Greece has so many destinations, both on the mainland and through the islands, that it's hard to pick just one! There are iconic cities you've heard of like Athens, but there are others that go a bit under the radar (ahem, Corfu).
If you only have a few days in Greece, don't worry because you can still fit an incredible experience in a short amount of time.
You'll want to prioritize locations that are the easiest to get to (typically near an airport) so that you don't waste time traveling around. But you also want to pick a destination that has the wow factor. Let's go through some of the most popular destinations that fit those goals.
Flight Tips
Budget Airlines
Europe is amazing for getting from country to country because there are budget airlines that often have crazy good deals. Flight to Greece for $40? Yes please.
I often check for routes on airlines like Ryanair and Wizzair, but there are a bunch of out there. There's also some pros and cons of using budget airlines — I love a good cheap flight but there are just some things to know (like how to avoid hidden fees). We've written a whole blog post about using budget airlines in Europe here.
Comparing Your Options
While you may want to start with budget airlines, it's good to know all of your options. One drawback of budget airlines is that they often only fly to a particular destination a couple days a week. So it's pretty common that you'll jump onto their site and see that they fly to that city in Greece ... but only on Mondays and Thursdays.
Plus, there are so many airlines in Europe that we really can't list them all out here for you.
My go-to search tool is Google Flights. It's a classic, and it works. It can help you see which airlines fly from your city to your destination, on the days that you want to go. And this way you can compare whether you want to pay a little bit more for one airline because the flight times work better, or whether there's a budget airline out there that you weren't aware of.
Athens, Greece
We have to start with the capital and heart of the country! It's a destination all on its own, but it's also the hub of Greece and a stepping stone to getting to other parts of the country and surrounding islands. If you wanted to fit more than one Greece destination into one quick trip, you might want to pair Athens with another stop. From here, ILP volunteers have taken a flight over to Santorini, or you could even take a ferry from the Piraeus port to another island.
Come for the history. The Acropolis and the Parthenon are absolute must-sees while you're here to get a glimpse at ancient Greece.
There's also a flea market of your dreams here called Monastiraki Market. It's the perfect place for souvenir shopping. You will find cheesy, classic tourist things (like statues of your favorite Greek goddess and keychains), but you will also stumble upon real antiques and beautiful art. More popular souvenirs include olive wood bowls and spoons, anything painted with that iconic "blue eye", leather sandals, and more. Past ILP groups recommend blocking out time to really explore the shops and cafes here if you want to do some shopping. There's also a charming neighborhood around the area — if you have time to wander I'd definitely recommend setting out to take a peek.
Tips for ILP Volunteers
Wizzair has budget prices for direct flights to Athens:
- Bucharest, Romania — Athens, under 2 hours
There are other various airlines that offer non-stop routes to Athens as well:
- Sofia, Bulgaria — Athens, 1.5 hours
- Warsaw Modlin, — Athens, 2.5 hours
Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki is a Greek port city sitting up north, closer to neighboring countries like Bulgaria.
Come here if you loved Athens and want more history and Greek ruins. It's often called the co-capital, so it's a similar experience as Athens but with new sites. If you're interested in religious history, ancient Thessaloniki pops up in the apostle Paul's writings as he visits "Thessalonica" to preach in the synagogues about Christ. Fun fact: There's actually groups known as "Paul-chasers" who come to this part of the world to experience sites referenced in Bible stories.
Tips for ILP Volunteers
Coming from Sofia, Bulgaria:
If you're looking to save money, there are buses that run between Sofia and Thessaloniki for cheap (as low as around $20 USD each way) and the ride takes about 5 hours. This could be such a fun and unique trip that doesn't break the bank over a 4 day weekend.
You can also fly between the two cities, but there aren't routes on budget airlines so it's a bit more of an investment (usually in the $200-300 range). And because there isn't a direct flight, you'll have a layover which means the journey is still typically 3-4 hours. If you're not looking for the steep budget option that bus provides, you could fly to Athens first and then take another 1 hour direct flight from Athens to Thessaloniki. That way you get two cities in one!
Ryanair has budget prices for direct flights to Thessaloniki:
- Bucharest, Romania — Thessaloniki, 1.5 hours
- Warsaw Modlin, — Thessaloniki, 2 hours
Skiathos, Greece
Skiathos is an island that sits about halfway between Thessaloniki and Athens, just off the mainland. Because it's so close, it's another great option if you're looking to pair an island destination with a trip to Athens. You could even take a ferry from Athens to get here; it's just about a 2-3 hour ride and it gets you beautiful views on the way!
