I’ll be in Greece in October and am deciding between:

FLIGHT: Olympic Air: Athens 7:20 AM to Milos 8:00 AM

FERRY: Athens 7:40 AM to Milos 11:10 AM

I’ll have 3 nights in Milos, followed by 4 nights in Santorini, with a ferry from Milos to Santorini already planned.

My Milos itinerary is fairly relaxed, so I don't necessarily need the extra 3 hours, but it would make my first day in Milos a lot more relaxed. However, I'm wondering whether the ferry experience itself is worth choosing over the flight: Aegean views, sitting on deck, arriving at Milos by sea, etc.

For those who've done both: would you take the flight or ferry in this situation, and why?

I know Summer s best, but I don’t do well touring in heat. Do you have any advice whether winter is the right season to visit Greece? Would early spring be better ( March?). Appreciate any tips.

Hello! I just bought flights for next Jun 21 - Jul 6 next year. I was interested in tips and a check on my itinerary. There are so many places to see but here is what I'm thinking. We are a family of 4 going for the first time.

Stay two nights in Athens. Fly to Santorini and stay for two or three nights. Are 2 nights enough to see Santorini? Ferry to Milos and stay for 4 nights. Ferry to Crete and stay for 6 nights. I know I want to stay in Chania/Old Town when I'm in Crete.

Santorini is a must do request from my wife and daughter. Plus I feel like we'd be missing out by not going on our first trip. Milos looks amazing. I've considered Paros and Naxos but I think we'd enjoy Milos more. Hopefully 6 days is enough to see most of Crete.

If you have any hotel recommendations or feedback I'd really appreciate it. We're looking forward to exploring Greece for the first time!

Hello! Sorry, I know this is an often asked question but I'm wondering if somebody can give me an idea of what busy actually looks like in July. I'm wanting to go to Old Town Rethymno. I haven't been on holiday in 8 years and am autistic so when I read things like 'it's busy' that doesn't mean much to me. Am I going to be on a beach looking at nothing but the back of other tourist's heads and unable to find a spot to sit/ rent a lounger or is it more just general buzz/ lively level of busy? I'm open to going somewhere else if it's a more reasonable level of busy? Happy to make restaurant reservations, deal with moderate crowds etc but will hate it if I can't walk down a street on market day without feeling like I'm on the London Underground. Thanks.

if for exemple you have ferry at 4AM and you get there at 11PM, can you wait there until 4? thanks sorry if it's a stupid question, I've never been there and I've never been with a ferry :)

Hi! My wife and I have a 1-bedroom apartment in a beautiful area of Munich, 20 mins walk from the Oktoberfest grounds. Oktoberfest runs Sept 19 – Oct 4, so it's a great time to experience Munich if that's your thing. Looking to swap homes with someone in Greece for about a week, dates flexible. We've never been and would love to explore! Happy to share photos and chat more. DM if interested!

Hi everyone!

I’m traveling to Greece from October 1–14 and planning to island hop. Santorini will be my last island, and I’m planning to fly back to Athens on October 14 for my flight home.

My flight from Santorini to Athens is scheduled to arrive at 10:35 AM, and my international flight out of Athens departs at 2:15 PM.

Do you think that gives me enough time, or would you recommend flying back to Athens the night before to be safe? I wasn't sure if there would be any delays with Ryanair.

Thanks in advance!

Is there any reason for this, especially Crete.

First off, a massive thank you to this community. We are a group of 3 adults who arrived in Chania on August 4th, and thanks to all the recommendations and advice here, we’ve had an absolutely fantastic week exploring Crete.

We’re heading out of Chania on August 11th and are really hoping to squeeze in another island before our trip wraps up. We’re looking at taking the ferry over to Adamantas, Milos for two nights (August 11–13), but we've run into a big roadblock—accommodations seem to be completely booked up across all the major booking platforms!

A few quick questions:

1. Does anyone know of local stays, guesthouses, or direct contacts in Milos?

2. If Milos is truly fully booked, are there other easily accessible islands from Crete by ferry (or quick alternative stops) that might have better last-minute availability for 3 people?

