Greece

Greece rewards thoughtful pacing. Pair Athens with one or two islands rather than trying to collect destinations at speed: you’ll spend less time in ports and more time swimming, wandering and lingering over meals. A comfortable daily budget is often around €120–€220 per person, while careful travellers can manage on roughly €60–€100, depending on the season and destination. Santorini and Mykonos generally cost more than mainland towns or larger islands such as Crete and Naxos.

Use Hello’s trip planning tools to arrange your route around ferry schedules, museum visits and beach days. July and August bring the hottest weather and busiest accommodation, so reserve popular ferries and hotels well ahead. May, June, September and early October can offer warm seas, lighter crowds and better value. Build in a flexible day: strong winds can affect ferries, and a delayed crossing is much easier to absorb when your itinerary isn’t packed.

Athens is easy to explore by metro, tram, bus and on foot. A standard metro journey costs about €1.20 and is valid for 90 minutes, making public transport practical for reaching places such as the Acropolis, Monastiraki and the National Archaeological Museum. From Athens, ferries leave mainly from Piraeus; shorter routes to nearby islands can be inexpensive, while longer or high-speed crossings cost considerably more.

For island-hopping, choose neighbouring destinations. Naxos and Paros, for example, connect more simply than a route that zigzags across the Aegean. Conventional ferries are usually cheaper and offer outdoor decks, while fast ferries save time but may feel bumpier in rough seas. Download tickets before boarding and keep your passport or identification accessible. On larger islands, buses cover main resort corridors, but a small hire car can be useful for mountain villages and secluded beaches. Hello eSIM helps with maps, live ferry updates and digital tickets without relying on costly roaming.

Greek food is best approached with an appetite and a willingness to share. Start with a bakery breakfast of koulouri, spanakopita or tiropita, then try souvlaki, grilled octopus, gemista, fava and a village salad with excellent olive oil. In Crete, look for dakos and slow-cooked dishes; in Thessaloniki, make time for bougatsa and lively meze restaurants.

A bakery pastry may cost around €2–€4, while gyros often sit near €3–€5. A simple taverna lunch can be about €10–€15, with seafood costing more, especially on famous islands. Ask about the catch of the day before ordering and check whether dishes are priced by weight. Greeks often dine late, and many tavernas are busiest after 9 p.m.; arrive earlier for a relaxed meal or reserve at renowned spots.

When travelling with friends, use Hello’s expense splitting feature for shared meze, taxis and beach supplies. It avoids the awkward end-of-meal arithmetic while everyone enjoys one more glass of local wine.

Greece uses the euro, and cards are widely accepted in hotels, established restaurants and larger shops. Still, carry some €5 and €10 notes for village bakeries, small cafés, beach kiosks, buses and places where card machines may be unreliable. ATMs are common in cities but less predictable in remote villages and smaller islands, so withdraw cash before heading somewhere rural. Tipping is not compulsory; rounding up or leaving around 10–15% for good service is appreciated when no service charge is included.

Buy and activate Hello eSIM before landing so you can contact accommodation hosts, translate menus, navigate winding island roads and check transport updates without roaming charges. Coverage can weaken on ferry crossings or in mountain areas, so save offline maps and boarding passes. Dress modestly when entering monasteries and churches, avoid touching archaeological remains, and greet locals with a friendly “kalimera.” Track spending in euros with Hello’s budget tracking feature, particularly during island stays where small purchases quickly add up.