Greece, ruins in the morning, sea in the afternoon.

Which Greece to choose?

Greece is really two different trips: the islands, which you travel by ferry and enjoy on the beach, and the mainland, which calls for a car and runs from archaeological sites to mountains. You can't fit both into a week without spending the trip at the port. Pick one according to what you are after:

• First time, one week. Two or three nights in Athens for the Acropolis and the museums, and four on a Cyclades island. Naxos if you want a sandy beach, a regular bus service and reasonable prices; Santorini if you come for the caldera and are happy to pay more.
• Islands and coves. Milos, with white rock, sea caves and more than 70 beaches; you will want a car or quad bike. All three are in the South Aegean, linked by ferry.
• One big island, by car. Crete: from Chania you can walk down the Samaria Gorge and reach Balos and Elafonisi. Four or five nights at the very least.
• Ancient history without internal flights. The Peloponnese: Nafplio as a base for Mycenae and Epidaurus, two hours from Athens, and the Mani peninsula, with its tower houses and the Diros caves.
• Mountains and monasteries. Meteora, in Thessaly, with six monasteries on top of rock pillars, and Zagori, in Epirus, with stone villages and the Vikos Gorge.
• A green island. Corfu, in the Ionian Islands: olive groves, a Venetian town and coves reached by boat. It combines well with Zagori and Meteora on a road trip through the north.

With two weeks you can bring the two worlds together: Athens, the Peloponnese by car and an island at the end to rest, or Meteora, Zagori and Corfu, east to west along the Egnatia motorway.

How do you get there from Spain?

By plane to Athens. There are direct flights all year round from Madrid (Aegean, Iberia, Sky Express), Barcelona (Aegean, Sky Express, Vueling) and Málaga (Aegean), and in season from Bilbao, Valencia, Seville, Alicante, Palma and Ibiza. Aegean flies from Barcelona to Thessaloniki, the gateway to the north, and Vueling flies from Barcelona to Santorini in season. For Corfu, Crete or Milos, the usual way is to connect in Athens, with a domestic flight or by ferry.

From Athens airport to the centre there is the metro (line 3), the X95 bus, which runs 24 hours, and taxis at a fixed fare. For the port of Piraeus, take metro line 1 from Monastiraki.

By car from Spain you cross France and Italy and board an Adriatic ferry: Superfast and other companies link Ancona, Bari and Venice with Igoumenitsa, Patras and Corfu, and Grimaldi sails from Brindisi. Brindisi to Corfu takes about six hours and Bari eight to ten. It is the option if you are travelling by motorhome or on a long trip.

How do you get around Greece?

Between islands, by ferry. They leave from Piraeus, and some from Rafina, closer to the airport. Fast ferries take about three hours to Milos, three and a half to four and a half to Naxos and about five to Santorini; conventional ferries, which carry cars, take almost twice as long. To Crete there is an overnight ferry with cabins, 8 to 9 hours. Buy your ticket on the ferry company's website or through a comparison site, and weeks ahead in July and August if you are taking a car.

On the mainland, by car. From Athens to Nafplio is about 150 km and two hours; to Meteora, 340 km and 3 h 35; to Ioannina, 430 km and about 4 h 30. The motorways are tolled and you pay at booths, by card or in cash. Fill the tank before entering areas such as southern Mani or Zagori, where petrol stations are scarce.

Without a car. KTEL buses link Athens with Nafplio in about two hours and with Trikala, 45 minutes from Meteora. The train no longer reaches Kalambaka: since 2023 the last stretch is covered by a Hellenic Train bus. On the islands, each island's KTEL leaves from the port or the main town and reaches the main beaches.

When to go and what does it cost?

The best times are May, June, September and October. In July and August Athens and the interior go above 33 °C at midday, and in the Aegean the meltemi blows, a north wind that stirs up the sea and can delay the fast boats. From November to March the archaeological sites close in mid-afternoon and on the islands many hotels and tavernas shut; Athens, Nafplio and Chania stay open all year.

Greece is mid-priced, with big differences between places. Santorini in August is the most expensive place in the country; the Peloponnese or Naxos in June cost quite a bit less. The Acropolis costs €30; Mycenae, Epidaurus, Sounion or Akrotiri, €20, and the Meteora monasteries, €5 in cash. From November to March, on the first and third Sunday of each month, entry to state-run sites is free. A single metro ticket in Athens costs €1.20. Greece uses the euro and is in the Schengen area: you travel with your national ID card.