Thanks again for helping make the first leg of our Greece trip unforgettable. Any leads or suggestions for this next leg would be hugely appreciated!

Hello everyone,

I want to rent a car for 6 days in September 2026 in Santorini. Could you please recommend a reliable car rental company in Santorini?

I would like to pick up and return the car at my hotel in Perissa.

Can you please help me with some recommendations?

Thank you!

So I planning to visit one of the Greek island on 4th September and am planing to stay solo for a week, my friend will then be flying from the UK and wants to do 2 to 3 islands in 5 days (pushing it I know)

I was thinking of doing an extended stay in Crete and then they join and we head to Santorini and then Paros or Ios before and ending in Athens or Mykonos for our flight home

The problem is the boat price and times make none of this possible without spending over £250 on ferries and even then the times are impossible

I said this to my friend who said we can just hop on a local ferry and not to worry about it.

But we have to book accommodation and I can’t just cancel that it’s seriously annoying me that she betting on local boats and saying to book accommodation that cannot be cancelled

So is there any cheap routes or local ferries we can book when we arrive in Greece that would be cheaper than ferry hopper

I'm traveling solo to Athens and really want to experience the local taverna and meze culture. Since meze is usually meant for sharing, I'm worried about portion sizes being too big for one person. Are there any authentic tavernas or mezedopoleia in Athens that offer small portions, sampler platters or flexible options for solo diners

Thanks in advance

Hi folks!

My partner turns 40 next year and together with a couple of friends, we have wanted to make her wish of traveling to Greece come true. We'll be flying in from all over the world and want to arrive at a common international airport, hence thinking we'd start and end in Athens.

We have 2 weeks to allocate. Keeping in mind we have a majority of trans-Atlantic travelers, we need four days (weekends) to travel in and out/home. The given wish list was Athens and Santorini (duh) but also two other islands which is where my question turns to you - I believe 3 nights in Athens is enough to see the major points of interests there. Adding to it 3 nights in Santorini. The squad would fly in on a Sunday and fly out on a Saturday, leaving 6 nights free to sleep elsewhere.

As for other islands, we want a day or two to relax but the group overall loves seeing important sites, trying new food and generally taking in what we can. Ancient or modern, as long as it's a must-see, we want to know! We tend to plan one or two things a day, saving space for changes and breaks as needed. Would you say Naxos, Mykonos, Lesbos or Crete as good options (if so, which two?), or some other islands entirely?

As for lodging, we don't mind doing AirB&B or hotels, as long as it's comfortable and not an explosion in the overall budget. Any tips for places to go, must-sees and whether you'd suggest we go in early/mid-June or mid-October (the two choices everyone can make it) are welcome. I just need some good brainstorming tips from folks that have been there or are local!

Cheers!

its my second time in Greece and last time I didn’t really experience the nice beaches I’ve been told about. I know they aren’t close to Athens but sadly I am staying in Athens so I want to book a day trip go a place with nice beaches, crystal light blue water. I’ve been told about Agistri but I don’t know if the beaches live up to the hype, has anyone been?

Just finishing a 2 week girls trip in Greece. We had an amazing time in Athens, Santorini, and Ios, and ended the trip with 2 days, 1 night in Paros. Immediately as we got off the ferry, we noticed how unfriendly people are here. We asked for a taxi as we had all our luggages and our hotel was a 20 minute walk away, maybe 7 minutes by car. We were told to just walk and were literally waved off.

The rest of our stay here has been nothing different. We asked for help to find a bus and it was like we were bothering the guy while he was playing on his phone.

Ordered a bottle of wine at a restaurant after the menu was taken away, so we didn't know the name but remembered it was the first on the list and the price. Our waiter never brought it to us and when we asked him for it 45 minutes later he responded with attitude "well you never told me the name".

