Travel Information Greece

Travel map of Greece by tour operator Overcross

1. General travel information for Greece
2. Travel climate in Greece
3. Geography in Greece
4. Flora and fauna in Greece
5. National parks and nature conservation in Greece
6. Population in Greece
7. Politics and economy in Greece
8. Transport network in Greece
9. Cities and regions in Greece
10. Culture and sights in Greece
11. Public holidays in Greece
12. Medical advice for Greece
13. Travel advice for Greece
14. Foreign representation in Greece
15. Sources of information for Greece

1. General travel information for Greece

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2. Travel climate in Greece

In Greece, a Mediterranean travel climate predominates with humid-mild winters and dry-hot summers. In winter, rainfall occurs more frequently on the coast, which, due to the very mild temperatures, only rarely falls as snow. The summers, on the other hand, are relatively hot with occasional heat records and few summer thunderstorms.
In the interior, it is noticeably cooler, especially in winter, with frequent night frosts and at times heavy snowfall. In the higher mountain regions of the travel country, winter sports are certainly possible; there are approximately 19 winter sports areas in Greece. After a short spring, summer is similarly hot and dry as on the coast. Annual precipitation fluctuates between 400 and 1000 mm. In the northwest of Greece, at the border with Albania and Macedonia, the climate is more temperate.
 

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3. Geography in Greece

The travel destination Greece is located in Southeastern Europe and forms the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. To the west, south, and east, the country is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea with a coastline of about 4,000 km. The land border in the north is around 1,170 km long, where Greece borders Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey. Numerous islands, also known as travel destinations, are also part of the state territory: Crete is in the south, the Aegean Islands in the east, the Ionian Islands in the west. In total, Greece's coastline amounts to over 15,000 km.
The total national area is just under 132,000 km², about 80% of which accounts for the mainland part of Greece. This can be subdivided into a northern, a central, and a southern part. Through all three parts runs the Dinaric-Hellenic fold mountain system from north to south, which runs parallel to the west coast on the Ionian Sea and continues over the islands of Crete and Rhodes towards Asia Minor.
In the northern part of Greece, the deeply indented Pindus Mountains rise, with the Smolikas peak reaching up to 2,637 m a.s.l. To the west of the mountain range lies the hilly land of Epirus, to the northeast the Macedonian highlands. East of the Pindus is the highest elevation in Greece at 2,917 m a.s.l., the Mytikas peak in the Olympus massif; south of it lies the basin landscape of Thessaly. The Chalkidiki Peninsula reaches far into the Aegean Sea with its three finger-like promontories Kassandra, Sithonia, and Mount Athos. At its northern end, in a lowland, lies the city of Thessaloniki. In the far northeast lies Thrace, where the country shares in the Rhodope Mountains, which are mainly located in Bulgarian territory.
The central part of Greece extends southwards to the Gulf of Patras and the Gulf of Corinth, whose indentations separate the Peloponnese Peninsula. In Central Greece, the mountain ranges Giona (up to 2,510 m) and Parnassus (up to 2,457 m) are continuations of the Pindus Mountains. Towards the east, the mountains transition into the wide plain of Boeotia. On the Attica Peninsula and the island of Euboea, the mountainous landscape is structured by many valleys.
The former Peloponnese Peninsula (21,439 km²) forms the southern part of Greece. Through the Corinth Canal, opened in 1893, this part of Greece, which is especially interesting for cultural travelers, was separated from the mainland. In the center of the Peloponnese is the highland of Arcadia, in the northwest a wide coastal plain, and in the northeast there are several mountains. In the south, the Peloponnese is divided by the Argolic, Laconian, and Messenian Gulfs into four peninsulas.
The Ionian Islands, which are frequently visited by cruise ships and lie off the west coast of the Greek mainland, include, among others, Corfu (Kerkyra), Lefkada (Leucas), Ithaca, Kefalonia, and Zakynthos. In the Aegean Sea to the east of the mainland are likewise very popular destinations: the Northern and Southern Sporades, the Dodecanese, and the Cyclades. Off the Turkish coast are, among others, the islands of Samothrace, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, and Kos. The largest Greek island is Crete, preferred by independent travelers, which lies in southern Greece and, together with some small neighboring islands, has an area of around 8,336 km².

