in the country.
4. Working - without it, it is impossible to apply for a job in Greece.
5. A tourist visa is the most common, it allows our compatriots to enter the territory of Greece for a period of up to 90 days within six months.

At the moment, special agencies are working in every city in Russia, allowing them to spend less time on obtaining a visa. In this case, you will have to pay from 1000 to 1500 rubles, however, to take fingerprints you still have to go to the consulate of Greece.
It is possible to visit Greece without a visa, subject to the following conditions:

• To visit, one of the Greek islands, Chios, Samos or Lesbos, was chosen.
• The duration of a tourist trip does not exceed 15 days.
• Entry is from Turkey on one of the ferries.
• The trip will take place from June 7 to September 30, 2016.

In this case, a consular fee of 35 euros will be paid directly at the state border. You need to buy a ferry ticket in advance and print out a confirmation for booking a home, as well as send documents for a single visa to the travel agency organizing a trip to the islands in 24 hours, an application, a copy of your passport and photo.
To obtain a visa for a trip to Greece should be in advance, so that later, in case of refusal, be able to re-apply. Currently, permission to enter this country is issued more readily, as the flow of tourists has decreased due to the crisis.

At customs, employees usually let tourists through very quickly, only suspiciously behaving people can become an exception. Baggage is checked very rarely, but you need to know what you can bring into the country without a duty, and what cannot.

• Food - drinks and food up to 10 kg;
• 10 packs of cigarettes;
• Alcoholic beverages are stronger than 22% - 1 liter, wine - 4 liters, beer - up to 16 liters.

• Narcotic substances;
• Prohibited drugs;
• Weapons
• Antiques;
• Dairy and meat products.

When crossing the border in the opposite direction, it is allowed to export no more than 1-2 liters of wine and vegetable oil. It is forbidden to export from Greece any objects of historical value.

How to get there

Our compatriots prefer to go on holiday to Greece in the simplest way - having bought a tour that includes charter flight, accommodation and meals at the hotel. However, you can get to this beautiful country on your own by purchasing a ticket for a regular flight, by car, train, bus. An exception is the islands for which there are water modes of transport.

By plane

It is not in vain that the plane is considered the most popular vehicle for traveling to Greece. Its main advantages over other types of movement are:

• Convenience - regular sales of airline tickets can significantly save money, especially if you buy them in advance.
• Speed \u200b\u200b- spending just a few hours on the road, you can find yourself in this fabulous country.
• Prevalence - due to the popularity of flights, now they are carried out from almost any large city in Russia with an airport, it does not matter if you eat on the mainland or on the islands of Greece.

Charter flights significantly benefit from regular flights, as they allow non-stop flights to achieve the purpose of the trip. If it was much more difficult to get to the country 10-15 years ago, now planes fly not only from St. Petersburg and Moscow, but also from Yekaterinburg, Samara, Rostov, Voronezh, Perm, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Krasnodar, Volgograd and others major Russian cities. In combination with regular flights, you can visit hospitable Greece without any problems. You can easily buy a ticket from well-known Russian and foreign airlines: Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, Air Berlin, Air Serbia, but Aegean Airlines, or Aegean Airlines, are considered the most profitable.

Ticket prices from Moscow to Athens start at 6-7 thousand rubles, and to the islands a little more expensive, but you will have to travel with transfers, sometimes up to 1 day. With careful monitoring of prices, you can buy a direct ticket for 10-12 thousand. See ticket prices in the Travelask section. Direct transit time is 3.5-4 hours from Moscow and St. Petersburg. In total, there are 55 airports in the country, the largest of which is Athenian Eleftherios Venizelos. In addition to it, the most convenient and popular are:

• on Crete in Heraklion - Nikos Kazantzakis,
• in Chania - Daskalogianis,
• on Rhodes - Diagoros,
• on Kerkyra - Ioannis Kapodistrias.

By train

If you suffer from aerophobia, you can get to Greece by train, but this type of transport is the least common in the country due to mountain roads, inconvenient for railways. In addition, at the moment there are no direct routes from Russia that allow you to travel by train to at least part of the country bordering Bulgaria or Turkey.

To get to Thessaloniki, the capital of the Greek province of Macedonia, you need to buy a ticket from Moscow to or Sofia, and only then transfer to a train that takes you to the final destination. This option is not suitable for people with a limited amount of time, because an independent trip will take at least four days.

By bus

Bus tours are becoming more and more popular. This is due to the fact that transport is becoming more comfortable and allows practically without stops to make long trips. Travel agencies are actively developing this direction, and at the moment you can get to Athens by bus from Moscow and St. Petersburg, or by going to any of the border countries, from where flights to major Greek cities go freely.

