Flying is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way of getting to Greece from northern Europe. What’s more, scheduled flights are so competitively priced that it’s hardly worth hunting around for charter cheapies. Overland travel (buses and trains) between northern Europe and Greece is virtually a thing of the past. All too often, direct travel from this region is prohibitively expensive and difficult.

If you fancy arriving by water there are ferries to Patras from Ancona, Brindisi, Bari, Trieste and Venice, stopping at either Corfu or Igoumenitsa on the way. In summer you can get ferries from Bari and Brindisi to Kefallonia.

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.

There are 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.

By land, there are road connections from Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia.

There are ferries from Trieste, Venice, Ancona, Brindisi and Bari in Italy, and from various Aegean ports in Turkey. There are also boats from Israel and Cyprus.