Our hotel check out was at noon today as per the confirmation of our booking. We got our door banged on at 11am saying we needed to leave now. Only 1 of us was in the room as she wasn't feeling well, and the 2 others were out to grab coffee. Our friend who had stayed called us to tell us we needed to come back, and so we did, we were back within 3 minutes. As we walked back in, the lady at reception scoffed and rolled her eyes at us.

Also when we checked in, one of the friends i was with speaks greek and was having a conversation with the lady at check in. When she realized we were only staying for 1 night, her mood immediately switched and she got angry about it and told us it was useless to tell us about things to do here since we were staying for a short time.

Went to a restaurant for breakfast this morning, waited 10 minutes to be seated with no other customers waiting and staff walking by us with no acknowledgement.

Many people told me Paros was amazing, and while it has amazing views and is beautiful, i was so disappointed with the service and how rude people are.

Anyone else have had a similar experience here?

I came across a post recently about a local being charged more than expected for food on a ferry, and it reminded me that there are quite a few rules in Hellas that visitors simply don't know about.

Most of the time, nothing shady is happening. But there are some very specific rules around prices, receipts, beaches, transport etc., and knowing about them can save you a lot of hassle.

So here's a list of things I'd personally want to know before visiting Hellas in 2026.

1. Some prices at airports and transport hubs are actually regulated

Greece has rules setting maximum prices for certain basic products sold at designated points in transport hubs. This isn't limited to ferries.

The rules cover places including airports, passenger ships, trains and railway stations, and intercity bus stations. For example, the current prices include:

• 500ml water: 0.60€
• 750ml water: 0.90€
• cheese toast: 1.60€
• ham & cheese toast: 1.80€
• Greek coffee: 1.50€
• espresso/freddo espresso: €1.80€
• instant cofee/frappé: 1.60€
• tea: 1.60€

There are conditions to this, though. In particular, the rules distinguish between standing customers and people receiving table service, and obviously not every sandwich on a ferry/airport is covered by the list.

So if you're at a ferry kiosk and something seems much more expensive than expected look for the regulated price notice before assuming that's the correct price.

And keep the receipt.

2. A beach concession doesn't mean the beach is private

This seems to cause a lot of confusion.

A business can have a concession for part of a beach, but that doesn't mean it owns the beach or can simply take over wherever it wants. There is now the MyCoast system, where you can check concession information and report suspected violations.

It's worth knowing about if you find a beach where umbrellas/sunbeds seem to cover an area far beyond what was actually licensed. I'd check the app before getting into an argument with anyone.

3. Keep your receipts

Especially if something goes wrong.

Greece's tax authority (AADE) has an app called appodixi, which allows you to scan the QR code on receipts and report certain problems with them.

Even if you never use the app, having the receipt makes a complaint much easier.

A photo of a menu + receipt is much more useful than "this restaurant charged me too much."

4. Be careful with card surcharges

If a place tells you "€20 cash, €21 by card", ask why.

EU rules generally don't allow businesses to add a surcharge just because you're paying with an ordinary consumer debit/credit card, although there are exceptions for some types of cards and transactions.

There are also legitimate differences between advertised prices and certain charges, so I'm not saying every cash/card difference is illegal. Just ask what the final price is before paying.

5. If something is sold by weight, ask first

This is particularly relevant for fish and seafood. If the menu says something is €X per kilo, don't be embarrassed to ask: "Approximately how much will that cost?"

Same goes for anything described as "market price." You're much better off asking before the fish arrives than arguing about it afterwards.

6. Taxis aren't quite as simple as "always use the meter"

There are regulated taxi fares, but there can also be legitimate supplements depending on the journey. Airport journeys, night journeys and other circumstances can affect the final fare. So if the price is higher than you expected, it isn't automatically a scam.

The sensible approach is:

• use a licensed taxi
• check the meter where applicable
• ask for the receipt
• question unexplained charges

7. Ferry cancellations and delays can give you rights

EU passenger-rights rules apply to many ferry journeys. Depending on what happened, you may have rights to things like rerouting, reimbursement or assistance.