For example, the well-known travel company Ost-West organizes bus trips from Moscow through other European countries - Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria. The presence of a Russian-speaking guide will brighten up the time on the trip and allow you to better study the history of not only Greece, but also other countries. In St. Petersburg, the company Petrotour offers similar services. Usually, the cost of the trip, which ranges from 440 to 600 euros, includes the price of travel, meals and hotel accommodation on the route. The travel program includes visits to Athens, Thessaloniki, Livadia, and the island of Crete. Travel time takes a little more than three days.

By car

You need to be a true romantic and adventure lover to decide on an independent trip by car to Greece. After all, the road there lies across the borders of several European countries, so you need to draw up all the documents for their passage.

The main advantage of this type of transport is independence and the ability to stop anywhere to explore still unknown regions of the country. The route will depend on the region of Greece and the neighboring country.

The trip will take at least 3-4 days, and even then, provided that the car will have two drivers who can change with each other. With modern navigation systems, building the right route is much easier than before. It is necessary to take into account all the nuances on the road:

• Outline stopping points for snack and overnight.
• Learn about the state of highways and the cost of gasoline in the countries through which you go.
• Clarify the features of border crossing.

If you have a Schengen visa, you will not have problems at the customs, however, it should be remembered that in each country there are objects that can not be imported there.

The most successful entry into Greece is considered to be from Bulgaria, since these countries have very good friendly relations. There are only two options for routes that are popular with independent autotourists:

1. Ukraine, Moldova,.
2. Belarus, Slovakia, Macedonia.

The most interesting option would be to take a different route on the way back, then the number of countries seen will be more. Do not forget that the number of days spent in Schengen countries is summed up.

If you decide to take this step, a trip to Greece by car will be the most vivid and interesting adventure.

By ferry

For a country, a large part of which is located on the islands, and the rest has access to the sea, ferry is not uncommon. You can take a ferry to the capital of Greece Athens from Ukraine, Turkey, Italy, Cyprus. In addition, there is the opportunity to visit almost any of the Greek islands, the exception is only very small. The schedule of ferries to Greece is designed in such a way that tourists can regularly cross the sea.

You can find out how ferries go to islands or cities on some Greek sites. There is an option to book in advance using the Ferriesingreece service, but be sure to specify the exact time of their departure. Due to the delay of ferries, the schedule can be delayed by several minutes, and sometimes hours.

The peculiarity of this type of water transport is that they can carry cars and other bulky goods. For these purposes, the ferries have a passenger and cargo deck.

In addition to ferries, which are distinguished by their low-speed, there are fast large ships equipped with comfortable cabins. The most interesting option will be a boat trip to such islands of Greece as Crete, Corfu with a call to the largest port cities.

The cost of a ferry ticket will depend on the end point of the route and the type of accommodation (cabin or seat). For example, the price from Athens (Piraeus) in Crete is from 30 to 50 euros. Travel time is 9-10 hours. The ferry from Piraeus to Rhodes takes 17-20 hours, en route to the islands of Kalymnos and then to Paros, Naxos, and Kastelorizo. For comparison, Thessaloniki takes only 1 hour by ferry. Those who are in no hurry and love to admire the sea views and views of the islands will not be a hindrance for a long time.

Touristic Regions

For most tourists, Greece is associated with holidays on the coast and islands. However, this is only the most famous part of the country, represented by tour operators. In fact, the tourism potential of this state cannot be fully revealed by standard routes and requires more careful attention.

Geographically, Greece is divided into 13 regions, each of which has its own administrative department. According to the directions for tourism, there are three parts of the country that are of particular interest:

You can navigate through the prices of tours to different regions of Greece.

If you prefer independent tourism - see hotels in mainland and island Greece in the TravelAsk section, private apartment rental options -. You can book hotels on Booking -.

Top cities

Each of the cities of Greece has its own ancient history, which deserves a separate study. Historically, the largest cities were formed around seaports, allowing the development of trade relations.

The islands

All islands in Greece are grouped according to their territorial affiliation. Northern and Southern Sporades (Dodecanese), Ionian Islands, Cyclades, Crete. Among the more than a thousand islands of Greece, only about 200 are inhabited, and only a few of them can count on the attention of tourists, because for this they must at least have an airport that allows you to take planes from different countries.

• Northern Sporades in Greek means "scattered", including Euboea (Evia), Skyros, Skiathos,.
• Southern Sporades, or Dodecanese, are located in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas off the coast of Turkey. Among them, the most famous are Halki, Kalymnos, Symi, Kastelorizo, and.
• The Ionian islands of Greece are located in the sea of \u200b\u200bthe same name and include Corfu (), Zakif, Ithaca, Kythira.
• The Cyclades, located in a circle near Crete, have preserved a unique architectural style that tourists can observe on the most famous island of the archipelago - Santorini, as well as Syros, Mykonos, Andros, Tinos, Ios and others.
• Crete is deservedly considered the most famous Greek island - after all, it is the largest of them.

