Getting around Greece: flights, ferries, buses, cars and scooters

ΑBetween islands: fly or sail?

Ferries are how most people move within an island group — see our ferry guide for routes, times and fares, and island hopping for routes that work. Domestic flights make sense when you are crossing between groups or going far: almost every route runs through Athens, so Rhodes to Corfu is two flights, not one. Naxos and Paros have short turboprop flights from Athens (about 50 minutes to Naxos); Milos takes only small aircraft. Islands without an airport are listed on our airports page.

In July and August the rule is the same for both: build in a buffer day before any international flight, because the meltemi cancels boats and small planes.

ΒOn the islands

KTEL buses are the public buses on the islands and the mainland: cheap, reliable on the main routes, thin on the back roads. On Santorini a ride is €2.20–2.70 in 2026; elsewhere expect a few euros. They are built around the main town and the big beaches, not the remote coves.

Hire cars make sense on the big islands — Crete, Naxos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Rhodes — and on Milos, where the best beaches are down dirt roads. In July and August, island rentals typically run around €50–100 or more a day; book ahead. Minimum age and licence requirements vary by company, so read the terms before you pay.

Scooters and quads (ATVs) are everywhere, typically €15–35 a day for a scooter and €20–30 for an ATV. Be careful: a standard car licence (category B) is generally understood to cover only 50cc scooters, while 125cc machines need a motorcycle category (A1, A2 or A) — and travel insurance often refuses claims without the right licence. Tighter rules for quads were announced in June 2026 but were not confirmed as law when we checked. Wear a helmet, whatever the rental shop says.

Car-free islands. Hydra has no cars: you walk, ride a donkey or take a water taxi to the beaches and around the coast. On Spetses private cars are restricted and mopeds do the work.

ΓTaxis

Every Greek taxi must accept card payment and give you a receipt; drivers who refuse risk a €1,000 fine. In Athens and Thessaloniki you can book through FREENOW (formerly Beat), and Uber operates with licensed taxis. From Athens airport to the centre there is a flat fare, around €40 by day and €55 at night. On the islands, taxis are few in high season — book transfers for ferry and flight times.

ΔDriving in Greece

A new Traffic Code (Law 5209/2025) has applied since 13 September 2025, with serious penalties: using a phone at the wheel costs €350 and a one-month licence suspension; driving with 0.50–0.80 g/l of alcohol costs €350 and 30 days off the road. The limit is 0.5 g/l, and 0.2 g/l for new and professional drivers.

Speed limits are typically 50 km/h in towns, 90 on open roads, 110 on expressways and 130 on motorways — follow the signs. Motorways are tolled; the Egnatia Odos in the north charges by distance. Mountain and island roads are narrow and slow: plan on less distance per hour than the map suggests, and do not drive the island roads after dark on a scooter. Drivers coming from Romania will find the route, border crossings and vignettes in our from Romania guide.