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Sea view of Crete

4. Flora and Fauna in Greece

Due to agricultural use since ancient times and the associated clearing of the once-forested areas of Greece, today’s vegetation pattern, as in almost all Mediterranean countries, no longer matches the original cover. Nevertheless, with nearly 6,000 plant species and subspecies, Greece is one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of plant diversity, which is mainly favored by the isolated location of the many islands belonging to the national territory and the inaccessible valleys and gorges in the interior. The majority of Greece's vegetation today consists of evergreen plants, with hard-leaved plants such as Erica, strawberry tree, true laurel, and carob tree increasingly reclaiming their habitat on fallow land. Greek spring delights with a firework of lavender and anemones, poppies, and chamomile.
The most important tree species are pine, Aleppo pines, cypresses, and fruit trees, in the coastal areas also palms and olive trees. Olive groves are also cultivated and, from an altitude of 1000 m upwards, Central European tree species such as chestnuts, elms, and oaks grow. The Kefalonian fir occurs exclusively in Greece.
Greece is known among circles of natural medicine for its variety of medicinal plants, which are closely related to Greek mythology and in earlier times ensured a widely practiced folk medicine. The perhaps most famous of these medicinal plants is Aloe Vera.

The diversity of animal species in Greece is remarkable not only for plants but also for animals. Due to the contrasts between mountain and coastal climates as well as the generally mild temperatures of this travel destination, over 900 animal species live here, including geckos, lizards, the Greek tortoise, some wolves and bears, as well as wild boars and foxes, which one may encounter on our motorcycle tours through the land of the ancient gods. Furthermore, especially in the Greek lagoons and wetlands, 32 of the 36 European bird species are native, 23 of which also breed here. The island and mainland fauna of Greece show some differences, for example through the presence of the loggerhead turtle on Zakynthos or the rare butterfly species Jersey tiger in the Valley of Butterflies on Rhodes. On our 4x4 off-road vehicle tour on Crete, with a bit of luck, we can observe the endemic Cretan wild goat. Therefore, on our group and motorcycle tours, there is plenty of flora and fauna of Greece to see.

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5. National Parks and Conservation in Greece

The necessity of designating special protected areas to preserve the unique landscape and nature of Greece was already recognized in 1938 and implemented with the 40 km² large Olympos National Park, the first national park in Greece. The native animal and plant life is now protected in 12 national parks and two marine national parks, which should definitely be visited by adventurers and nature lovers when traveling in Greece.
The largest of these is the Prespes National Park with 195 km² around the lake of the same name at the tri-border area between North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. Next are Vikos-Aoos National Park (126 km²), Iti National Park (72 km²), Pindos National Park (70 km²), Samaria National Park (50 km²), Parnitha National Park (38 km²), Parnassos National Park (35 km²), Sounio National Park (35 km²), and Enos National Park (28 km²). There are also two marine national parks worth mentioning: Alonnisos around the Northern Sporades (2100 km²) and the national park on the island of Zakynthos (130 km²), which are certainly interesting when traveling with a maritime focus.

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6. Population in Greece

As a seafaring nation and a country with many coasts and islands, Greece has always been both a country of emigration and a target for conquerors and immigrants. Therefore, in addition to the Christian Orthodox, Greek-speaking majority population, there are a number of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities who, for the most part, have immigrated from neighboring Balkan countries. Since Greece does not statistically record its immigrant population groups, the figures on the proportion of the total population of just under 10.4 million inhabitants (2023) are based only on estimates and can vary greatly depending on the political perspective. Accordingly, minorities each speaking their own language live in Greece: about 0.5% Turks, 0.4% Macedonians and Aromanians, 0.3% Armenians, 0.2% Roma and Albanians, and 0.1% Megleno-Romanians and Sarakatsani. The Arvanites, descendants of Albanians who came to Greece centuries ago or whose settlement areas were integrated into Greece, are now largely assimilated. It is estimated that up to 1.6 million Greeks have Arvanite ancestors. Illegal immigration to Greece, especially from Africa, is considerable due to the ongoing refugee crisis and the uncontrollable sea borders.
Although most Greeks speak Modern Greek (a development of the Ancient Greek language known from antiquity), you can get by quite well with English when traveling through Greece. In the well-known tourist and seaside resorts, German is even occasionally spoken.
The birth rate, at 1.3 children per woman, was one of the lowest in the world, which is also reflected in a declining population growth rate of about -0.03%. As a result, the Greek population is already one of the oldest in the world today and, according to current trends, will continue to age further.

