Health: as with any travelling reasonable health makes the trip pleasurable, if you are dependent on prescription medicines these must be clearly labelled and followed by a doctor’s letter.
Insurance: If you are an EU citizen, an E111 form will cover you for the most of emergency medical treatment, but not medical repatriation. Private personal travel insurance should be applied for before travelling, make sure this insurance covers you for all situations.
Air Travel: Athens is the centre for the major inter-continental, continental flights and domestic flights. Thessaloniki has flights to and from the major cities in Europe . The airports on the islands mainly cater for charter flights, and for domestic flights.
Overland: Vehicles may be brought into Greece , the vehicles must be covered by green card (International third party insurance), the vehicle will be registered in you passport to make sure you do not dump or sell the car in Greece . Though it is possible to drive to Greece , it is a long and strenuous journey. Driving through Eastern Europe can be a bit of a nightmare, and those who drive through Western Europe will find it expensive, due to fuel costs and toll stations. For those travelling to Greece from countries that drive on the left-hand side of the road, extra care should be taken, study the road signs, as some these differ from non-European countries.
PASSPORTS/VISAS
Travellers from EU countries require a valid passport to enter Greece , non- EU citizens should contact the Greek embassy or consulate, in their country in advance before travelling. Note that if you have visited or visiting the Turkish controlled region of Cyprus , and have a visa for that region in you passport, you will be refused entry. If travelling to the region ask the immigration to stamp the visa on a separate piece of paper rather than in your passport.
CUSTOMS
Since joining the EU, custom restrictions have been eased, however, random checks still occur in the search for prohibited substances (drugs). Drug laws are one of the strictest in Europe , if caught with even the smallest amount; this will result in a severe prison sentence. The quota for drinks etc; is 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, 1 litre of spirits, 2 litre of wine or liquor, 50 gram perfume and 250 ml of eau de toilette. Restrictions on import and export of money are unlimited, but if taking money out of Greece and the sum exceeds 1000 US Dollars in bank notes, you must declare this on entry. Regulations for the import of medicines is strict, if you are dependant on medicinal drugs, you must have a letter from your doctor before travelling. Tablets that contain Codeine are forbidden to take into Greece , unless covered by a doctor’s letter. The importation of Art and Antiques must be declared on arrival, so that they may be re-exported. The exportation of antiques (anything over 100 years old), from Greece is strictly forbidden, very severe sentences can be expected for this offence. It is also a very serious offence to remove even the smallest items form archaeological sites.
RAIL & SEA TRAVEL
Rail Travel: Rail travel can be expensive from Europe to Greece , unless you have Interail or Eurorail pass, and if travelling from northern Europe , it can take three or more days.
Sea Travel: It is possible to travel to Greece from Europe , regular services sail from, Italy , Turkey , though in the summer they are crowded. If travelling to Greece by car, advance booking is recommended. For more information on ferry, services to Greece look on the web site www.greekferries.gr. This includes websites for mainland and inter-island ferries.
