A Few Things to Know Before Traveling from America to Greece

Traveling to a new territory is usually fun if you know your way around. It can be more of a nightmare than fun and games if you do not know your way around. A lot goes into the planning of a trip. You have to consider the best way to move around when you reach your destination, the best time to visit, the ideal duration, how much money you need to take along, the language barrier, accommodation, etc.

Greece is a fun place to visit, with tourist attractions at every turn; choosing the places to visit while in Greece can be a tough decision. Greek is most widely spoken in Greece; getting past the language barrier may be an issue. Going through all you need to put in place before traveling can be very stressful, and suck all the fun out of the trip, hence the need to be mentally prepared for the journey.

Getting a fulfilling experience on your trip to Greece requires understanding a few things about your dream destination, especially the places you will visit. Greece is located in Southeastern Europe and is on a criss-cross between Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is officially known as the Hellenic Republic. To the North, Greece is bordered by North Macedonia and Bulgaria, Albania on the Northwest, and Turkey in the Northeast.

Greece covers a landmass of 132,000 Km² and has 227 inhabited islands within its borders. The current capital of Greece is Athens, and it doubles as the largest city in Greece. Every year, Greece welcomes thousands of tourists, and many islands are usually choked with tourists. Christianity is the predominant religion in Greece; they drive on the right side of the road and have a calling code of +30.

Traveling to new territories usually requires the visitors to own an international passport from their home country and visas permitting them to travel to the country of their destination.

Greece is a member of the Schengen zone. The Schengen zone is a collection of 26 countries with visa-free entry among themselves. There is a Schengen visa available for visitors to travel freely around the 26 countries of the Schengen area. As an , however, you are not required to provide a Schengen visa before entering Greece. American visitors must provide only their passports to gain access to Greece.

In Greece, the official language spoken is Greek; however, English is a widely spoken language. Although English is widely spoken, the locals enjoy it when you talk Greek with them. They appreciate the effort when trying to learn their language, even if it is just the basics like hello, goodbye, and thank you. Greek is a fairly easy language to learn. Many Greek words are used in English, making it even easier to learn the language. Some local areas may have dialects peculiar to their regions; however, they would still understand Greek and English; to be safe, learn a few basic words in Greek.

In Greece, Euro is the official currency, and you are to collect a receipt for every purchase you make, and it must clearly show local taxes. Due to the possible scarcity of credit card facilities in local areas, it is advised that you have cash with you at all times.

Visitors come around to Greece to enjoy their culture. The cultural background in Greece is known for its hospitality, food, visual art, music, and architecture. Greek culture was known to influence Western culture, art, and culture significantly. There is no need for museums to showcase the history of Greece because the whole country is a museum on its own. It is home to over 300 museums that preserve artifacts and items from the past.

Visitors from America and other parts of the world tend to arrive in Greece through the international airport in Athens. Apart from the international airport in Athens, there are other airports on the mainland in Kalamata, Thessaloniki, Preveza, and Kavala. There are also airports on Corfu, Rhodes, and Santorini islands. You can also arrive in Greece through private yachts and cruise ships. Due to the visa-free passage enjoyed by the members of the Schengen zone, Americans can travel to a nearby Schengen member state and come into Greece through road or rail.

After knowing the best ways to travel to Greece, you want to know the best time to visit Greece. There is almost no wrong time to visit Greece. Every season has its benefits and what it has to offer tourists. Visitors are always at their peak at Easter, in July and August. Unless you love the rush, you may want to visit in May, June, and September, as they have optimum weather conditions that allow tourists to enjoy the environment. However, if you visit in winter, you can still go skiing, mountain climbing, and explore museums, so there is no wrong time to visit Greece.

When you arrive in Greece from America, your accommodation is the first thing you need to sort. Greece has many unique accommodations that will be special and fun to stay in, such as a cave house, converted windmill, Glamping tents, and boats. Private villas, Airbnb, and apartments are readily available for you in Greece. You should apply for your accommodation before leaving America because most of the hotels that give you great views of the landscape are filled up real fast. Last-minute booking will most likely get you rooms on the outskirts, with no landscape views and probably less renovated.

Plan your itinerary and start booking your accommodation as soon as possible. Your accommodations should be based on your itinerary. If you plan to visit multiple islands, you may consider having multiple accommodations in your destination islands.

There are no best places to visit in Greece, as there are a million lovely places to spend time in; choosing the best is more of a herculean task. Starting with archeological sites, Greece is filled with sites that take you back in time. There are monuments and ruins of ancient times, like the stadium and training grounds in Olympia, the temple of Zeus, and Ancient Thera. Of the monuments left in Greece, 18 have been crowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with another 16 being considered.

