How To Reach Greece

The land of one of the oldest and most culturally rich way of life, Greece has been called the cradle of Western civilisation often, and reasonably so. Situated on the easternmost edge of Europe, Greece has always been the buffer from west to the east. Crusaders crossed this land, Mongols and Turks did, Christian missionaries did too. Hence it is no surprise today that one can easily traverse this country. The best way to reach Greece is by air, although trains and cars also ply inwards. Cruises are a luxurious option.

Elefthérios Venizélos International Airport in Athens is the main airport for flights coming in from abroad. Regular flights operate from Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai (connecting as well as direct), with an average flight duration of 10-12 hours. This is rather the best way to reach Greece from India. Once outside the airport, you can pick a car-on-hire or hail a taxi to take you to your destination. You will need to apply for a visa at least 30 days in advance as the processing can take a while (a minimum of 15 days). Generally a short term visa (90 days) is granted.

There are no trains from Mumbai or Delhi to Greece, but you sure have options of lots of trains going in to Greece from neighbouring European countries like Turkey, Croatia, Netherlands and Italy. Travelling by trains can be old fashioned and slower but the experience is magical. With rolls of sceneries to soak in, you might just not want to get off when you reach your destination. What’s more is, train tickets are slightly cheaper and can be bought at lots of discounted prices, especially if you are a student.

A road trip from India to Greece is not impossible, that is to say that you will have to cross the borders of countries like Pakistan, Iran and Turkey to get to Greece. It makes for a long, hassle-filled tiring journey of around 15 days, and not much worth if you are really not that passionate about it. A road trip however is great if undertaken from Turkey or Bulgaria or Romania into Greece. The roads are very well made and maintained, cleaving through stunning sceneries and idyllic little villages with thatched roof houses and wicker basket industries.

Greek Cruises are all the rage. If you are not planning to sail to Greece from India, you must definitely consider a tour of the obscure Greek Islands by signing up for one of the Greek or Mediterranean cruises. Most tourist friendly Greek Islands are connected by these cruises and welcome guests with open arms. Some of the best small ships that sail across include Classical Greece, The Adriatic Odyssey, Jewels of the Cyclades and Voyage to Antiquity. Sea Cloud, Sea Dream and Galileo are special Greek island cruises.