Briefly about the main thing
Picturesque Greece is located in the south of Europe on the Balkan Peninsula and borders Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey and Albania and has a coastline almost 14,000 km long. This generous country is extremely rich in islands: there are more than 3,000 of them here. Located in the warm waters of the Mediterranean, Aegean, Ionian and Libyan Seas, they occupy about 20% of the entire territory. In general, the state is divided into mainland Greece, which includes Greek Macedonia, Thessaly, Thrace, Ipir, Central Greece, as well as the Ionian Islands; the Peloponnese; the largest peninsula of the country; as well as the Aegean Islands headed by Crete (and such famous island groups as the Cyclades, Northern Sporades, Dodecanese).
How to get from Russia
By plane
Air communication with Greece is very accessible for Russian tourists at any time of the year. In summer, many charters join regular flights, so you can fly not only to Athens or Thessaloniki, but also to Crete and other major islands. Regular flights to the Greek capital are operated by Aeroflot, as well as Aegean Airlines, S7 and Ellinair. Travel time to Athens is 3 hours and 20 minutes, the cost of a round-trip ticket is from 15 000 rubles. The journey to Thessaloniki will take exactly 3 hours, an Aeroflot ticket will cost 30,000 rubles, Turkish Airlines with a transfer in Istanbul will cost 17,000 rubles. You can also use connecting flights in European capitals: Czech airlines CSA, Polish LOT, German German Wings. Prices for charters in the season start from 12,000 rubles. From Athens Airport «Elefserios Venizelos », as well as from Thessaloniki Airport «Macedonia » the city can be reached by taxi by public transport.
By car
Although traveling by car is not the most common route option to sunny Greece, some adventurers choose it. In this case, there are several options for them: Russia-Ukraine-Moldova-Romania-Bulgaria-Greece; Russia-Western Europe-ferry from Italy-Greece; Russia-Ukraine-ferry to Turkey-Greece.In this case, it is necessary to remember about the visa regime in some countries and follow the rules.
Air service
There are more than 50 airports in compact Greece, of which 15 are international (Alexandroupolis, Athens, Zakynthos, Heraklion, Kalamata, Kavala, Corfu, Kefalonia, Kos, Lemnos, Mytilene, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Samos, Chania), 20 national, five municipal and about 10 military. Of course, there are modern international airports on almost all the major islands beloved by tourists: at the height of the tourist season, they accept dozens of charters a day from all over Europe. The largest international airline in Greece is Aegean Airlines, regional Athens Airways and Ellinair. They connect Athens, Thessaloniki, Mytilene and Kavala with the main cities in the north of Greece, as well as with some islands.
Water transport
A pink sunset, sea foam trailing a white tail behind the ferry, and seagulls noisily following it in the process of hunting for fish, is a typical picture of a trip to island Greece. Water transport is the true pride of Hellas, a fast, convenient, romantic way to get from Greek point A to point B. A huge number of ships of all sizes ply daily between large and small ports of Greece. Residents and guests of the country can choose not only the route, but also the method of transportation: these can be both slow large ferries and high-speed light boats. Roman Abramovich, Robert de Niro, Johnny Depp are just some of the famous visitors to the Greek islands who visit them on their own yachts.
Ferry is by far the most common means of transportation from the mainland to the islands and between the islands, besides, it allows you to travel with your own or rented car. The largest ports in Greece are the Piraeus of Athens, which is also the largest in eastern Europe, the port of Thessaloniki, the city of Volos, the islands of Crete, Rhodes, Corfu. Absolutely every Greek island has a marina where ferries, cruise liners and private yachts enter. But travelers should keep in mind that islands that are remote from each other may not be connected by direct water communication, and you will have to get between them with transfers.
Highways
Greece is a country with a mountainous landscape that gives its characteristic features to moving around the country by car. Highways stretch here for 117,000 km, of which 107,406 km are paved roads. The length of the Greek highways is 1600 km, but moving along them is not at all like driving on the long straight roads of Russia. There are serpentines, sharp elevation changes, narrow sections and heart-stopping sharp turns. In Greece, a system of toll roads is developed, and their individual sections are managed by various management companies. Payment is made before entering the toll section of the highway. The cost of the journey will be calculated based on the type of car. In €0,9-2,9 the road will cost by motorcycle, €1,6-3,9 – by passenger transport, €4-14 – by van or bus. All road signs are marked in Greek and English.
The main highway of the country is Egnatia The European highway E90, connecting Igoumenitsa in the west of Greece and Alexandroupolis in the east, the border with Turkey. There are currently several payment points on this road: in Tyria, Malakasi, Polymylos, Malgara, Analipsi, Moustheni, Lasmos and Promachonas. Highway Aegean – it is part of the European route E75, it connects Thessaloniki and Lamia.
Greek Highway P.A.TH .E continues the European route E75. It connects with Egnatia, the main highway of the country, 780 km long, and connects the three largest cities of Greece: Patras, Athens and Thessaloniki.
The Moreas highway is part of the European route E65 and passes through the Greek cities of Corinthos, Tripoli and Kalamata. Today there are five toll stations operating in both directions, as well as two toll stations at the exit to Paradisia and Arfara.
Motorway Olympia The continuation of the European E65, which is under construction and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017. It starts in Athens, passes through Corinthos and ends in Patras. There are six main payment stations for the motorway itself, plus at the entrance and exit from it.
Attiki The ring road around Athens is 65 km long. It connects Athens Airport «Elefserios Venizelos» and the highways P.A.TH.E and Olympia. An interesting fact: during the construction of this highway, which ended in 2004, the builders found many historical artifacts that were transferred to the Archaeological Society of the country.