Historically, among so many diverse islands, tour operators distinguish some of the most suitable for tourist trips:

1. Crete is the largest in area, it is deservedly considered a favorite place for tourists to visit. According to ancient legends, it was here that the supreme god of the ancient Greeks Zeus was born.
   The capital of Crete, the city welcomes guests at a large airport on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Upon landing, it seems that the plane lands directly on the water. Another airport is located in the city of Chania, so getting to the beautiful island, famous for its beaches and entertainment, is not difficult. The island surpasses even Attica in the number of attractions. What is the only Knossos palace located near Heraklion, the Phaistos Palace, the city of Olus at the bottom of the sea and much more. But its main advantage is not this - first of all, tourists appreciate Crete for the opportunity to visit a variety of beaches. Pink, yellow and white, sandy and pebble, cultivated, with a gentle entrance for swimming and wild, ideal for diving.
   
2.   tourists love no less than his older brother. I always felt a certain affection for this island. The capital is located in the city of the same name - Rhodes, in which the main attraction is the Palace of the Grand Masters and a medieval fortress, built in the 14th century. Major cities of the island are, Faliraki, Ialysos, Monolithos. Surf lovers come to the town of Parasonisi, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Aegean. “Kiss of the Two Seas” - that is the name of this place - the most popular natural attraction of Rhodes. Like in Crete, here you can find a variety of beaches for every taste, in addition, this island is located south, so the tourist season here begins earlier and ends later.
   
3. The northernmost Greek island is, with its capital in Kerkyra. Despite the fact that the climate here is not so hot and more reminiscent of Italy, the flow of tourists does not dry out. The whole secret of the island is that its nature is more picturesque than in Crete or Rhodes. Green pines and cypresses, olive groves, pristine beaches in the Ionian Sea will conquer any, even discerning traveler. The most visited place is the resort on the west coast of Corfu Paleokastritsa. Tourists have chosen the local beaches, which are surrounded by mountains and trees.
   
4. Santorini is at least a very small island, but one of the most popular. In fact, this is a small archipelago of 5 islands: Nea Kameni, Therasia, Palea Kameni, Aspronisi and Santorini itself, which the Greeks call Fira. The visiting card of the island are beautiful white houses with blue roofs, against which newlyweds adore taking pictures, and beaches of volcanic sand, which have different colors and shades. On the island there are several beaches with black and gray sand, red and snow-white. Despite its small size, its beaches are worthy of being told about them in a separate article.
   
5. Euboea, or Evia, is not so popular and famous, although it is the second largest island in Greece after Crete. It is located off the northern coast of the country in the Aegean Sea. Euboea is famous for the fact that in the Euripus Strait separating it from the mainland, one can observe a unique natural phenomenon - “standing waves” that form every 6 hours during high and low tides. The beaches of the island, sheltered from the winds by high cliffs, will not disappoint travelers.
   

Top Attractions

It's no secret that Greece is the cradle of an ancient culture that originated several centuries ago BC. After reading the “Myths of Ancient Greece” in all the well-known publications at school, I most wanted to be in the country where the events described took place. It seemed to me that once there, I find myself in a real fairy tale. Reality not only completely coincided with my expectations, but also surpassed them many times.

Weather

The tourist season is open in Greece all year round, especially since the most interesting holidays begin here in December and continue through February. Visiting sights is also best done at this time - there are either few or no tourists at all, the ticket price is reduced several times. However, winter weather is not at all suitable for swimming on the beaches.

The coldest months in these places are January and December, the air temperature does not rise above 10-12 degrees, February and March will please warming up to 15-17 degrees, and already in May, the most daring travelers open the swimming season, which will last until the end of October. In November, strong winds, rains and frequent storms at sea will not allow even the most desperate brave men to swim, although this month is not so cold.

Moving around the country

Moving along Greek roads would be a real pleasure if it were not for the mountainous terrain. In this regard, you should not expect that you will travel distances at the usual speed, usually cars move here no faster than 70 km / h. Those who have rights have a great opportunity to rent a car and arrange an independent tour. This service costs from 50 euros per day, and even in small towns there are several “Rent a car”. You can see the cost of renting a car for the dates you are interested in. The owners of such agencies will be happy to provide a car at your request if you are already 21, and in some regions 23 years old. You need to have an international license with you and a driving experience of more than 1 year. Temporary insurance is issued locally and is included in the rental price.

If you didn’t bring a driver’s license with you or if you simply don’t have one, you can travel around the area by bus or minibus. This is the most common public transport in Greece; scheduled bus stops can be seen everywhere. One-time ticket costs only 2-3 euros.

