Getting to Greece by Land or Sea

By Land

Borders: Albania (212 km), Bulgaria (472 km), North Macedonia (234 km) and Turkey (192 km).

All neighboring countries have several border crossings open with Greece, and numerous buses or trains connect to each, particularly from Thessaloniki.

From France and Other Countries

By Car

France is roughly 2,000 to 2,500 km from the Greek border, making it possible to arrive with your own vehicle. However, you should plan to spend a significant amount of time in the country—and on the mainland—to make the journey and associated costs truly worthwhile. Additionally, crossing the Balkans has become somewhat discouraging for many, whether rightly or wrongly, so the route via Italy with a ferry crossing of the Adriatic is now widely preferred, along with the associated costs (between 60 and 100 € per crossing for a small car, depending on the season).

By Bus

This is another possible option, though it has the drawback that there are no longer direct routes between France and Greece, for example. You’ll need to transfer, often in a German city or a neighboring country, before continuing to Thessaloniki or Athens. Another option is to take a bus to an Italian port (Bari, Brindisi, Venice, etc.) and then one of the many ferries that connect to Greece. However, regardless of the choice, traveling from France (among other places) will still require some time, and prices are generally higher than flying.

By Train

Except for Albania, Greece is connected by train to its neighbors. The city of Thessaloniki, in the north, serves as a sort of hub, with at least one daily departure to the capitals of these countries and beyond. The national company, Trainose, manages the lines. As for coming from France or another Western European country, trains remain expensive compared to other modes of transport, except perhaps within the framework of the InterRail pass.

Ferries

Italy and Turkey are the only two countries with international ferry routes to Greece. While traffic to Italy is substantial, requires some time for crossings, and primarily serves motorists and campervanners from parts of Europe transporting their vehicles to Greece, traffic with Turkey is mainly local, involving smaller boats and short routes.

To/From Italy

Anek Lines, Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines, Superfast Ferries, and Ventouris Ferries are the companies operating routes between Italy and Greece. Overall, services from Bari or Brindisi are the shortest. Note that several routes to/from Patras also stop in Igoumenitsa, and there are no longer connections between Athens/Piraeus and Italy.

For pricing, expect at least 60 € per crossing in the low season for a pedestrian and the same for a small car, with at least a 50% increase in high season.

Igoumenitsa (northwest coast): Ancona (Anek/Superfast + Minoan), Bari (Anek/Superfast + Ventouris), Brindisi (Grimaldi), Trieste (Minoan), and Venice (Anek/Superfast).

Patras (Peloponnese): Ancona (Anek/Superfast + Minoan), Bari (Anek/Superfast), Brindisi (Grimaldi), Trieste (Minoan), and Venice (Anek/Superfast).

To/From Turkey

Seven Greek islands are connected by regular ferries to several nearby Turkish ports. Bodrum Express Lines, Ertürk Lines, Meander Travel, Tuana Maritime, and Yesil Marmaris are the small Turkish ferry companies operating these routes.

Chios: Cesme (Ertürk Lines).

Kalymnos: Bodrum (Bodrum Express).

Kos: Bodrum (Yesil).

Lesbos: Dikili and Ayvalik.

Rhodes: Bodrum (Bodrum Express + Yesil), Fethiye (Tuana Maritime), and Marmaris (Yesil).

Samos: Kusadasi (Meander).

Symi: Bodrum (Bodrum Express).

Other Maritime Access

Cargo

Cruises

Greece is a classic Mediterranean cruise destination. You’ll easily find numerous cruises that include it. Piraeus/Athens, Thessaloniki, Volos, Patras, and many islands (Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, etc.) are possible stops.