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7. Politics and Economy in Greece

The government system of Greece is a parliamentary republic. The president, elected by parliament for five years, stands at the head of the state and enjoys a high reputation among the population. He primarily represents the state in its relations with other states, proclaims referendums, and also has a general right of veto in parliament. Although the President of the Republic, unlike the government, only has limited political power, his duties include the formal appointment of the Prime Minister, upon whose recommendation he also appoints or dismisses other members of the government.
The Prime Minister is the head of the government, which, together with the Council of Ministers, consisting of the Prime Minister, the ministers, the deputy ministers, and the state ministers, forms the collective, decisive body in Greece. The Greek parliament consists of a single chamber with 300 seats and is elected every four years in a secret, general, free, equal, and direct election.
The legislature is executed by the parliament and the president of the republic. Executive power is exercised by both the president and the government. The judiciary is anchored in the courts, whose laws are applied in the name of the people.
General elections are normally held every four years, unless the parliament is dissolved earlier. All Greek citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. Every new government must appear before parliament after general elections or after the resignation of the previous government and request a vote of confidence.

Greece follows a market-oriented economic system with limited state intervention. The gross domestic product amounted to around 20,000 euros per capita in 2022. The service sector is the largest and most important economic sector in Greece, with tourism benefiting the travel destination as a significant growth market and strengthening Greece’s position in the travel business, especially among the Mediterranean countries.
The most important industrial sectors are manufacturing and construction. Due to the domestic market stagnating since the financial crisis of 2007 and reduced production costs, there has been a stronger export orientation in the manufacturing industry. Traditionally, food, textile products, metal products, petroleum and coal products, chemicals, glass and cement, machines, and, more recently, technology and telecommunications products, are produced.
Due to its geographical location, Greece has high potential for both solar and wind energy, into the economic utilization of which heavy investments have been made recently. Additionally, Greece has significant gas and oil reserves, which so far have only been developed in the northern Aegean. It is assumed that there are still considerable reserves, mainly in the Ionian Sea.
The unemployment rate in Greece was 12.4% in 2022, with youth unemployment being particularly high. In addition, since the last financial and euro crisis, the average cost of living in Greece has steadily increased, which means the travel destination, unfortunately, can no longer be counted among the cheap holiday countries.

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8. Transport network in Greece

The 117,000 km long road network in Greece is developed to European standards and includes over 2,000 km of motorways and over 9,400 km of national roads. Toll fees are charged to finance the infrastructure for the use of some motorways as well as for certain tunnels, bridges, and national road sections. The southern peninsula of the Peloponnese is connected to the mainland in the west by the Rion-Antirion Bridge. There are also several ways to cross the Corinth Canal in the east, which separates the peninsula from the mainland. The regional KTEL cooperatives operate both a network of long-distance routes with intercity buses and local transport in small towns and rural areas. This allows individual travelers to get around Greece well without their own vehicle.

The railway network of the Greek Railway Company OSE has less importance for traffic in Greece due to the mountainous topography and many islands. Many sections of the 2,548 km railway network are single-tracked and have been greatly neglected in recent decades. However, new and modern trains run between the major cities and to neighboring foreign countries. The northwestern interior is not served by the railway network.

Traditionally, merchant shipping has great importance for Greece’s economy. Due to the long coastline and the many Greek islands, shipping is also an important means of passenger transport, both domestically and to the neighboring Mediterranean countries Italy and Turkey. Due to its proximity to Athens, the most important port for domestic connections is still Piraeus, but the significance of the expanding port of Rafina is increasing. For ferry connections to Italy, the ports of Igoumenitsa and Patras on the Peloponnese are significant.

For travel from abroad, Greece has 15 airports available for international flights. The largest and most important airport is Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. In addition to Thessaloniki-Makedonia Airport, above all the airports of Iraklio, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, Chania, and Zakynthos are of considerable importance for travel to and within Greece. The Greek airlines Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines, as well as numerous foreign airlines, operate from Athens and Thessaloniki with a dense network of connections within Greece and to numerous European metropolises such as London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, or Vienna.

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Enduro tours in Greek olive groves

9. Cities and Regions in Greece

The Greek state administration is divided into the 13 regions of Attica, Epirus, Ionian Islands, Crete, Central Greece, Northern Aegean, East Macedonia and Thrace, Peloponnese, Southern Aegean, Thessaly, West Greece, West Macedonia and Central Macedonia , which are subdivided into further prefectures and each governed by their own parliament and regional president. The monastic republic of Athos on the Chalkidiki peninsula, however, is largely autonomous and does not belong to the EU tax territory.

