We at VayCay Couple have taken more trips to Greece than to anywhere else, islands and mainland, and we keep going back. Greece holidays really split two ways, the Greek islands for beaches and slow days, and the mainland for cities, mountains and ancient sites. This Greece travel guide is our plain take on how to choose, how many days you need, the rough cost and the right season, in one of the busier corners of Europe. Prices are in euros and we checked them in September 2026.
Should you pick the islands or the mainland?
This is the first choice, and it shapes everything. The islands are what most people picture, whitewashed towns, blue sea and ferries, and they suit a slow, beach-led trip. The mainland is cheaper, greener and heavier on history, with Athens, the monasteries of Meteora and the Peloponnese. Our advice is simple. For a first trip of a week or less, pick one island or Athens plus one island nearby. Trying to see both properly in seven days means too much time on boats and not enough on beaches.
Which Greek islands should you choose?
There are around 200 inhabited Greek islands, so the trick is matching one to what you want. These are the ones we know and would send you to.
- Crete, the biggest, with the old Venetian harbour at Chania, gorge walks and long beaches. Good for two weeks on its own.
- Santorini for the caldera views and sunsets, worth seeing but crowded and pricey, best for a couple of nights.
- Naxos and Milos for a quieter Cyclades feel, big sandy beaches on Naxos, the moonlike Sarakiniko on Milos.
- Corfu on the green Ionian side, with Venetian streets and easy coves, a short hop from the mainland.
- Paros or Kefalonia if you want something between the big names and the quiet ones, with good beaches and reliable ferries.
- Zakynthos for the Shipwreck Beach, though note the shoreline is closed for landslide risk until at least October 2026 and you can only see it from the viewpoint above.
Kos and Rhodes in the Dodecanese, near Turkey, both easy for a first island trip. We wrote separately about Kos and about Rhodes, so start there if either is on your list.
The Greek island groups, explained
It helps to know the clusters, because you ferry within a group, not across them. The Cyclades in the central Aegean are the postcard islands, Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Milos, with frequent boats from Piraeus. The Dodecanese in the southeast, close to Turkey, hold Rhodes, Kos and quieter Symi. The Ionian islands off the west coast, Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos, are greener and reached from the mainland side. Crete sits on its own in the south, big enough to be a whole trip. Pick a group first, then the islands within it, and your ferries stay short.
The mainland beyond Athens
Most people fly into Athens, and the Acropolis is worth the queue, with a single adult ticket now around 30 euros. Give the city two days, then get out. Thessaloniki in the north is younger and cheaper, with great food and a long seafront. Nafplio in the Peloponnese is our favourite mainland town, a Venetian old town under the Palamidi fortress, which costs about 8 euros to climb. The one everyone should see is Meteora, where monasteries sit on top of huge rock pillars, roughly 5 euros a monastery and listed by UNESCO. Modest dress is required to go inside, so cover your shoulders and knees. In the Peloponnese you can also sit in the ancient theatre at Epidaurus, which still stages summer performances, and see the Lion Gate at Mycenae, both an easy drive from Nafplio.
What is there to do besides the beach?
Plenty. The ancient sites are the obvious draw, the Acropolis in Athens, Delphi up in the mountains, the Palace of Knossos on Crete and ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese. On Crete you can walk the 16km Samaria Gorge, one of the longest in Europe. Most islands run boat trips to sea caves and swimming coves, Santorini and Naxos have small wineries you can tour, and the hill villages inland are where you lose the crowds. There are more things to do in Greece than one trip can hold, which is why we keep going back.
How long do you need? A simple Greece itinerary
Here is the Greece itinerary we usually suggest. For one week, do Athens for two days, then ferry to one island, either close ones like Naxos or the Saronic islands, or fly to Crete and stay put. For ten days, add a second nearby island so you only move once. For two weeks, split it three ways, a few days in Athens and the mainland, then two islands in the same island group to keep ferries short. The mistake we see most is island-hopping five islands in ten days, which turns a holiday into a series of ports.
Which season is best for Greece?