In large cities, you can catch a taxi. You can easily recognize them by the inscription. In addition, there is a water taxi on which you can move between the islands. If you urgently need to leave, but there is no suitable transport, just raise your hand. The Greeks are very responsive and help everyone without exception. You will have to pay for a taxi by the counter, and a random taxi driver can give you a lift for just a few euros or for free, wishing you a good trip.

The Greeks rarely overtake, driving into the oncoming lane, so do not be surprised if the car behind you blinks headlights or honk. In this case, you need to drive to the side of the road, by the way, also asphalt.

Communication

It is not for nothing that the Internet is called a worldwide network; it is spread everywhere in Greece. Almost all hotels and surrounding cafes have the opportunity to connect to free Wi-Fi, as evidenced by plates with the inscription "Wi-Fi". However, the Internet speed is very low, it will be difficult to communicate on Skype with great difficulty.

In order to make profitable calls while relaxing home, experienced travelers are advised to buy a plastic card with a certain face value for calls from a payphone, which are in every hotel or near it. With such a card worth 10 euros, you can call home 8-9 times.

If you prefer to talk on your phone, ask your household to call you. In this case, the cost of cellular communications will be minimal.

Language and Communication

Greece belongs to those countries where hospitality is one of the most pleasant customs. From my own experience I want to note that any person who finds themselves in a difficult situation will be come to the rescue. Many Greeks know English well, speak good German, but it is difficult to meet Russian-speaking residents here.

Despite this, the locals are always smiling and welcoming, while preferring not to be imposed, as the Turks like to do, when you sort through souvenirs for half an hour. The restaurant usually has a menu in two languages \u200b\u200b- Greek and English, and even with colorful pictures illustrating the dish.

If you learn a few standard phrases in Greek, you will gain an advantage over other customers in cafes and shops.

1. kali mera - good morning, good afternoon (until 2 p.m.);
2. kali spera - good evening;
3. yasu, yasas - hello;
4. efharisto - thanks;
5. paracalo - please;
6. signomi - sorry;
7. ne - yes;
8. ohi - no;
9. poso cani? - how much is?
10. what canis? - how are you?
11. me lene? - what is your name?
12. then onoma mu ine - my name is.

Mentality features

Greece is a country that has retained its unique style, unlike other states. This can be attributed to the architectural style, and to nature, and to the mentality of local residents. Friendliness and friendliness will feel any tourist who is here, if he, of course, does not behave provocatively.

The main tradition in Greece is the observance of all the Christian holidays of patron saints, which take place with special pomp and mandatory procession with relics along the streets of the city. Most of these events occur in the autumn and winter, so the tourists of our country are familiar with them only by hearsay. When planning a trip or a trip to church, you should not forget that visiting these places in trousers, shorts and short skirts is unacceptable, and you should cover your head with a scarf.

Another feature that can be explained by the climate of the country is the mode of operation of almost all institutions: restaurants, shops, museums. At lunchtime, they close for 1-2 hours and only after the sultry time subsides, at 4 hours, they open again. But you can’t be afraid that in the evening you won’t be able to visit the store, they work until late. The best time for friendly meetings is 18-20 hours. And if you were invited to visit, do not forget to grab something for tea - to come empty-handed is considered the height of indecency.

The Greeks are very friendly, so do not be surprised if you are easily invited to visit after a superficial acquaintance. Try to take it with joy and bring along some kind of gift for tea. This friendship can last quite a while. This is the peculiarity of their mentality - friendships start easily and for a long time.

Food and drink

Greece is known as Turkey's rivaling all-inclusive diet. However, the hotel does not serve dishes typical of Greek cuisine. To learn cooking traditions, you need to visit local cafes and restaurants.

It is simply impossible to say in a nutshell about Greek national food. Each island and region of this country has its own special dish. It is better to devote a separate article to this. In short, traditional Greek dishes are prepared using fresh vegetables, seafood, herbs, classic yogurt and olive oil. This feature is a reflection of the centuries-old life of the Greeks, whose traditional occupations were and remain agriculture, fishing and cattle breeding.

The cooking method is different in that almost all products are deep-fried in olive or butter. The cost of a meal for one person will be no more than 20-25 euros, but do not rush to order a portion for each - in Greece they differ in large sizes. At the end of the meal, do not be surprised if, along with drinks, you will be served with small cakes with cottage cheese fried in butter, usually honey and sour cream are served with them.

You will not find rich soups characteristic of Russian cuisine here, they add very little potatoes. But baking in Greece deserves all praise. Filo dough, used all over the world, is the invention of Greek culinary specialists. Based on it, caridopit pies with walnut and syrup filling, galactobureko with sweet semolina are made. Pie from puff pastry boogats also will not leave you indifferent.

