Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
correct station for your destination. In small towns and villages the 'bus station' may be no
more than a bus stop outside a
kafeneio
(coffee house) or taverna that doubles as a
booking office.
»
In remote areas, the timetable may be in Greek only, but most booking offices have
timetables in both Greek and Roman script.
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It's best to turn up at least 20 minutes before departure to make sure you get a seat,
and buses have been known to leave a few minutes before their scheduled departure.
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When you buy a ticket you may be allotted a seat number, which is noted on the ticket.
The seat number is indicated on the
back
of each seat of the bus, not on the back of the
seat in front; this causes confusion among Greeks and tourists alike.
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You can board a bus without a ticket and pay on board but, on a popular route or during
high season, this may mean that you have to stand.
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The KTEL buses are safe and modern, and these days most are air conditioned - at
least on the major routes. In more-remote rural areas they tend to be older and less com-
fortable. Buses on less-frequented routes do not usually have toilets on board and stop
about every three hours on long journeys.
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Smoking is prohibited on all buses in Greece.
Car & Motorcycle
No one who has travelled on Greece's roads will be surprised to hear that the country's
road fatality rate is one of the highest in Europe. More than 1000 people die on the roads
every year, with ten times that number of people injured. Overtaking is listed as the
greatest cause of accidents.
Heart-stopping moments aside, your own car is a great way to explore off the beaten
track. The road network has improved enormously in recent years; many roads marked as
dirt tracks on older maps have now been asphalted and many of the islands have very
little traffic. There are regular (if costly) car-ferry services to almost all islands.