The best time to visit Greece is May, June, September or early October. You get warm sea, long days and room to breathe, and you skip the crush of high summer, when temperatures top the high 30s and the popular islands are packed and priciest. July and August are still fine for beaches if you book early and accept the crowds. Winter is quiet and cheap on the mainland, but many island hotels, tavernas and ferries wind down between November and March, so it is not the season for a first island trip.
Is Greece expensive?
Greece is mid-priced for Europe, cheaper than France or Italy day to day, though Santorini and Mykonos are the exceptions and can cost double. A gyros is still a bargain at around 3 to 4.50 euros, a taverna dinner for two with wine runs about 30 to 45 euros, and a coffee is 2 to 4. Rooms are where it swings most. Expect roughly 30 to 50 euros for budget stays, 50 to 80 for a family-run guesthouse, 80 to 120 for a mid-range hotel, and 150 plus in the big-name spots in peak season. As a rough daily budget, two of us manage on about 120 to 160 euros a day off-season away from the pricey islands, covering a guesthouse, meals and local travel. Cash is handy for small tavernas and island bakeries, though cards work almost everywhere now.
Greece travel guide at a glance
| Place | Good for | Rough cost |
| Athens | Acropolis and ancient sites | Ticket ~30 euros |
| Meteora | Clifftop monasteries | ~5 euros each |
| Crete | Beaches, gorges, two weeks | Hotel 70-150 euros |
| Santorini | Caldera views, sunsets | 150 euros plus |
| Naxos or Milos | Quieter Cyclades beaches | Mid-range |
| Kos or Rhodes | Easy first island trip | Dinner two 25-40 euros |
Getting to Greece from the UK
Flights are cheap and easy from the UK. Athens is about a three-and-a-half-hour flight with service all year, and in the warmer months budget and charter airlines add direct routes to Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu and Zakynthos, which saves a connection. From Athens airport the metro into the centre costs around 9 euros and takes 40 minutes. If your island has no direct UK flight, you either connect through Athens or take the ferry from the port at Piraeus.
Getting around Greece
Ferries are the backbone between islands, from small local boats to fast catamarans, and a single ticket runs anywhere from about 10 euros for a short hop to 70 for a long high-speed route. Book ahead in July and August, as popular sailings sell out. For long distances, domestic flights out of Athens to Crete, Rhodes or Santorini often cost little more than the ferry and save a day. On land, the KTEL bus network is cheap and reliable, a single ride in Athens on the metro or bus is about 1.20 euros, and hiring a car makes sense on bigger islands like Crete and Naxos where the good beaches are spread out.
What to eat in Greece
Eating is half the reason we go. The everyday star is the gyros, seasoned meat or vegetables in a pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, and souvlaki skewers alongside. Sit-down tavernas do moussaka, grilled fish, Greek salad heavy with feta, and slow-cooked lamb. Finish with baklava or loukoumades, little honey doughnuts, and a strong Greek coffee. For a proper run-down of what to order on the islands, our notes on Greek food cover the dishes in detail. There are plenty of things to do in Greece beyond the beach, but the food is the one we plan around.
Pick your island, give Athens a couple of days and do not rush the ferries. For the official line on sites and seasons, Visit Greece is the tourist board and worth a look before you book. Kalo taxidi.
FAQs
Not in Athens or on small islands, where you walk or use buses and boats. On big islands like Crete, Naxos or Rhodes a car or scooter is worth it, since the good beaches and villages sit far apart and buses are slow.
Crete if you want variety and enough to fill two weeks, Naxos for an easy, good-value Cyclades island, or Kos and Rhodes for direct UK flights and a relaxed first taste. Save Santorini and Mykonos for a short, splurgy add-on.
By ferry, mostly. Book through an operator or at the port, and stick to islands in the same group so crossings are short. Between distant groups, a domestic flight through Athens is often faster and barely dearer than a long ferry.
Very. English is widely spoken in tourist areas, it is safe, and euros and cards work everywhere. A first trip of Athens plus one island is easy to plan and hard to get wrong.
For one island, or Athens plus a close island, yes. To combine the mainland and the islands properly, give it ten days or a fortnight so you are not living on boats.
It is not compulsory, but rounding up or leaving 5 to 10 percent at a taverna is normal and appreciated. Keep a few coins for that and for small island cafes that prefer cash.