Drinks in Greece are typical for all Mediterranean countries: light wine, which is usually diluted with water, beer, natural fruit juices - orange, tangerine and apple. The strongest among alcoholic beverages is rake - anise vodka, with a strength of about 40 degrees.

5 dishes to try

Among the variety of Greek cuisine, you should definitely try some dishes:

Acquaintance with new dishes will add a pleasant experience to the trip, especially since sharp and unusual seasonings are not used in Greek cuisine.

Shopping

Those who consider Greece an inappropriate country for shopping are fundamentally mistaken. There are a large number of things that are worth buying in this country. In addition, during the holiday season, there are many shops, shops, bazaars designed specifically for tourists.

What you need to know about shopping in this country

The inclination of the Greeks to observe customs and traditions could not but affect the type of things that can be found in local stores: almost all of them are made from natural cotton, linen and wool fabrics, often made by hand and are piece goods. It’s hard to find cheap things here, but they are all very high quality. There are Chinese goods too, but these are mainly toys or household supplies.

You can pay in cash or by plastic card, in large stores prices are usually fixed, but in the bazaar or small shops you can bargain with sellers and get an additional discount.

Top Cities for Shopping

What to bring from this country

Things that deserve your attention as souvenirs about a trip to Greece can be bought at almost any store near the beach. At the same time, do not forget that their cost is slightly overpriced, so it is better to purchase them away from the place of bathing. Usually tourists bring from a trip:

• Greek clothes and shoes - from 15 to 100 euros.
• Ceramic dishes - from 20 to 50 euros.
• Ancient coins - from 15 to 30 euros.
• Figurines of ancient Greek gods or animals carved from stone or wood - from 10 to 150 euros, depending on size.
• Buy cosmetics based on olive oil only at a pharmacy, not cheaper than 20-30 euros for a small set.
• Icons from pine, olive and myrtle - from 3 to 15 euros.
• Food: homemade wine from 10 euros, olive oil and olives from 3 euros, fetax cheese and spices from 10 euros.

Items of historical or cultural value cannot be exported from Greece. Oddly enough, this also applies to sea pebbles, sand and shells. Despite the fact that they are exported in large quantities, try not to demonstrate them at customs.

When buying goods for a large amount, you can get Tax free, or the so-called return of value added tax (VAT), which is 24% on the mainland and 17% in the island of Greece. This privilege can only be used by citizens of countries outside the European Union. In this case, the purchase amount must be at least 120 euros.

To obtain such a benefit when leaving the country, contact the special Tax free point located near Duty Free and provide specially designed checks with goods in the store.

Vacation with children

Greece is a country perfectly suitable for children’s holidays. Little tourists of all ages will not be bored here. For children from 3 to 10 years old, hotels with animation that are in no way inferior to Turkish are suitable, but you should not count on the availability of such a service in a three-star establishment. Holidays on the beach can be diluted with visits to water parks, dolphinariums, oceanariums, zoos, which are very numerous throughout the country.

Traditionally, the best resorts in Greece for children are:

• In Rhodes, the city of Faliraki. It is located not so far from the capital of the island - only 12 km. It is famous for its clean beaches with a gentle entrance to the water.
• In Crete and Agios Nikolaos, beachfront hotels in these cities often offer child benefits.
• The resorts of Tolo, Kassandra and Sithonia, protected from the winds by cozy bays, are suitable for relaxing with children on the peninsula.
• In Corfu, children will like to relax in the capital of the island of Kerkyra. Here you can find entertainment for every taste - from sightseeing to swimming on the beach.

Top places interesting to visit with children from 5 years and older:

Holidays with children in Greece will be a pleasant memory if you book a hotel on the All inclusive system and at the same time it will be located no further than 2 beach lines.

Safety

Greece is quite safe for traveling, however, at the moment, after the resettlement of many refugees from Syria, Turkey and other nearby countries, one should be very careful. Theft in hotels is extremely rare, but such precedents do happen.

Popular types of fraud

It is necessary to observe safety rules that are useful to tourists in any country:

• When checking in, ask for a safe, which will cost 2-3 euros daily, but the money will be safe.
• Never carry all funds in one pocket, take only an approximate amount for the day.
• Do not withdraw money from the card if there are suspicious persons nearby. Recently, frauds with reading data information during cash withdrawals have become more frequent.
• Do not demonstrate their financial capabilities, showing a lot of bills.

There are scammers in almost every city, some make money this way during the beach season, but more than the Greeks themselves, you should be afraid of other Europeans, who often appear in high-profile criminal cases.

