Driving

Greece has the second worst road safety record in Europe. Driving is often fast and aggressive and the cities are congested, particularly Athens.

Driving licences issued by EU member states are mutually recognised in Greece. Licences from the US, Canada, Australia and Japan can be converted to Greek ones without a driving test, provided the applicant is in possession of a residence permit. Cost is 58 Euros.

Importing a car

Tourists from other EU Member States, whose cars are registered in that EU State, are free to circulate in Greece for a period of six months without customs control. The car registration document and proof of ownership of a caravan or boat is required. Travellers should at all times be able to prove to the authorities when the car was brought into Greece.

To permanently import a car into Greece from another EU country a change of residence certificate is required. There are special tax concessions but other charges apply, and a lot of paperwork is involved. For more information contact the Greek Embassy in your home country.

Buses

There is a good network of bus routes across the mainland and islands run by a consortium of bus owners called KTEL.

Town buses run frequently within the suburbs. Villages are often served by just one or two buses a day.

Taxis

Taxis in Greece are reasonably cheap. There are taxi ranks at the airports, bus stations and in central locations in the towns. Taxis can also be hailed and stopped on the road. Sometimes they will pick up other passengers en-route, this is quite a normal and accepted practice particularly in Athens and other cities.

All taxis are installed with a meter and you should check that the driver turns it on when you get into the taxi, or for longer journeys you may wish to agree a price beforehand.

Tipping is the norm.