Greece is known by the world for playing an important role in ancient civilization-yeah I love history, for it’s beautiful islands, for it’s volcanic terrain, and for it’s unique beautiful blue top churches. The country is an intriguing contrast of being posh yet rugged, aged yet modern, beachy yet mountainous. Greece is on a lot of people’s travel list already, so there’s no need for me to convince you there. If it’s not, google Greece and see if that doesn’t change your mind! I’m currently working on my Greece itinerary for Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos but first, let’s get you right with some need-to-know travel tips for your own Greece vacay.

What You Need To Know About…Greece!

Show Athens some love. Get your history feels here with Ancient Grecian monuments such as the Acropolis. The view of Athens from the top is surreal. Athens is similar to Rome, where the old world is etched into our modern time. This is the busiest part of Greece, that means more of everything you need (restaurants, shops, transportation options, etc.).

Island hopping is a must. When going to Greece for the first time, people usually hit at least two of the big three: Athens (mainland), Santorini (island), and Mykonos (island). The islands are accessible daily via air (plane) and sea (ferry). Pretty simple commutes, a few hours in duration. My route: flight into Athens-flight to Santorini-ferry ride to Mykonos-flight to Athens. This order was cheaper and easier to execute for my group. I flew both RyanAir and Volotea airlines, and both offer low cost flights, not only in Greece but around Europe. Each flight was 50 minutes and around $70-100.

Q: Why didn’t I just fly from Santorini to Mykonos? A: Flights between the islands 98.8% of the time had a layover in Athens, which was very much out of the way. Ferry costs vary by company, route, and time of year but expect to pay $60-100 USD for a standard economy ticket. Also, be sure to book it in advance to save money and to get the most desired route. The ferry was spacious and had concession stations on board.

Santorini isn’t just for love birds. I, surprisingly, had the most fun on my trip in Santorini! Athens and Mykonos were beautiful but Santorini had a special feel to it that made it stand out from the others. It was very easy to get around by public or self transport (my friends and I rode ATVs). Staying close to central Santorini, Fira, helped us be near restaurants, beaches, and nightlife. Santorini has some of the most unique beaches I've seen with red and black volcanic sands!

Mykonos, where are the taxis!? Santorini and Mykonos have LIMITED public transit options, and by limited I mean some taxis in Santorini and almost none in Mykonos lol. It was pretty rough having to share a few taxis between everyone on our trip, which was over 100 people! Your best chance of snagging transportation is to be close to the city centers for buses (cheap) and/or taxis (expensive) in Mykonos and Santorini. It helps to know a guy (maybe your Airbnb host or hotel concierge) that knows a guy with a van or shuttle service to take you around. The beach clubs definitely made up for the aggravating transportation.

DRIVE!?! I DO NOT CONDONE DRIVING, at least not on the Greek Islands. The terrain is torturous and freakin’ scary. I knew I was not driving in Greece when our bus had to drive backwards down the side of a mountain, for a long 15 or so minutes. Read that again. But I did rent an ATV in Santorini, and felt safe. Of course, the same caution for riding an ATV anywhere applies to here, and I didn't need an international driver’s license to book it.

Cash is king and his name is Euro. When I travel, I like to either convert cash into the country’s currency, in this case it was euros or withdraw cash from a local ATM. It’s easier to convert currency at the airport, but you can also use a bank ATM in the Athens. Usually whatever is convenient, but ATMs do offer lower conversion rates, dependent on your bank’s specific withdrawal fees and reimbursements. You can also order euros from your bank before you even get on the plane, which is what I used to do way back when, but it is the priciest option.

Don’t flush tissue in the toilet! A luxury that most Americans are accustomed to that doesn't necessarily translate to other cultures. We’ve got strong plumbing systems, unlike many parts of the world, so flushing tissue in the toilet is a norm. In Greece you’ll just end up clogging the pipes. There are signs in all of the bathrooms, people will tell you and it’s probably in all of the bios on Airbnb for Greece housing.

Don't drink the water! Don’t do it, please don’t do it, Drake voice. This is true for a lot of countries throughout the world. Clean tap water is a luxury, that even right here in the U.S. some places still don’t have i.e. Newark and Flint. Bacterial and viral contamination can lead to travel-related illnesses such as Hepatitis A, which come contaminated from food and water. So be safe and bottle water it on your visit, especially on the Greek islands, you’ll thank me later :)

Pack your walking shoes. Be prepared because you are going to WALK. Whether it’s to historic sites or to you villa in the mountains, you’re gonna get your miles in. So don’t play yourself by not packing comfortable shoes!

What’s the Wifi? You’ll be asking this quite often, unless your data plan works in Greece or you have an unlocked phone and use a SIM card. There is wifi available at most restaurants and shops but you know wifi never acts right when you need it to lol. Even if you don’t care about posting on IG, you’ll want wifi when it comes to directions, which are hard to come by! Some of the best houses in Santorini and Mykonos are built into and scattered amongst hills and mountains. Not having directions made it especially troublesome when driving up and down the mountainsides, as well as navigating houses at night.

Greek liquor (Ouzo). It tastes like licorice, and is disgusting. Like utterly repulsive! It will be offered, for free at most places and if you don’t want to take my word for it, be my guest and try it for yourself.

Low season is go season. One of my favorite travel pearls. Going to Greece right outside high season (June-September) will give you a similar experience, with less tourists, at a cheaper price. I went mid-May for $392 on Emirates, which was insane! Plug: I talk all about snagging flight deals in Flight Deal Pt. I & Flight Deal Pt. II. Flights for Greece can easily go for 3x the amount I paid for! Being that we went a week before summer season prices went into effect 1) the cost of everything (clubs, food prices, transportation, etc. was cheaper and 2) the weather was perfect. The weather was mild-hot temperatures (75-85 degrees F) during the day (the water was chilly but tolerable) and cool temperatures (65-75 degrees F) during the evening.

Greece is definitely in my top 5 of countries I’ve traveled to. From start to finish, I enjoyed my time there and can’t wait to go back. Let me know what you think of these tips, whether you can relate from your Greece vacay or if you’ll keep then in mind for an upcoming trip. Like, comment, share, and subscribe…ya girl is trying to get some page views out here lol! ‘Till next time!

Travel Tips: Greece

What You Need To Know About…Greece!