15 tips for travelling in Greece
21.07.2023 - 08:42
/ roughguides.com
Though arguably best known — and most visited — for its stunning islands, Greece is astoundingly diverse. Beyond its beautiful beaches, Greece boasts mighty mountains and caves, salt marshes and cloud-forests. Its weather ranges from blazing summers to snowy winters. In short, few countries have such varied landscapes and seasonal extremes. Then there’s its ancient history, glorious food, and warm Hellenic welcome.
One thing’s for sure, visiting Greece has the potential to deliver all manner of unforgettable trips — you just need to know what you want, where to find it, and to do a little planning. With that in mind, here are our top 15 Greece travel tips - from what to know before travelling to Greece, to top tips for Greece getaways that take you off-the-beaten-track.
Unless you absolutely have to travel to Greece during high summer because of school holidays, try to visit outside the peak season (late July to the end of August). At this time, the weather is scorching, prices soar, and you’ll struggle to escape the crowds — this is when the Greeks take their holidays too.
For a winter pick-me-up with added colour and culture, you could consider visiting for the February Carnival (Apokriátika). The celebrations span three weeks, ending during the seventh weekend before Easter. For peak pageantry, check-out Patras Carnival — one of the largest and most flamboyant in the Mediterranean (and the third largest of its kind in the world). Patras itself is the largest city of The Peloponnese and its carnival boasts a chariot parade and exuberant costume parties. More of our winter travel tips for Greece can be found here.
Monastery in Metéora, Greece — a peak springtime experience © Shutterstock
It goes without saying that scaling mountain peaks in the peak summer months won’t be a walk in the park. So, the adventurous hikers among you should consider visiting in May — when warmer weather is on its way, but before the mercury has risen. From exploring the Meteora geological marvels and Eastern Orthodox monasteries of central Greece on treks like this, to tackling the iconic Imbros Gorge in southern Crete, spring is pretty much perfect for outdoor adventuring in Greece.
For more round-the-year information, headhere to read our full when-to-visit Greece guide.
As well as researching where to go, when to go, and what do to, why not get yourself in the mood for Greece through reading fiction? There’s no shortage of quality material to enrich your understanding of the country — from re-workings of ancient history and culture, to contemporary page-turners.
Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, Peloponnese — where classics came to life © Shutterstock
To begin at the beginning, you could finally get round to reading Homer’s The