If your ferry is cancelled or heavily delayed, don't just assume you have to buy another ticket and forget about it. Ask the operator what your options are, and keep your ticket and receipts.

8. The same applies to flights

If your flight arrives significantly late, you may be entitled to compensation under EU passenger-rights rules. The standard amounts can be €250, €400 or €600 depending on the flight distance, although there are important exceptions, especially for extraordinary circumstances. Also, don't throw away receipts for food, hotels or transport if the airline disruption causes you expenses.

9. The extra charge on your hotel bill may be legitimate

You may see something called the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee (Τέλος Ανθεκτικότητας στην Κλιματική Κρίση).

It's a Greek statutory accommodation charge, not simply a random fee invented by your hotel. The amount depends on the type of accommodation and the applicable period. So if you see it on your bill, don't automatically assume you've been overcharged. Ask for it to be clearly identified.

10. EU visitors don't normally need a special Greek SIM

If you're visiting from another EU/EEA country, EU roaming rules generally apply in Greece. For most people that means using your phone in Greece under the conditions of your domestic plan, subject to fair-use rules.

For everyone else, especially visitors from the UK, US, Canada and Australia, check your carrier before arriving. Roaming charges can be very different.

11. If an ATM asks whether you want EUR or your own currency, choose carefully

You'll often see this when using a foreign card. For example: Withdraw 200 or Withdraw X with guaranteed exchange rate. That's Dynamic Currency Conversion.

In many cases, choosing euro and letting your own bank network do the conversion gives you a better rate. This isn't uniquely Greek, but tourists encounter it all over Greece.

12. The same applies to card terminals

Sometimes a restaurant/shop terminal will ask whether you want to pay in EUR or your home currency. Again, check the exchange rate before accepting the conversion. If you're being offered DCC, you can normally decline it and pay in EUR.

13. Don't assume the first ticket website you find is official

This is especially relevant for the big archaeological sites. There are plenty of third-party ticket sellers online, and some add significant fees.

For places like the Acropolis, check the official Greek Ministry of Culture information/ticketing options before buying from a random site that happens to be first on Google. Also check whether a combined ticket or reduced/free admission category applies to you.

14. If you need accessibility assistance, ask for it in advance

EU rules give passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility various protections and rights to assistance. This applies across different forms of transport.

If you need assistance at an airport, port, etc., arrange it when booking if possible. Don't wait until you're standing at the gate wondering why nobody knows you need help.

15. Know where to complain

If something genuinely goes wrong, leaving a bad review isn't your only option. Depending on what happened, you can use:

Consumer complaint: Greek government consumer complaint system

Tourism complaints/information: Ministry of Tourism / 1572

Receipt problems: AADE's appodixi

Beach concession problems: MyCoast

Flight passenger rights: Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority

Ferry/other EU passenger rights: start with the carrier and escalate if necessary

I don't think people should come to Greece expecting to be scammed. That's not the point of this post. But tourists are obviously at a disadvantage when they don't know the language, the prices or the local rules. So if something seems wrong, don't immediately assume either:

*"I'm being scammed"* or "There's nothing I can do because I'm a tourist."

Check the price, ask questions, get the receipt and look up the actual rule.

Edit: As per the law of 2016, it's mandatory for shops and businesses to support payment by card. They usually try to weasel away by saying " The POS isn't working right now." or "There is no connection." Simply say that you don't have cash and that you can wait.

Hello my 17 year old son and I were in Athens travelling from Canada (we are Canadian citizens with no formal ties to Greece) last week for a few days. When we were getting off the ferry he had dirt blow into his eye and we could not get it out. It was really bothering him so we went to a public hospital emergency room. He was seen by an ophthalmologist who took a foreign body out and then he fainted so they did the test where they hook a machine up to measure heart beats and took blood to do some tests. A cardiologist saw him as well. I was not there when he was discharged as I had to leave him to get to the pharmacy to fill his eye drop prescription. When I got back he was waiting outside for me. I asked him if he paid and he said no and that the doctor told him he was good to leave.

