Discover Athens and Crete

British Airways fly direct from London to several Greek cities including Athens, Thessaloniki and Kalamata. They also offer services to several Greek islands including Corfu, Crete, Kefalonia, Kos, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos and Zakynthos. Budget airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet also have a wide range of flights available between the UK and mainland Greece and the islands.

Depending on where in Greece you are flying to, flights average between 3 to 5 hours. London to Athens takes around 3.5 hours.

Greece is +2 hours ahead of GMT.

British citizens do not require a visa for travel to Greece for up to 90 days within a 180 day period.

Try to avoid cheap souvenir shops that sell imported goods at a low price. Instead try to ‘buy local’ and support Greek craftspeople and small businesses.

When taking photographs, permission should always be asked before taking someone’s picture.

Make sure you pack suitable clothing so that you can dress respectfully for visits to religious venues. Knees and shoulders should be covered when entering churches and places of worship.

If you manage to learn a few words in Greek it will be greatly appreciated.

The local currency in Greece is the Euro. Both cash and card payments are commonly accepted throughout the country, however you may find on the smaller islands or villages that only cash will be accepted. ATMs are reliable and commonplace in most towns, cities and larger islands.

Tipping in Greece is left to your discretion and should, of course, be based on the satisfaction of the services you receive. There is no set rule for tipping in Greece, but 5-10% for good service is appreciated. In some restaurants service charge is added to your bill automatically so ensure you check this. Tips in cash are preferred. If your trip includes guides and you believe they have offered an outstanding service, they will welcome any monetary gift at the end of a trip.

Greece offers an incredibly rich and diverse array of ingredients and dishes making it one of the world’s most loved cuisines. Much like the rest of the Mediterranean, Greek food and wine is focused on simplicity, flavours and local produce. Greece’s climate is perfect for growing olives, lemons, vegetables, fruit and wild herbs. It is also a nation of farmers who produce organic cheese and rear cattle. With hundreds of islands and no part of the Greek mainland more than 90 miles from the sea, fish is also a huge part of the cuisine. Sardines and octopus are common seafood used in Greek cooking, often simply grilled and served with lemon and a salad or vegetables.

Moussaka is the national dish of Greece and other classic dishes include souvlaki (grilled meat skewers), dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), spanakopita (feta and spinach filo pie), gyros (meat and pita kebab), stifado (beef stew) and choriatiki (the traditional Greek salad). Some of Greece’s hilly terrain is also home to rolling vineyards and the country is becoming more well-known for its wine and spirits, most notably ouzo, which is an anise-flavoured liqueur.

Greece offers a great selection of shopping ranging from small boutiques and international designers to traditional shops and markets selling local produce and craft goods. Throughout the mainland and islands there are many independent stores and stalls that sell artisanal souvenirs including ceramics and pottery, handmade textiles and natural coral sponges. For produce, local markets are the best option where you can pick up typical products such as honey, olive oil, wine, ouzo and herbs, or you may wish to try a ‘spoon sweet’ which is preserved fruit in jars of syrup.

Rough Guides, Lonely Planet and DK Eyewitness have excellent guidebooks on Greece and also offer city, island or regional variations. If you are looking for a Greek classic, try ‘The Iliad’ by Homer, ‘The Histories’ by Herodotus, ‘Antigone’ by Sophocles or ‘Medea’ by Euripides. There are numerous books on the history of Greece; ‘A Concise History of Greece’ by Richard Clogg or ‘Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation’ by Roderick Beaton are both great options on general Greek history. ‘Tales of Greek Heroes’ by Roger Lancelyn Green offers an excellent exploration of Greek mythology and legend. There are also a number of excellent fictional reads set in Greece including:

‘The Flight of Ikaros’ by Kevin Andrews
‘The Magus’ by John Fowles
A Thousand Ships’ by Natalie Haynes
‘The Last of the Wine’ by Mary Renault
‘Zorba the Greek’ by Nikos Kazantzakis
‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ by Louis de Bernieres
‘Little Infamies’ by Panos Karnezis
‘The Island’ by Victoria Hislop

Your doctor is the best person to advise you on staying healthy whilst abroad and precautions necessary for your itinerary and relevant to your personal circumstances. For current information on health advice you may wish to visit the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website Travel Health Pro on https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/. The Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad (MASTA) website (www.masta.org) is also a useful resource.

For current information on Ireland the best resource is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) which is a comprehensive resource and updated regularly. We would also recommend visiting the Safer Tourism Foundation website (safertourism.org.uk) before you travel and will be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have.