Greece Travel Information for Motorcycle Tours

The Greek mainland can be ridden almost all year round. Only in the Pindus Mountains in the northwest can high-altitude roads such as the Katara Pass (1705 m) be affected by snow in winter. Since the A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos) opened with its tunnels, traffic over the pass has dropped sharply, which makes it a quiet, twisty alternative for anyone with the time.

On the islands, the ferry season is the real calendar. Most connections run a full timetable from late April or May to October; smaller islands often lose their direct routes entirely in winter, or are served only once or twice a week. Large islands such as Crete, Rhodes or Corfu are connected year-round, while many smaller Cycladic or Sporades islands are not.

High summer (July/August) brings high temperatures and the most traffic on both the mainland and the islands, plus fully booked ferries, with correspondingly tight booking windows for motorcycle and rider. Anyone with flexibility should plan the island legs for the shoulder seasons and save high summer for the higher-altitude mainland routes.

Greece is an EU member and part of the Schengen area. For travellers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other EU/EEA countries, a valid ID card is enough; a passport isn't needed. There's no limit on the length of stay, as long as you don't establish residence in Greece.

Travellers from non-EU countries (such as the United Kingdom, the USA or Canada) need a passport that, on entry, is no more than 10 years old and still valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure. For most of these nationalities, the Schengen rule applies: a maximum stay of 90 days within 180 days, visa-free.

Anyone travelling overland through the Balkan states leaves the Schengen area several times along the way: Albania and North Macedonia are neither EU nor Schengen members. Check entry requirements, motor insurance and the Green Card for each transit country individually before you reach Greece. The ferry from Italy, for example from Ancona, Bari or Brindisi to Patras or Igoumenitsa, avoids these transit countries entirely.

For an EU-registered motorcycle, entry into Greece is a pure formality. As an EU member state, Greece requires neither a Carnet de Passages nor a customs declaration for vehicles from another EU country. You only need to carry the vehicle registration certificate part I and valid proof of insurance.

Your third-party motor insurance automatically applies EU-wide, so a Green Card isn't needed inside the EU. It's a different story as soon as the route runs through non-EU countries: anyone travelling through Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia or Montenegro needs a valid Green Card for each of those transit countries. Check with your insurer before you set off which countries the card actually covers.

If you're riding someone else's motorcycle, a written authorisation from the owner with the vehicle details is worthwhile, even though it's checked less often within the EU than at non-EU borders. For a leased or financed vehicle, also carry a release from the bank.

The most common route from Central Europe follows the Balkan route through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and on via Serbia or Bosnia and Montenegro to northern Greece, or via Hungary and North Macedonia. Anyone wanting to avoid the non-EU transit countries takes the ferry from Italy: routes run from Ancona, Bari or Brindisi to Patras or Igoumenitsa. Motorcycles are taken on board, and in high season (July/August) it's worth booking early, since ferries can sell out.

An EU card licence is recognised in Greece without any issue; an International Driving Permit isn't required for EU citizens. It's only valid together with the national licence, so always carry both.

For riders from non-EU countries, an International Driving Permit (IDP) may be needed in addition to the national licence, depending on the country of origin. Check before your trip with the Greek embassy or your automobile club which rule applies to your nationality.

Traffic checks on Greek country roads are less common than in many other destinations, but they do happen, especially at border crossings and around larger cities. You'll be asked for your licence, vehicle papers and proof of insurance.

The Greek mainland has a well-developed motorway network. The A2 (Egnatia Odos) crosses the whole of northern Greece from Igoumenitsa on the west coast to the Turkish border at Kipoi in the east, and like most Greek motorways, it is toll-charging. National roads range from fast dual-carriageway trunk roads to narrow, twisty country roads, and away from the motorways, they are the rule rather than the exception.

The most interesting motorcycling routes run through the Pindus Mountains: narrow, lightly used pass roads through Epirus and Thessaly, for example around Metsovo and the Zagoria villages near the Vikos Gorge. Since through traffic shifted onto the Egnatia tunnels, these older pass routes have become noticeably quieter, which is exactly what makes them worth riding.

On the islands, road quality varies a great deal: main routes are usually well paved, while side roads to remote beaches or villages can be unpaved, narrow or in poor condition. Expect oncoming traffic from buses and rental cars on tight hairpin bends, especially in high season, and take blind corners accordingly.

On the mainland and larger islands, the filling-station network is dense, and unleaded petrol (95 octane) and diesel are available nationwide. Major chains such as EKO, Shell, BP and Aegean are present on main roads and in every larger town.

On smaller islands, there are often only a handful of filling stations, and prices sit noticeably above mainland levels because the fuel itself is delivered by ship. On more remote islands, plan to fill up earlier rather than later.

Payment by card works at most filling stations; on very small or remote islands, cash is the safer choice.

Greece is generally considered safe for travellers, and the usual caution with belongings in busy towns and cities is enough.

A real seasonal risk is wildfires in high summer, especially on dry, forested islands and in the Peloponnese. Find out about current warnings before and during your trip, and stay away from any areas that have been declared off-limits.

Check the current safety and travel advice issued by the Federal Foreign Office both before you leave and while you're on the road.

No mandatory vaccinations are required for Greece; standard vaccination cover is enough. As an EU citizen, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers basic medical treatment in an emergency, but it doesn't replace travel or repatriation insurance.

Tap water is safe to drink in towns and cities and on most of the larger islands; on very small islands, choose bottled water if in doubt.

Greece pays with the euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, from filling stations to restaurants to ferry tickets. On very small islands and in rural tavernas, cash is still worth carrying, since not every card terminal works reliably.

The major Greek network operators Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova cover the mainland and larger islands well; local SIM cards and eSIMs are available at airports and in every larger town. As an EU citizen, EU roaming also applies: your home tariff works in Greece on the terms you're used to.

In the Pindus Mountains and on smaller, remote islands, coverage is patchy. Download offline maps in advance, especially for pass roads and for the approach to ferry ports.

The official language is Greek; English is widely spoken in tourist regions and larger cities. A few basic Greek words go down well off the tourist trail.

Many shops and tavernas in smaller towns and on the islands close for a midday rest, usually in the early afternoon, and stay open later in the evening to make up for it. Plan fuel stops and shopping in rural areas accordingly.

On the ferries: arrive at the terminal in good time and follow the check-in staff's instructions; the process for motorcycles is straightforward.