Greece Holiday Guide: Athens, the Islands and Halkidiki, Ferries and Mobile Data

Greece is two holidays in one: ancient Athens and a different island for every taste, from busy Mykonos to quiet Naxos. Plan the ferries and the heat a little, and the rest is easy. Here is what you need for a first trip.

Before you go

• Entry: Greece is in the EU and the Schengen area. Check the visa rules for your passport, and whether the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation has started, before you travel.
• Money: Greece uses the euro. Cards work almost everywhere, but keep some cash for small tavernas, kiosks and beach sunbeds.
• Mobile data: if your phone plan does not include EU roaming, data in Greece can be expensive. A Greece eSIM costs €2.29 for 3 GB and uses the Vodafone and Wind 5G networks.
• When to go: June and September are warm and less crowded. July and August are the hottest and busiest months, and ferries and rooms on the islands sell out.

Where to go

Athens in two days

• From the airport: metro line 3 runs to Syntagma in the centre in about 40 minutes. The X95 bus runs around the clock, and taxis charge a fixed fare to the centre.
• The Acropolis: buy a timed ticket online and go at opening time. In summer the hill gets very hot and crowded by late morning.
• Day 1: the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, then lunch in Plaka and a walk through Anafiotika.
• Day 2: the Ancient Agora, the Monastiraki flea market, Syntagma Square and the changing of the guard, sunset from Lycabettus Hill.

Opening hours, prices and booking rules change. Check the official sites before you go.

Getting to the islands

• Ports: most Cyclades ferries leave from Piraeus, the main port of Athens. Rafina, east of the airport, is closer for some islands such as Mykonos and Andros.
• Book ahead in summer: buy ferry tickets online weeks before a July or August trip, especially if you bring a car.
• Fast or slow: fast boats save hours but cost more and can be cancelled in strong wind. Large conventional ferries are cheaper and steadier.
• Island hopping: combine islands that are close to each other, for example Paros and Naxos, or Santorini and Ios.

Halkidiki and the north

Halkidiki's three peninsulas start about an hour from Thessaloniki. Kassandra is the busiest, with beach bars and nightlife. Sithonia is quieter, with pine forests and small coves. Regional KTEL buses run from Thessaloniki to the main resorts, but a car makes it much easier to find empty beaches. Thasos, Kavala and Parga are popular with families who drive down from the Balkans.

Practical tips

• Respect the heat: sightsee in the morning and late afternoon, carry water, and wear a hat in July and August.
• Tap water is fine in Athens and Thessaloniki. On many islands people drink bottled water.
• Sunbeds on organised beaches usually come with a fee or a minimum order from the beach bar.
• Covered shoulders and knees are expected in monasteries and churches.

Staying connected in Greece

Prices as of October 2026. Current prices are always on the Greece eSIM page.

• Ferries and ship networks: out at sea your phone can connect to the ship's own network, which charges very high roaming rates. Keep roaming off on your home SIM and use the eSIM for data.
• Coverage: towns and popular beaches have good 4G and 5G. Expect weaker signal on remote beaches and mountain roads, so download offline maps.
• Several countries on one trip? If you also visit Italy or Turkey, compare the regional plans on the eSIM store.

Buy the eSIM on rrugo.com/esim or in the RruGO app, and install it at home with our guide.