How to get to Greece: airports, flights and border crossings

Athens (ATH) is the default for a first trip. It is the capital and the country's main international gateway, and it puts you within reach of Piraeus, the main ferry port for the Cyclades and most other islands. If your trip is Athens plus one or two islands, fly here. Exact transfer times and the balance of nonstop routes change with the season, so check before you book.

Thessaloniki (SKG) suits northern Greece, Meteora, Halkidiki and onward travel to North Macedonia, Bulgaria or Turkey. It has fewer long-haul flights, so most travellers from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand connect through a European hub.

Island airports take direct seasonal flights from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and other European cities, and some charter and low-cost routes from elsewhere in Europe. Santorini (JTR), Mykonos (JMK), Heraklion (HER), Chania (CHQ), Kos (KGS), Rhodes (RHO), Corfu (CFU), Zakynthos (ZTH), Kefalonia (EFL), Skiathos (JSI), Samos (SMI) and Kavala (KVA) have all had them. Which routes run in a given summer changes year to year, so check schedules. Direct island flights are convenient but often pricier and more weather-exposed than flying to Athens and taking a ferry.

There are no nonstop flights from Australia or New Zealand to Greece. Expect one or two stops through the Gulf, Singapore, or a European hub, with total travel time around 20–30 hours (check). From the US east coast, nonstop service to Athens has existed in summer on some carriers and takes about 9–10 hours; from the west coast you will almost always connect, adding several hours. From the UK, nonstops run roughly 3.5–4 hours; from Canada, most routings connect in Europe or the UK. Routes and durations change by season and airline, so check live schedules.

Fares swing hard with season. Late June to early September and the Easter period are the most expensive; late April to mid-June and mid-September to October are cheaper and still warm. Booking two to four months ahead usually beats last-minute for summer, while winter fares are low and schedules thinner.

Greece is in the Schengen area, so overland arrivals from Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Albania mean a border check. The main crossings are at Kipi and Ipsala from Turkey, Kulata–Promachonas from Bulgaria, Evzoni from North Macedonia, and Kakavia and Kapshtica from Albania (check current status and hours). Buses have run from Istanbul, Sofia, Skopje and Tirana to Thessaloniki and Athens; trains are limited, so check current services before planning around them.

By sea, ferries link Patras and Igoumenitsa with Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Venice and Trieste in Italy, and there are short hops from Turkey to Rhodes, Kos, Samos and Lesbos, and from Italy to Corfu (check operators and schedules). These routes are useful if you are travelling overland through Europe or combining Greece with Turkey. Schedules thin out in winter, and some island links stop entirely.

Book flights first, then ferries, then accommodation. If you are flying into Athens and heading straight to an island, leave a generous buffer between landing and ferry departure: the transfer to Piraeus takes time and you need to be at the gate before sailing (allow around 3 hours; check the current port and airline advice). Flying into an island and out of Athens (or the reverse) often saves a day of backtracking.

On arrival, buy a local SIM or eSIM before you leave the airport if you want data for maps and ferry apps. Keep your passport handy for the Schengen entry check, and note that Greece uses the euro, so there is no currency exchange needed if you are arriving from another euro country. Travel insurance is worth arranging before you fly, especially for ferry and flight disruption in the meltemi wind season.

Peak season runs from late June to early September, when island flights and ferries fill and prices peak. Shoulder months, May–June and September–October, give you the same routes with more availability and lower fares. Winter travel is cheap but many island connections are reduced or suspended, so check schedules before committing.

If you are coming from outside the Schengen area, short-stay visa-free entry is commonly limited to 90 days in any 180, but the rule depends on your passport and can change. Check the current requirements for your nationality before booking. Within Greece, onward transport by ferry, domestic flight, bus or train is covered separately.