The islands are the most photographed and visited places in Greece, and the mention of Greece brings pictures of white sandy beaches and clear waters to mind. There are six island groups in Greece - the Saronic islands, Crete, the Sporades Islands, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, and the Northern Aegean islands. Of the six island groups, the Cyclades is the most famous of them all because it contains Mykonos and Santorini - the most visited and photographed islands of all. There are over 2000 islands in Greece, and only about 170 are inhabited. Some islands are more inclined toward couples, while others are more family-oriented. Solo travelers also have islands that are suited for them.

Away from the islands, the mainland has a lot to offer. It may not be quite as popular, but it holds beauty and is a great place to visit. Meteora, for example, has beautiful monasteries 1200 feet above ground placed on the tips of high rising mountains. Delphi and Olympia are also other sights to see on the mainland. Mycenae, Skiathos, Khalkidhiki, Santorini, Nafplio, Corfu, Knossos, Rhodes, and Athens are the most visited places in Greece. To not get overwhelmed by choice of locations to visit, ensure to plan an itinerary before traveling.

There are a thousand and one places to visit in Greece, and without an itinerary, it may be challenging to navigate. However, before you can adequately form an itinerary, you need to know how many days to develop the itinerary around; hence the million-dollar question -" How many days are enough?"

The best answer to the million-dollar question will probably be - Forever; however, this is not feasible for most visitors from America. How long is feasible? Ideally, you should spend a minimum of two weeks in Greece to catch a glimpse. To enjoy the most of what Greece offers, you should plan to spend between 4 and 6 weeks. It will take about seven days to explore Athens and the island and another seven days to explore Crete. Spending 5 days on the Greek islands would allow you to explore only two islands in-depth. If you have more time to spare, ensure to explore more islands.

After identifying the best places to visit and the duration, you can spend in Greece; next, you need to work on your itinerary. Without an itinerary, there is a high possibility of performing the Greek Golden circle. The Greek Golden circle goes from Athens to Santorini, to Mykonos, and back. Setting an itinerary should cover your interests and budgets and manage your short stay in Greece. There are many free itinerary templates available online that you can download and fill up.

Now that you have formed your itinerary and highlighted the places you will visit in Greece, the next is to sort out your transportation means across these locations. Most island groups have airports in them, meaning that you can easily travel by air within island groups which are easier and faster.

You can also travel between islands on ferries. The ferries shuttling the Greek islands are some of the most effective. They are, however, more expensive than airfares. Due to Greece's position on coastal lines, authorities can cancel air and ferry trips due to high winds. Some trains and buses allow tourists to get around the island. Understand that the trains and buses may not be as modern as expected, but they get the job done perfectly. Another option will be traveling by taxi or renting a car. If you opt to drive hired cars, ensure to obtain a local map and do not just rely on digital maps. You can come across some unique forms of transportation like horses and donkeys.

To explore Greece's beauty, it is advised that you settle into the hands of professional tour companies to give you an accurate history and take you to interesting sites in Greece. The duration and events to cover during your tour are dependent on you, the time you have to spend, and what you fancy. Some tours are more laid back, allowing you to take your time to enjoy the scenery, while others are fast, making you cover a lot in one sweep. Some tours are more suited for couples, some for families, and others for solo travelers. Some tours last for only a few hours, while others last the duration of the holiday.

When you subscribe to a professional touring company, you can work around the tour modalities to suit your peculiar needs. Be sure to book a tour before you leave America for Greece, and it gives you a better deal.

While on a trip to Greece, you want to make sure you stay connected to the internet and are reachable on the phone. Most hotels, public restaurants, cafes, and airports offer free Wi-Fi to help you stay connected. You can also choose to perform international roaming on your sim while on holiday.

Most tourists choose to go for cheap burner phones and local lines when they arrive in Greece, especially if they plan to stay long. Whatever choice you decide to go with, keep Greece's emergency numbers within reach.

When traveling to Greece, you want to make sure you travel light. Traveling within Greece usually entails jumping between ferries, buses, and trains. To help you enjoy your trip, travel light and take only the essentials. There are stores around where you can purchase the items you need.

Some of the essential things to include in your luggage are your passport, travel insurance, toiletries, insect repellent, sunscreen, swimwear, shorts, tops, flip-flops, a pair of sneakers, and surf shoes. You may also take sunshades and sunglasses, but you can easily purchase them on the island.

Travel insurance is needed and essential when traveling from the US to Greece. Travel insurance takes charge of any mishap like illness, accidents, and natural disasters during the trip. Without travel insurance, fixing damages or paying hospital bills in Greece can be gruesome. After booking your flight, shop around for the ideal insurance that covers all your needs if you have no travel insurance.