Getting There & Away
Greece has 16 international airports and has air links to
every major city in Europe. In addition, there are direct flights
to and from the USA, Canada, Australia and various Asian cities.
There are also frequent flights to/from Istanbul and Sofia. Cheap
charter flights are available from London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt
and Paris to Athens, Thessaloniki and some of the islands. However,
conditions apply; if you take a side trip to Turkey you may not
be allowed to use the return portion of your charter-flight ticket.
By land, there are road connections from Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania
and Macedonia. There are also trains from Macedonia, Hungary,
Bulgaria and Turkey. Travelling to Greece on an Inter-rail or
Eurail pass does not necessarily entail travel through Macedonia,
however, as the ferry-crossing from Italy is often included in
the ticket.
There are ferries from Brindisi, Bari and Otranto in Italy, and
from various Aegean ports in Turkey. There are also boats from
Israel and Cyprus.
Air
Five major international airports (Athens, Thessaloniki, Rodos,
Iraklion, Kerkyra/Corfu) and 22 regional airports are hosting
aircrafts of regular or chartered flights. Greek airports are
used by 81,9% of tourists arriving in the country (year 2000).
The new Athens airport and the works of development and modernization
of the other Greek airports offer a wide range of upgraded services
to travellers.
Getting Around
Olympic Airways operates flights between many cities and islands
at about three times the ferry fare. Buses are the most popular
form of public transport as the train system is limited and confined
to the mainland. People do cycle in Greece, but you'll need strong
leg muscles to tackle the mountainous terrain. An extensive ferry
network connects the mainland and islands. |
