Overland Greece Travel

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Visiting Greece

Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.

Entering Greece with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: January 2017

Required Paperwork

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Greece, application instructions and fees see: Greece Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
Vehicle Registration, 3rd Party Insurance & Driving License are mandatory to enter to Greece

Process at border

Briefly describe the process at the border to enter with a vehicle

Cost of entry

Crossing land borders from Turkey, Albania, FYROM, Bulgaria & Italy (by ship) is free.

Permitted length of stay

A foreign registered vehicle can stay up to 6 months in any country within EU.

EU includes: Austria, Italy, Belgium, Latvia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Croatia, Luxembourg, Cyprus Malta, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Portugal, Finland, Romania, France, Slovakia, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Sweden & Ireland

However, you must pay extra attention and study carefully how long a person can stay in the Schengen Zone which allows only 3 months every 6 months per year.

The Schengen Member States include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland & Liechtenstein. More info about Schengen Zone Visa at: [[1]]

For example Switzerland, Norway or Liechtenstein belong to the Schengen Zone (which literally means free movement) but in the EU. Also countries like Serbia, Albania, FYROM, Bosnia or Belarus do not belong to any group (EU or Schengen Zone)

Extension of stay

Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle

Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.

Driving in Greece

Recommended books for Overlanding in Greece

Lonely Planet Greece (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Greece (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Korina Miller, Kate Armstrong, Alex...
From $14.34 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
Darwin's Footprint: Cultural Perspectives On Evolution...
Darwin's Footprint: Cultural Perspectives On Evolution...
by Maria Zarimis
From $21.00 on Amazon
TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide

TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide
by The Pin Project

at 10$ on thepinproject.eu

Travel insurance for Greece

World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.

Vehicle insurance requirements

Vehicle insurance is mandatory for all vehicles. Any 3rd party insurance is acceptable according to the law. You can buy online through the web. A cheap company that offers policies online is [2].

The famous Green Card goes automatically (and free of charge) with the national insurance but the vehicle must be registered in EU. Just ask it from your agent.

However, for foreign registered vehicles you will need what in Europe is called Temporary Frontier Insurance. More info & costs: [3] [4] [5]

Cost of vehicle insurance

The cost depends mainly on the value and the age of the car (as always). Expect to pay roughly €100.00 EUR for a 10 years old car for a 6 month basic policy and around €140.00 EUR for the full package.

Where to purchase vehicle insurance

Mostly online but also through an agent.

Driving license

Any EU issued Driving License or International Driving Permit are mandatory and must be shown in case of control from traffic police.

Driving side of road

Right.
RHD vehicles can be driven in Greece but must be exported upon completion of your tour which would rarely be a reason for bribery at border stations.

Mandatory items in vehicle

Traffic police will not check or expect you to have any special items in your car.

Roads

General Road quality

Give a brief description of the general road quality. Mention if one way streets are common.

Road signs

Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.

Toll roads

Toll roads is a mainstream for the Greek National Highways. Expect to pay from €1.50 EUR to €3.50 EUR for a sedan and less than €2.00 EUR for a motorbike. The HWY from Athens to Thessaloniki has about 11 toll stations for a distance of 550 kms and the cost is about €31.00 EUR (one way). A useful web resource with an interactive map is: [6]

Bribery in Greece

Bribery is totally uncommon in Greece. As long as you have all your documents (license, registration and insurance) sorted, you are fine. In case of traffic violations (speeding, seat belt) expect steep fines (over €200.00 EUR) unless you can flip the officials over (it can happen). Never try to bribe!

Checkpoints

describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.

Traveling with pets

List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.

Gas price in Greece and Diesel price in Greece

Last updated: July 2017

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Unleaded 95 €1.47 EUR per Liter
Unleaded 100 €1.68 EUR per Liter
Unleaded Super LRP €1.60 EUR per Liter
Autogas €0.76 EUR per Liter
Diesel €1.22 EUR per Liter

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency

Gas stations are wide available everywhere like any country in EU, North America etc. SHELL, BP, Aegean, EKO, JETOIL, AVIN are the most common

Gas and Diesel Quality

The quality of fuels in Greece is of high quality in general terms. When it is ridiculously cheap or there is a huge difference compared to the competition, always avoid the gas station (its not uncommon). Expect to find unleaded gasoline of 95 & 100 octanes as well as Unleaded Super LRP
Diesel quality is lower than gasoline as they tend to mix it with diesel for heating (its not common but happens). According to the national regulations, diesel must have min 55 cetanes and contain 10mg/kg of sulfur. Normally, you can expect to find from 51 to 54 cetanes. In big cities, you can find also Premium/ Ultimate Diesel (available at EKO, SHELL & BP) with more cetanes and better additives.

Natural Gas (Autogas) is also wide available. Expect to pay €0.76 EUR per Liter

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.

Vehicle parking

Discuss if vehicles can be parked on the street, if they are considered "safe" at night. If vehicles can not be parked on the street, list the other options that exist.

Special driving considerations

A List of special things to be careful of (i.e. Unsigned speed bumps, abnormal road rules, people or animals on the road, etc.).
List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.

Security advisories and information

Camping in Greece

Organized campgrounds are abundant in North, West & Central Greece, Peloponnese and most of the islands. They cater for all types of travelers such as tents, caravans-trailers and RVs. The facilities usually include everything (hot showers, power, shared kitchen, laundry, restaurant, mini market, organized beach (most of them), wifi, playgrounds etc. An extremely detailed web resource with camping in Greece is: [7]

Average price can range from €5.00 EUR to €30.00 EUR depending on the location of the camping, the season (July-August is considered to be the high season), the number of the people and the space they occupy.

Wild camping is quite common in Greece. If in a vehicle, you won't have any problems to park your car in a beach and enjoy the surroundings. Peloponnese, Evoia, Crete & West Greece has to offer lots of them. Camping with a tent in a beach is officially forbidden but lots of Greeks do it during the summer. According to the law, if your tent is not standing, it is OK. Lots of people put them down during the day so police cannot charge them. In general terms, it is safe to camp everywhere and most beaches have plenty of facilities for the wild campers.

Camping guide books

List and link to books specifically for camping.

Drinking water

Tap water is safe to drink almost everywhere. In Thessaloniki, it is advisable to buy bottled water.

Navigation

Paper maps

Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Greece

Rhodes (rodos, Greece) 1:80,000 Hiking Map, Waterproof...
Rhodes (rodos, Greece) 1:80,000 Hiking Map, Waterproof...
by Reise Knowhow
From $12.95 on Amazon
Greece (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Greece (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $8.31 on Amazon
Greece (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Greece (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $8.31 on Amazon
Lonely Planet Crete (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Crete (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Alexis Averbuck, Kate Armstrong, Ko...
From $9.45 on Amazon

GPS Maps of Greece

Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa). (with links to each).

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Greece

  • iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.

Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.

Special Overland Travel interests

List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

Add known good mechanics here.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Greece

Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle. List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.

Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'

References

Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.


Helpful External links

Add any helpful external links here.