Athens
Athens is the capital of Greece and is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The area in the Attic plain was settled as early as about 7,000 years ago and today, both culturally and economically, it is the center of Greece and a destination for numerous cultural trips. The name is derived from the ancient goddess Athena, who, according to a much-told legend, won the favor of the then-inhabitants in a contest against the sea god Poseidon with her gift, an olive tree. Athens blossomed during the construction of the Acropolis in the 5th century BC, which today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At that time, monumental buildings and sculptures were created by artists such as Ictinus and Polygnotus, anthropological philosophy was founded by Plato and Aristotle, and the probably first democracy in world history (Athenian democracy) was implemented. Due to the settlement history dating back to the Neolithic period, Athens has an enormous amount of ancient culture to offer and was chosen as the first European Capital of Culture in 1985. The architecture of the 19th century up to the early 20th century in Athens was largely shaped by Classicism and the restoration of the Greek state. Almost all important public buildings such as the theater, supreme court, parliament, exhibition hall Zappeion, cathedral, city hall, etc. are buildings of Classicism. Famous examples are the parliament building (former palace) at Syntagma Square, the “Athenian Trilogy” with the National and Kapodistrias University of Athens, the National Library, and the Academy of Sciences. In direct proximity are the Catholic bishop's church and the old eye clinic. City development after 1930 was influenced by the so-called Charter of Athens and the idea of the functional city.
The port of Piraeus, in the immediate vicinity of Athens, is already about 2,500 years old. Piraeus is considered the third largest port in the world. Travelers benefit from the good infrastructure, which enables quick and safe mobility through the capital. The Attiki Odos, the "Attic Road", connects the new "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport east of Athens with the town of Elefsina in the west, running north of the center of Athens. In addition, tourists in Athens have the opportunity to explore the city with the Athens Metro, tram, and suburban railway. Additionally, regular buses run at regular intervals between the airport and the city center.
Due to its culturally and historically significant sights, Athens is one of the most visited cities in Europe.

Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is an important modern university, trade fair, cultural, industrial, and port city at the crossroads of ancient trade routes in northern Greece, on the coast of the northwestern Aegean. With over 325,000 inhabitants in the city center, it is also the second largest city in Greece. Together with the surrounding communities, about 1 million people live in the Thessaloniki agglomeration.
Already mentioned in the Bible, the city was founded in 315 BC by the Macedonian king Cassander on the Thermaic Gulf and named after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great.
Due to its long and eventful history, Thessaloniki has a number of cultural and historical sights to offer. The city’s landmark is the White Tower, which dates from the Venetian or early Ottoman period and was probably built by Venetian builders and now serves as a museum. Buildings from the Roman era are the remains of the imperial palace with an octagon, the Arch of Galerius, and a rotunda from the 4th century, which was later converted into a mosque and is now a museum. There are also remains of a forum with an underground stoa and a theater.
Early Christian and Byzantine buildings include the Latomos Monastery Osios David, whose church represents a forerunner type of cross-in-square church, with mosaics and paintings from the late 5th to the 14th century. There are also numerous significant early Christian and Byzantine churches, some with outstanding mosaics and paintings, which have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Buildings from Ottoman times are the Bezesteni, a covered market with six domes that mainly housed cloth merchants and goldsmiths, Turkish baths, the mosques Hamsa Bey Tsami, Alatsa Imaret Tsami and Yeni Cami (from 1902), the Konak as well as Atatürk's birthplace.
Thanks to the international airport and the large port with numerous ferry connections to the Aegean islands, Thessaloniki is an important hub for tourism and a starting or stopping point for many trips to Greece.

Patras
Patras, with around 214,000 inhabitants in the actual city center, is the third largest city in Greece. It lies on the northern coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, on the Gulf of Patras, which forms the strait between the Peloponnese and the mainland from the west, in a zone of increased seismic activity, which has led to repeated earthquakes in the city. The important port city was one of the first of twelve Achaean cities, whose alliance around 280 BC formed the Achaean League against the Macedonians. Archaeological finds in the city center, with remains of Mycenaean chamber tombs as well as stone cist graves from the transition from Middle Helladic to Late Helladic, go back to the Bronze Age.
Although Patras was largely destroyed during an earthquake and the Turkish siege around 1820-22, many cultural monuments from antiquity and more recent history have been preserved or rebuilt, including the Mycenaean settlement and necropolis of Voundeni, the Roman Odeon, the Roman Amphitheater, the Apollo Theater, the Castle of Patras, or the Agios Andreas Church. The exhibitions in the Archaeological Museum of Patras are also worth seeing.
With a total length of 2,883 m, the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, opened in 2004, spans the Gulf of Corinth as an impressive engineering structure. Its use for a trip to Patras or the Peloponnese peninsula by car is subject to a toll. The university city of Patras is known for its two-month-long winter carnival events and was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2006.