Greece also has the only underwater tunnel Aktio-Preveza, which helps to quickly get between Anatolia-Karnalia in central Greece and the southern part of the country along its coast. The length of the tunnel is 1570 meters, of which 909 meters runs under water (two lanes in each direction), at a depth of up to 27 meters, and the maximum allowed speed is 60 km/h.
Picturesque bridge The Rio-Antirion Bridge is located at the intersection of two main highways: Athens-Corinth-Patras-Kalamata and Ioannina-Antirio, which connect the most important cities of Greece. The length of the bridge is almost 3 km, it has six lanes (two lanes in each direction plus two emergency ones).
Public transport
Public transport in Greece is represented mainly by a developed bus network. And in the usual sense for Russians, it is available only in Athens: there is a metro, regular buses, a tram, and a commuter train. On the eve of the 2004 Olympics in Greece, the public transport system was improved, and this is especially true of the capital of the state. It was then that a high-speed suburban tram was launched in Athens, two new branches were put into operationmetro, as well as new bus services have been launched.
Bus
The bus is a convenient and relatively inexpensive way to travel around Greece, which is used by both tourists and locals. In large Greek cities there are several bus stations serving flights going in different directions. A bus ticket can be purchased at a newsstand – «periptero», at special points of sale, in the subway or directly on the bus itself through a vending machine that accepts only coins and does not give change. Intercity bus services are represented by a developed network of routes connecting the cities and resorts of Greece. All of them are serviced by the state bus company KTEL, which has many subsidiaries by region. The cost of the trip is from €10 depending on the route.
Tram in Athens
There are three tram lines operating in Athens today: from Syntagma Square to the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF) in the Neo Faliro area; from Syntagma Square to the Glyfada area and from the Peace and Friendship Stadium to Glyfada. The main routes run along the embankment and are very picturesque! On working days, the first tram from Syntagma to SEF departs at 05:00, the last at 00:10. On weekends, trams run in a 24-hour mode: the first in the morning on Friday, the last at midnight on Sunday. Fare: €1.
Athens Metro
The capital of Greece also has a small metro (54 stations), which consists of two underground, one surface and one line under construction. The underground «Attico metro» appeared before the Olympic Games. The only land line that existed before is managed by a separate company ISAP: locals call it "ilektrico".
It should be borne in mind that ground trains move an order of magnitude slower than underground lines.Tickets can be purchased from 8 to 22 on working days at cashiers or at vending machines. The schedule is almost Moscow: the first electric train of line 1 departs from Piraeus and Kifisya stations at 5:00, the last one, respectively, at 00:30 and 00:15. The Athens metro is a real antique museum! At many stations, valuable exhibits are displayed under glass: antique artifacts found during the construction of new metro lines.The country's second metro began to be built in 2006 in Thessaloniki. It was originally supposed to open in 2013, but due to the many sudden archaeological excavations and the slow work of archaeologists, it is planned to open only in 2020. It is believed that this will be the most modern subway in the world.
Commuter train
The Athens suburban train «proastiakos» connects the airport, the railway station and the city of Corinth. This is a convenient way to get to the train station and the resort of Loutraki, which is not far from Corinth. After making a transfer at the station in Corinth, you can continue your train journey through the Peloponnese to Patras. The ticket price depends on the distance. Also, a travel card is valid for the electric train. A single monthly pass for all types of transport for an unlimited number of trips costs 30 euros, not including the way to or from the airport. It will cost €85 for a quarter, €170 for a half-year, €330 for a year. A new single ticket for all modes of transport costs €1,2 for a trip lasting 90 minutes. A single one for five days will cost €9. Hares should keep in mind that the penalty for stowaway travel on the bus, trolleybus and tram is 60 times, in the metro 40 times, in the express bus from Athens airport 20 times the ticket price! There are discounts for schoolchildren, students, large families, as well as other categories of citizens eligible for preferential travel.
Car rental
Greece has developed a car rental system from famous global chains such as Hertz and Avis. There are offices at any major airport, in cities and resorts. International rights and a plastic bank card will be required for rent. The cost of daily rent of a small hatchback will be from €20 to €60. Experts recommend renting mechanics due to the "mountain" features of local roads. The cost of renting a sedan will be approximately €70, a minibus – about €100 per day.
Parking
Like everywhere else in the world, a paid parking system has been introduced in major Greek cities. In the center of Athens, parking markings are made with blue lines for permanent residents, white lines for guests, yellow lines for special situations or special vehicles. Parking time is subject to payment from 09:00 to 21:00 on weekdays, from 09:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays. Parking in the city is free on Sundays. The maximum parking time is three hours, which will cost €0.5 per hour for the first two hours, €4 for 2.5 hours, €6 for three hours. Violation of parking rules will cost €80 and will be accompanied by the withdrawal of a driver's license for 10 days, a registration certificate with license plates for 20 days. The fine can be paid in half, within 10 days.Police
As in all countries, Greece also has a traffic police, although its representatives are almost invisible: they do not stand on the roads like their Russian colleagues. But once you dial the appropriate phone number, the police appear within a few minutes. They are always ready to help, even to explain how best to get to your destination. In most cases, if a foreign citizen is driving, it is enough to show a driver's license and continue on your way.
Beautiful Greece hospitably welcomes guests and property owners. Moving around the mainland of the country and its picturesque islands will not be difficult if you get acquainted with the basic rules and features in advance.
Portal HomesOverseas.ru thanks Konstantin Paraskevopoulos (GREKODOMDevelopment) for help in preparing the article.
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