5 things that are definitely not worth doing

For personal safety in Greece, you need to remember the following things:

1. You must cross the road very carefully, drivers monitor other cars, not pedestrians, even at the crossing you may not be missed.
2. Women should appear in public places only accompanied by men or friends, in order to avoid the molestation of other members of the stronger sex.
3. Annoying visitors in cafes or shops during a siesta can not only be condemned, but also be recognized as violators of public order.
4. There is no need to use gestures when communicating - the country has its own sign language, without knowing it, you can insult the owner of the establishment.
5. Valuable things should not be left on the dashboard and in the front seat of a car: bags or telephones, car thefts are the most frequent in Greece.

5 things to do in this country

After visiting Greece several times, a single picture of this diverse and beautiful country develops. From places, attractions and interesting activities for tourists, you can make a huge list.

Here are the top 5 things without which a visit to Greece would be incomplete:

Nearby countries

When traveling in Greece, you can go on an excursion to border countries, the benefit is that a Schengen visa allows you to do this. It will be interesting to travel by ferry or plane, just keep in mind that you need to enter from the south side, where Greek-speaking Cypriots live. Such flights are carried out from Thessaloniki, Athens, Rhodes and Heraklion to Nicosia and Ayia Napa.

Also provides tourist interest, thanks to its resorts and Dalaman. They are transported by ferry from Rhodes or Kos to cheap and high-quality items.

Ferry service with Italy allows you to go to this country in the cities of Bari, Ancona, Brindisi and Venice from Piraeus or Kerkyra. Travel time is 2-3 hours.

One visit to Greece is not enough, I want to return here again and fill in the gaps in the study of the country: to go to new regions and unexplored places. Undoubtedly, after what you learned from this article, it’s worth going on a trip, if not on your own, then at least on the ticket of one of the tour operators, in order to better know this unique country.

Money

As in all countries of the European Union, the official currency of Greece is the euro. In addition to them, the Greeks do not recognize other money, no dollars or rubles as in Turkey. Credit cards are accepted in almost all stores, but the Greeks like cash more. Visa and Mastercard they’ll work best, but not all payment terminals accept Maestro.

You can exchange rubles for euros at exchangers and banks located in such large cities as Athens and Patras. The percentage for such an operation is very small and amounts to 1-2%. The only drawback is that you cannot find out the balance on the card in ATMs.

As A.P. wrote Chekhov, “Greece has everything”, which is hard to disagree with - the azure sea, high mountains with green slopes, charming picturesque islands and beautiful beaches, ancient monuments of ancient civilization and unique museums, as well as excellent local wines and national cuisine await visitors.
The bulk of the country's territory (80%) is occupied by mountains and plateaus, and vegetation in the form of forests and shrubs covers 44% of its area.

The three main geographical areas are:

1) the mainland (from Central Greece in the south to Thrace in the north);
2) the Peloponnese Peninsula (connected to the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth);
3) about 6,000 large and small islands in the Aegean, Mediterranean and Ionian seas (most are part of the island group called the Greek archipelago; Crete, Rhodes, Dodecanese, Cyclades).

The huge cultural heritage, combined with the wonderful natural component, ensured the pilgrimage of millions of tourists both to the mainland and to the island (mainly beach vacations), but at the same time there are still a lot of wonderful untouched corners. In addition to tourism, which is the main way to profit, agriculture is also developed - the cultivation of cereals, vegetables and fruits, as well as the traditions of winemaking are strong for a long time (a favorable climate and soil contribute to making an excellent product). Greece is the cradle of much that is still actively used and developed around the world - theater, the Olympic Games, as well as ancient sciences.

The culture of winemaking also did not go unnoticed in the segment of developing tourist routes - “wine routes” pass through picturesque places with the possibility of visiting wineries and tasting the product. It is especially pleasant to make such sorties in the prefectures of Drama, Imatia and Kilkis.

The network of hiking trails is also well developed, especially in certain areas of the country, and lovers of long walks and hiking can always use one of the trails. For example, the Greek part of the international walking route E6 or E4 (more information at the link http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/touring/on_foot), as well as paths in Argolis, Attica, Corfu, the Cyclades (Naxos, Syros, Ios ), in Kefalonia, Lefkada, Rethymno, Thessaloniki and Zakynthos.

We must not forget about the wide range of water activities. Swimming, diving, water skiing, yachting are only part of what the local sea expanses offer. The beaches of Paros have excellent conditions for sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, fishing, as well as beach soccer and volleyball. In Santorini, try diving to explore the deep sea. On Mykonos, everything related to sails is good thanks to the winds. On land, you can play golf or tennis. The small but picturesque Dodecanese Kalymnos is one of the most popular places for rock climbing fans. And climbing skills can be trained when climbing Mount Olympus itself or crawling along the forest slopes of Taygetos.
Trekking enthusiasts will find the Valia Calda National Park. Nearby, in Greven, you can enjoy a great jeep safari.