Skiathos town has white homes topped with bright orange roofs that line the coast. It's so pretty! There's also loads of beaches here to enjoy. Koukounaries Beach is the most famous; it's a long stretch a fine white sand beach backed by pine forests, with that crystal clear sea green water that everyone's looking for. You've got to take a boat ride over to Lalaria Beach. It's a cove holding with a pebbly beach and rock arches.
Tips for ILP Volunteers
If a budget airline's route works for your schedule, take it! They typically have such great deals to Skiathos. Ryanair has budget prices for direct flights to Skiathos:
- Sofia, Bulgaria — Skiathos, 1 hour
- Bucharest, Romania — Skiathos, 1.5 hours
Coming from Warsaw, Poland:
I couldn't find a direct flight, but if you've got time for layover you could get here that way. You could also use the trick of coming to Athens first, then taking a ferry over to Skiathos.
Corfu, Greece
Corfu is a Greek island off the northwestern coast, and not only is it beautiful, but there's an airport that makes it super accessible. It's actually a fairly large island, with so much to see and do. It's known for lush greenery surrounding the sandy beaches and lots of historical ruins and sites. The locals are friendly here, and it's typically going to give you a more relaxed experience than the overly famous Greek island spots.
Walk around Corfu Town (which is a UNESCO heritage site), enjoy a morning swim before laying out on the sandy beach, take a boat tour to see the coastline, explore ruins, or even swing by the water park.
Tips for ILP Volunteers
Ryanair has budget prices for direct flights to Corfu:- Bucharest, Romania — Corfu, 1.5 hours
- Sofia, Bulgaria — Corfu, 1 hour
- Warsaw Modlin, — Corfu, 2.5 hours
Chania, Greece
Chania is a city on the northwestern coast of Crete, the biggest Greek island (sitting just south of Santorini. If you're a budget traveler like me, it's good to know that Crete is known as being one the best Greek islands for that. It's big enough that it can offer multiple options, no matter what you're budget is. And although it gets its fair share of vactioners, it's not quite as traveled as other big name Greek islands, so the prices aren't raised so much for tourism.
It's especially known for the harbor that sits just off Old Town, lined with a rainbow of colorfully painted buildings, backed by the old Venetian lighthouse and the surrounding blue-green sea of Crete. It actually reminds me a bit of the Amalfi coastline in Italy.
But in true Greek island style, you're also not short on beaches ... and some say they're some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. One in particular to check out is the Balos Lagoon. There are beaches close to Chania, but if you have time to travel further west on the island, Elafonisi beach is quite unique and popular. If the conditions are just right, tiny fragments of broken red shells mixed with the white sand can create a "pink sand" affect right at the shoreline. It's pretty stunning in conjunction with the turquoise water!
Tips for ILP Volunteers
Ryanair has budget prices for direct flights to Chania:
- Bucharest, Romania — Chania, 2 hours
- Sofia, Bulgaria — Chania, 1.5 hours
- Warsaw Modlin, — Chania 3 hours
Santorini, Greece
This island needs no introduction as it's one of the most famous islands. It's also where so many of our ILP volunteers want to head to when they're visiting Greece, and we don't blame them!
When you're dreaming of a trip to Greece, it's probably iconic images of Santorini that are popping into your head of the blue domed roofs and the white homes sitting on the hill overlooking the sea.
Tips for ILP Volunteers
Wizzair has budget prices for direct flights to Santorini:
- Bucharest, Romania — Santorini, 2 hours
- Warsaw Modlin — Santorini, 3 hours
- Come Live In Europe For 3 Months As An ILP Volunteer!
Traveling all over Europe is a total dream trip, but you know what's even better? Actually living here for a few months! Picture getting an authentic experience of living in a local apartment, eating the traditional food, and making friends with locals.
With International Language Programs, we take care of all the arrangements so that you can have actually make those experiences become a reality. We take care of your housing and get you set up with a group of other college-age volunteers so that you have built in travel buddies to do it all with. You'll also volunteer part-time, working with local kids, either helping them learn English or spending time in the orphanage program. There's plenty of free time and vacation to travel around Europe and see places like Greece too!
