Sailing in Greece - Traffic Connection

Road signs are easy to understand since they contain no text and most resemble European signs. Wearing seat belts is mandatory and at times police "blocks" are set-up to enforce the rule.

Drivers encounter a wide variety of roads in Greece. Athens is connected to other major cities in Greece via modern multi-lane closed highways, and all major towns in Greece are connected via the old interstate road system. Rural one-lane per direction roads in various states of repair connect the towns to smaller villages, and make-shift paved paths, and dirt roads allow drivers to access remote parts of Greece. Gas stations in Greece are efficient and plentiful, save for the most remote areas of Greece and offer a variety of services to the travellers.

All gas stations offer unleaded fuel and close around 7:00 PM on weekdays, and for the whole day on Sundays. By law, at least one gas station must remain open in each area at night and on Sundays. If you are driving in a town desperate for gas during a night or in the weekend, ask the locals to point you towards the one gas station that is open in the town. The great majority of gas stations is attached to a mini market where you can buy auto accessories, food, drinks or ice cream.

Greek taxis are very cheap by European standards. All licensed taxis are equipped with metres (the fare is charged per km) and display a card detailing the latest valid tariffs and surcharges. In certain tourist areas, you may be asked to pay a predetermined (standard) amount for a ride to a specific destination; thus, before boarding a taxi make sure to seek information from another source on the exact fare for the journey. Before using a taxi, you should also be aware of the following:

• For taxis throughout the country : 0.32 € (Tariff 1) and 0.60 € (Tariff 2). Also 1 € for initial charge (flagdown rate).
• For rural taxis throughout the country :0.28 € per km if the passenger is to return to the point of hire (Return trip Tariff 1) and 0.56 € per km in case he does not return to the point of hire (Single trip Tariff 2)

Other surcharges:

• Waiting time per hour: 7.90 €
• Passengers' luggage: 0.30 € for every piece of luggage weighing over 10 kg

Late night surcharge: 0.60 € Tariff 2, applying from 24:00h until 05:00h.

Surcharges from airport, ferry, railway or intercity coach terminals:

• From railway, port and intercity coach terminals: 0.80 €
• From/to "Eleftherios Venizelos" Athens International Airport 3 €, "Macedonia" Thessaloniki Airport 2.50 € and other airports 2 €
• Radio taxi extra charge: 1.50 € (simple call),2.50 € (appointed time & place).

Minimum charge:2.50 € for Athens and Piraeus, 2.70 € for the rest of the country.

Taxi driver's obligations:

• He should carry passenger's luggage from the pavement to the vehicle and vice versa.
• He is not entitled to deny you a ride and cannot pick up extra passengers without your permission.
• Passenger may request a waiting time up to 15 minutes, or more if there is a serious reason.
• Upon passenger's request, the driver is obliged to issue an invoice stating the route and mileage of the fare paid.

There are numerous reliable car rental agencies catering to the needs of private individuals with readily available cars, motorbikes or mopeds. These agencies can operate only if licensed by the Greek National Tourist Organisation (G.N.T.O.) and require a valid national driving license. Before rental, make sure that the vehicle has adequate insurance cover (against accident, theft, fire, etc). For more information on car rental agencies without chauffeur service, as well as on procedures and conditions of rental, contact:

• ASSOCIATION OF GREEK CAR RENTAL COMPANIES
  Viltanioti 31, Kifissia 14 564 - Athens
  Tel.: 210 6264032 - Fax : 210 6264039
• Panhellenic Federation of Car & Motorbike Rental Agencies
  12, Miliara Str. - 71 201 Heraklion, Crete
  Tel: 2810 280914 - Fax : 2810 281943 - E-mail : iniohos@hol.gr

The intercity bus system in Greece is very efficient and if you do your homework you can travel anywhere in the Greek mainland with the "KTEL" (intercity) green coloured busses. Every city has a KTEL bus station and the locals would be happy to direct you. There are two kinds of public busses in Greece:

1. Busses that traverse the neighbourhoods in large cities like Athens, Thessaloniki, Patra, Heraklion, etc. These busses also serve the surrounding villages.
   Prices for these busses cost 0.50 € per trip
2. Busses that travel between the major towns of Greece.
   Prices for these routes vary considerably depending on the distance. The whole intercity bus system is designed with Greeks and locals in mind, so they are very efficient, and prices are affordable.

From the 16 international airports of Greece only Athens and Thessaloniki receive regular flights from abroad. All other airports in the islands and towns of the mainland are served by frequent connecting flights from the two large cities and during the summer they accommodated numerous charter flights. The distances within Greece are small, so the furthest destination would be about half hour flight from Athens. The Greek carrier Olympic Airways and its subsidiaries offer the majority of flights within Greece.

Greece's railway network is approximately 2,500 km long, covering a large part of the mainland and linking the country with central Europe and Turkey. Transport of passengers, luggage and driver-accompanied vehicles is ensured by regular daily service. Timetables are determined on a yearly basis. Greek railroads meet high technical standards, comprising trains of the Intercity type (express or regular) and regular trains (high-speed rail). When travelling by rail, observe the architecture of old stations along the route, most of which were built in the late 19th century and constitute unique symbols of the early industrial architecture.
For more information on itineraries contact Hellenic Railways Organisation.