There are also several airlines that will quickly and comfortably transfer you from point A to point B: Olympic Air (www.olympicair.com), Aegean Airlines (www.aegeanair.com), Athens Airways (www.athensairways.com).

For a longer time, but at the same time it is romantic and certainly interesting, a traveler can travel by sea modes of transport. The main port of Greece - Piraeus - provides a huge amount of traffic between the islands and the mainland. The general website through which you can book and purchase tickets for the required ferry in the right direction is www.ferries.gr, and the main companies are Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, Nel Lines, Superfast Ferries, Anek lines and Minoan Lines. On the aforementioned site, you can also purchase tickets for international crossings - for example, to Italy, Albania, Turkey or Bulgaria, as well as plan a cruise.

And finally, one of the most comfortable means of transportation, independent of others, is. The roads here are of quite decent quality, they drive adequately (especially in comparison with St. Petersburg or Moscow), so if you have international rights, you can organize interesting trips or travel with stops in different places.

Greek cuisine

Shopping in Greece

Visa

Greece is famous all over the world primarily for its beautiful beaches, wonderful nature and rich history. Here you can bask in the sun and swim, then go sightseeing the most interesting sights, and then go to numerous shops, and all this is in every resort city of Greece. Prices will please anyone, in Europe it is one of the most inexpensive countries, but the level of comfort and safety is at an altitude. This is a real paradise for relaxation, so more and more people go to Greece on their own, without travel agencies.

The season in Greece begins in mid-May and ends at the end of October, with the peak of tourist influx in July-August, during these months, most hotels here are packed to the eyeballs, the beaches are crowded, and prices for everything rise substantially. But if you carefully approach the choice of a place to stay, you can find a picturesque town or village of a city type with a minimum of vacationers, low prices and clean beaches even in the most popular months.

If you want to relax in Greece yourself at the lowest prices and without the ubiquitous crowds of tourists, then it is better to go to this country from early September to mid-October. At this time, prices are significantly reduced, hotels are half empty, shops offer goods at huge discounts, and the sea is still warm and comfortable for swimming. You can also go during the period from May to mid-June, although the water in the sea will be cool enough, but it will not hurt to see the sights and go shopping.

Self-rest in Greece compares favorably with travel agency offers as follows:

• I travel on my own, only you decide when and where to go to rest
• You can create your own interesting and memorable program of visiting sights, which will not look like boring standard excursions “for everyone”
• You can save a lot by going on an independent trip to Greece, however, for this you need to follow certain rules of budget holidays
• You can drive all of Greece by car and see the most beautiful places that millions of tourists have not yet “trampled”
• It is independent travelers who receive much more positive emotions and interesting acquaintances, and they also have an amazing opportunity to learn more about the mentality of the Greek people, which in itself is exciting and promises many adventures that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Flights

It is better to buy flights to Greece in advance, so you will save a decent amount of money, because 3-6 months before the flight date, prices are minimal. Of course, you can wait for “burning” tickets, but they do not always happen, and the chance to stay without any rest is very high, because tickets to Greece fly like hot cakes during the season.

You can buy tickets at. I myself am looking for flights only on Aviasales, the site’s functionality is completely satisfied, the purchase process is as simple as possible, and prices are low. Thanks to this site, I have already saved so much money that I could afford to fly on another trip around the world.

Most flights to Greece depart from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev. The most popular route Moscow - Athens (Moscow - Athens), the plane will fly to its destination in just 3 hours 15 minutes (the fastest direct flight). The price of a round-trip ticket from Moscow starts from 200 €. The cheapest way is to take tickets with transfers, but then the travel time will increase by several hours.

Some travelers will find it useful to learn how to travel to Greece by car on their own. You can find out about traveling by car in Europe at. Keep in mind that such a vacation requires much more time and effort to organize it, and for the money it comes out more expensive than an “airplane”.

Low Price Calendar

Check flight prices:

Hotels

The price of hotels in Greece depends on the month (in July and August they are maximum) and on the popularity of the resort (they are the highest in Athens and Thessaloniki). But everyone who wants to get to Hellas (this is the “root” name of Greece) can find housing in their wallet. Most expensive rooms will cost in coastal apartments.

Made an invaluable contribution to European culture. Literature, architecture, philosophy, history, other sciences, state system, laws, art and myths of ancient Greece   laid the foundation of modern European civilization. Greek gods   known all over the world.

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Russian Greece

Kefalonia - a very picturesque and largest of the Ionian Islands - is located in the western part of Greece and is adjacent to the small, but world-famous island of Ithaca, the birthplace of the mythological Odyssey.

