Luxury Greece Villas

You can easily get flights to many destinations in Greece from the USA and Europe. The main airport is just outside of Athens, while the larger islands also have their own airports. For some islands, you will need to get a connecting flight in Athens and then continue on to your island. Some sample routes are listed below:

Flights to Greece from the USA

Fly direct to Athens from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington D.C, and Boston. From other US cities, you will have a layover, either in an east-coast US city, or in a European destination, such as London, Paris, or Amsterdam.

To visit a Greek Island, you will need to either get a connecting regional flight in Athens, or break up your journey in London, from where you can fly directly to many of the islands in between 3 and 4 hours.

Flights to Greece from the UK

It is certainly a little easier to get direct flights to Greece from the UK, as the trip is considered short-haul. Fly direct to Athens, or onto the Greek Islands, with several flights going out every day of the week.

Popular airports in Greece

Athens Thessaloniki Santorini Mykonos Crete Zakynthos Rhodes Corfu Keflonia

Driving in Greece is a mixed bag. Most people find driving on the islands is easy and enjoyable (once you get used to narrow roads and twisty routes), but driving in big cities can be chaotic and stressful. Luckily, Greece's main cities have excellent public transport networks, so you won't need to rely on your car.

If you want to get off of the beaten path, it is worth considering hiring a car, as public transport is not very reliable outside of the main cities. Greeks drive on the right hand side of the road.

Another thing to note, particularly outside of big cities, is that Greek drivers generally do not stop at pedestrian crossings, which is something to be aware of both as a pedestrian and a driver!

Island-hopping is a breeze in Greece, thanks to the extensive network of inter-island ferries. If you're struggling to decide on one island, you can hit several in one trip - although it's worth checking how far apart they are before you commit yourself, as some of the distances can be surprisingly large. The Greek Islands are split into groups, and the easiest way to get value for money and time is to pick a few destinations within the same group to visit.

There's the Cyclades, featuring big names such as Mykonos, Santorini, and Paros, which offer a taste of quintessential Greece, all white-painted sugar cube houses with blue doors and windows, and villages clinging to volcanic hillsides above the Aegean Sea. The Ionian Islands, in eastern Greece, are totally different. They have a distinctly Venetian influence, with brightly colored buildings and lush vegetation. Islands in this group include Kefalonia, Zakynthos, and Corfu.

The Sporades may be less famous by name, but we think you might recognize them: this island group was the filming location for the movie Mamma Mia, and no silver screen magic was needed to make the likes of Skopelos, Skiathos, and Alonnisos look absolutely breathtaking.

These are just three of the amazingly diverse Greek Island groups. Once you have chosen your set, you can hop on regular ferries shuttling passengers and sometimes cars between them. It's worth booking your ferry tikets in advance if possible, particularly to the most popular ports such as Santorini and Mykonos.