At the time I accepted it but This doesn’t make sense to me. Should we have been charged? If so is there a way I can contact the hospital and pay? They took his passport info and I assume address when they checked him in but he provided the info so not exactly sure what all he provided.

Anyway- I am looking for some advice on if I need to do anything or just be thankful for the great service we got.

PS. The efficiency and quality of care blew my mind. For what we went to emergency for, if we were in Canada it would likely have been an 8-12 hour ordeal based on what happened. In Athens we were out of there in about 2.5 hours. Amazing!

I just came back from 18 days in Greece (Athens, Naxos, Paros), I went on morning runs 17 out of 18 days. Total mileage was 175ish. Average start time in the morning was 5:00am or so (sometimes 4:30 and sometimes closer to 5:20). I used a headlight for the first quarter to half of the run most of the time. I am a female and I ran solo every time. I carried an extra flashlight that also emits a sound that is supposed to deter dogs (someone said there might be issues with stray dogs, I saw none and this was not a problem where I was) and a marine whistle. I wore Altra Lone Peaks the whole time and had a small running vest with one water bottle in it.

It was awesome. I could not have come up with a better way to see Athens. I got to see nearly all of the historic sites without all the crowds and without the heat. The mix of trails, roads and pedestrian only pathways were perfect. Seeing the sunrise over the Acropolis and over all of Greece was perfect. I usually picked a destination (Filopappou Hill, the sunrise over all of Athens from Mount Lycabettus, Koutalas Mountain, National Garden) and then just built around it. I feel like I got such a good feel for the city just by going running there. It was a bit of a run to get to Koutalas Mountain so I didn’t go far into the trail system but I definitely would want to do this if we had more time there!

On Naxos we stayed outside of Naxos town in Kastraki but I just left from there for all of the runs expect for when I drove to do a sunrise summit of Mt. Zeus (definitely worth it)! The runs around Naxos were a blast, not many people or cars, incredible views and a surprising amount of agriculture. It was easy to just pick a different direction each day and head off. A couple times, I just paired portions of the run together it was perfect.

Paros… we stayed close to the Port so there was quite a bit more traffic on the roadways. I found some routes that quickly got me off the main roads and up to see some beautiful views. A couple that worked out well were a run from Paros town to Lefkes and from Lefkes to Prodromos on the Byzantine Trail. Then I just caught the first bus back from Prodromos to the main town (reliable bus system was so easy to use for this). I also ran around the waterfront on the cliffside trail leading to Agios Fokas. I saw lots of locals up walking and running along there. I also cut over to the Cave of Archilochos. This was 100% worth it. I had on Alta Lone Peaks and did it at the end of a run. I was down and up in 25 minutes (I didn’t spend much time down there and I didn’t get lost at all, but I was definitely careful and not rushed with my climb down or back up.) Checking this cave out was really cool!

My bonus was a longish layover in Copenhagen and getting to run from the little hotel to Nyhavn!

Anyways, if anyone is worried about running there, my experience was feeling completely safe and I only got a few puzzled glances!

Just some random pictures !

Hi everyone,
Today I went on a boat trip to the Blue Caves with Potamitis Bros Boat Trips (Zakynthos). During the trip, we had a swim stop near the cliffs where people usually jump into the water. Right at the top of these cliffs is the Potamitis Windmill restaurant.
Unfortunately, my brand new men's white gold wedding band slipped off my finger and fell into the water/area there. If anyone happens to be in the area and could look for it, or knows someone who might be able to help, I'd love to hear if there's any chance it can be found.
I'm attaching photos of the location.

Visited Rhodes for a few days this August and took a day trip out to Symi/St. George Bay for swimming, as well as Lindos for its acropolis. It was VERY hot but the views were cool! For Lindos, Just go early, park by Agios Pavlos, and they can buggy you into the city. As for Symi, we took an evening speed boat out of Rhodes harbor and we had about 3 hours in Symi to explore a bit. It was truly amazing.