However, today there is a version of historians that the great Homer “settled” Odysseus not at all on Ithaca, but was referring to the island of Kefalonia. For many, this fact alone could become attractive from a tourist point of view. But, in addition to this, Kefalonia is famous for its amazingly beautiful nature even by Greek standards and its rich historical heritage, since the Venetian Republic, under whose authority it was for almost two centuries, left a noticeable mark in the architecture of the island's cities. All this has made Kefalonia one of the most popular destinations in the Ionian Islands, and every year more and more people flock here to relax or just visit with an excursion from the capital of Greece or from neighboring islands. And there is something to see here!

How to get to Kefalonia

The fastest

Airplane is the fastest and most convenient way to get to Kefalonia. The island has a small international airport with one runway (indicated by the EFL code on the flight board and ticket finder), which receives regular Olympic Air flights from Athens, as well as seasonal (spring-summer) flights of many European airlines and tour operator charters. From Moscow and St. Petersburg to the island of Kefalonia in the "high" tourist season, you can fly with a transfer at one or another European airport, or buy a direct ticket to Athens, and then transfer to an Olympic Air flight.

The travel time, for example, from the Greek capital of Athens by Olympic Air plane to the island is 1 hour, a significant part of which is occupied by takeoff and landing on Kefalonia. Ticket prices vary greatly depending on the season and day of the week, as well as various holidays. On average, you should focus on 100-150 euros for a ticket to Kefalonia from Athens (round-trip). The sooner you book your tickets, the lower, as usual, prices.

Alternative

However, ferries are the main means of transportation in the Greek Mediterranean. They connect Kefalonia with mainland Greece and other islands.

There is also a way to fly to the capital of Greece, and then get to the island by two modes of transport - by bus, which will bring you to the port (Killini or Patras), and then by ferry (travel is included in the price of a bus ticket).

This method is quite long and much less convenient than the previous one (air), and is more suitable for experienced independent travelers without children and luggage. It is as follows: from Athens airport take the X93 bus to the KTEL Kifisu bus station (this is the final stop), and buy a bus ticket to Kefalonia from the office of the transport company. Arriving at the port of Kyllini, the bus enters the ferry, and passengers leave it and board. The approximate travel time to the island of Kefalonia is 7-8 hours, with most of them taking the bus from Athens to the port of Killini (~ 320 kilometers).

You can also take a ferry to Kefalonia:

From the island of Zakynthos;

From the island of Corfu;

From the island of Lefkada and some other small islands. There is also a ferry service from Kefalonia to the Italian city of Brindisi in the Apulia region (from where it is very close to the city of Bari, where the great Christian shrine is located - the temple and the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker)

Ferries mainly carry out only seasonal (summer) flights, so the schedule needs to be specified immediately before your trip. For example, here is the site of one of the many maritime companies Kefalonian Lines, whose ferries operate route Kefalonia - port of Killini   (on the mainland) and Kefalonia - Zakynthos, and where a relatively recent flight schedule for 2019 is indicated.

Important: To see all current ferry services in Greece, it’s convenient to use the search site Ferries.gr. The fact is that the schedule and routes of different ferry companies are constantly changing, so it is not possible to track all the changes in this article.

As an excursion trip, it is most convenient to sail to Kefalonia from Zakynthos or Corfu to explore the island in a few days. In this case, the road will not be very tiring. It is also worth keeping in mind low-cost flights between the Greek islands and local airlines.

For traveling around Kefalonia, like almost everywhere in Greece, it is most convenient to rent a car. The fact is that ferries are not only the main means of communication between the island and the mainland, but also the main transport between the settlements of the island. There is a bus service in Kefalonia, but buses run infrequently.

Car rental in Greece

You can pick up a car in advance for traveling around Kefalonia here

(instant comparison of offers, prices and conditions of the leading car rental companies in the world, online booking confirmation and flexible conditions, discounts, there are super offers)

There are 4 large ports on the island: in Sami, in Poros, in Argostoli (the capital of the island) and Fiskardo.

There will be a separate article on architecture and preserved artifacts in Kefalonia, but for now I’ll list the best natural sights of this island, namely - the beaches. They occupy the top lines of all ratings compiled by tourists.

Here I give the top ten beaches of the island and the nearest settlements of the island:

Myrtos Beach

Petani Beach (Liksur)

Kaminia Beach (Skala)

Antisamos Beach (Sami)

Makris Gialos Beach (Lassi)

Emblisi Beach (Fiskardo)

Skala Beach (Skala)

Lourdas Beach (Lourdata)

Ames Beach (Svoronata)

Katelios Beach

Kefalonia photo

Kefalonia beaches, including the most famous and popular Myrtos Beach

Fiskardo, Kefalonia

"Venetian trail?"

Assos - one of the most beautiful towns of the island