Corfu
Corfu is part of the Ionian Islands and, after Kefalonia, the second largest in this group and a popular travel destination in Greece. The Strait of Corfu, just a few kilometers wide, separates the island from the Albanian coast. Visitors can expect lush vegetation with many olive groves, orange and lemon plantations—but also acacias, pines, cypresses, laurel, and myrtle trees. Long sandy and pebble beaches alternate with small bays. One of the most beautiful bays is the Bay of Kalami. Empress Sissi already loved this island and spent several months in the Achillion Villa. The main town is Corfu Town on the east coast of the island, whose old town was built in the Venetian style. In addition to its scenic beauty, Corfu also has several cultural sights to offer. And the south of the island is a paradise for bathers and surfers.

Crete
No less than Zeus, the father of the gods, once chose the island as his birthplace. Crete is both myth and mythology, antiquity and history rolled into one. The legendary King Minos, in whose labyrinth the monster Minotaur dwelt, is brought to life during your excursion to the Minoan Palace. The Cretan-Minoan culture was the center of the Mediterranean long before the mainland Greeks conquered the island around 1400 BC. Later came the Romans, the Venetians, and the Turks, who besieged Crete in succession for two millennia. The multicultural legacy of these invaders is still abundantly present. With an area of about 8,336 km², Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. The capital is Heraklion, also called Iraklio. Besides being the island of legends and myths, Crete is a paradise for nature lovers and hikers, for beach holidaymakers, and of course for cultural excursions. A warm welcome!

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10. Culture and Sights in Greece 

Although Greece has been inhabited by people of diverse cultures, it is above all the architecture and especially the sculpture of ancient Greece that are the cultural hallmarks of Greece par excellence, for which most cultural trips to Greece are undertaken. Artworks such as the early Classical Charioteer of Delphi, the Nike of Samothrace, and even more so the Hellenistic Venus de Milo, the Laocoön Group, and the Group of Aphrodite, Pan, and Eros have become generally formative symbols of sculpture. Ancient art was superseded by Byzantine art; the painter El Greco (1541–1614) came from the sacred art of the Cretan School. Famous Greek sculptors of the 20th century include Jannis Kounellis, Joannis Avramidis, Aris Kalaizis, and Christos Kapralos. On the island of Andros, numerous Greek artists have their studios.
For modern Greece, a music shaped by folklore is typical. The regional styles differ greatly in melody and use of instruments but at the same time show clear similarities in rhythm and lyrical content. The mainland-native music differs from the music of Asia Minor, which includes some oriental elements. The music of the Aegean, in turn, exhibits its own style, which may be influenced by elements from the mainland or Asia Minor, depending on proximity.

In many places in Greece, the remains and monuments of ancient Greek and Roman architecture can be found, which are absolute must-sees on a trip to Greece. These include, among others, the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Ancient Agora in Athens, the Acropolis of Rhodes, the archaeological sites in Eretria on Euboea, the Asklepieion in the Dodecanese on Kos, the sanctuary of Athena with gymnasium and stadium in Delphi, the ruins of Aulis near Thebes, the theatre of Epidaurus, or, from the Minoan culture, the ruins of Knossos on Crete. In addition, there are many interesting modern structures such as the Corinth Canal to visit, which impresses with its vertical, gorge-like rock walls and modern bridge constructions. More than a decade was spent working on the canal, with ton after ton of rock being removed. A boat trip through the canal gives an impressive glimpse of the highly developed civil engineering of the 19th century.

Greece also offers several special destinations for nature lovers. On the north side of the 2,355 m high Chelmos massif, a 200 m high waterfall plunges into the depths, where the legendary river Styx springs. On the southern slope of the up to 2,457 m high Parnassus mountain at the Gulf of Corinth, there is a sacrificial site for Apollo, designed by the impressive rocky landscape like a natural amphitheater. The dripstone cave near Petralona on the Chalkidiki peninsula or the Vikos Gorge, 900 meters deep, formed by the Voidomatis, a tributary of the Aoos, are also worth seeing. An important ancient cult site, the Diktaean Cave, is located in the Dikti Mountains, in eastern Crete. Naturally, the scenically impressive national parks of Greece, such as the Olympus mountains or the bird-rich wetlands around Lake Prespa or southeast of Alexandroupolis, are also well worth a visit.

Photo break on a 4x4 tour through Crete

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11. Fixed Date Holidays in Greece

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12. Medical Notes for Greece

For legal reasons, as a tour operator we are not permitted to communicate binding medical information for Greece and therefore refer to the information of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Robert Koch Institute and the German Society for Tropical Medicine and International Health e.V.

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13. Travel Information for Greece

Current travel and safety information, entry and exit details as well as special criminal law notes and behavioral recommendations for your stay in Greece can be obtained from the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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14. Foreign Representation in Greece

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15. Information sources for Greece

German Weather Service
Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Wikipedia

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