How Much Does a Trip to Greece Cost? Greece Travel Cost Breakdown

Is Greece Expensive? How Much Would a Trip to Greece Cost?

Are you starting to plan a trip to Greece and want to create a budget guideline for your trip? You might be wondering exactly how much a trip to Greece costs? The truth is, a trip to Greece can run the gamut.

 If you stay on the mainland and create an itinerary around Athens and Meteora, you can keep Greece vacation costs low. However, if you plan to visit a lot of Greek islands, prices can add up quickly. That’s because ferries aren’t as cheap as you might think. 

But, let’s stop generalizing how much it is to go to Greece and start to break down the different costs associated with travel to Greece. 

The first being…

Cost of Flights to Greece

How much is a flight to Greece?

Greece flight costs to Athens are generally pricier than many other destinations in Europe if you are coming from North America. That’s because there aren’t direct flights on Norwegian to Athens from North America. While you might see prices in the $200 range from Los Angeles to Barcelona or London or Copenhagen, you won’t see the same to Athens for this reason. 

The good news is that you might be able to work some magic and find flights to some of these destinations for that $200 price point and then find your own connecting flight to Athens on a European airline like easyjet, Ryanair, Vueling, Aegean, etc.

 Here’s a few things to keep in mind if you go this route (which I have done many times btw): 1) Make sure you are taking a nonstop flight across the ocean by filtering for this option on Google Flights. 2) Give yourself ample time for a layover because you will need to go through customs, get your checked baggage if you are not taking a carry-on, and may even need to switch terminals. I like to find a five hour layover just to be sure. This is probably overkill, but it gives me peace of mind.  

If you use this tactic and are flying in and out of London, make sure that you check the airport code as there are multiple airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City). You do NOT want to have to switch between them to catch your next flight. Not only is it expensive, but these airports are not close to each other. 

You can also fly to Athens “for free” if you use miles from your credit card. Aegean Airlines is part of the Star Alliance network, so if you have a United Mileage Plus credit card or fly United regularly to build miles with their partners, then you have a good chance of finding a flight to Athens on miles. 

You should be able to find economy flights for around 30,000 miles and anywhere between $5.60 and $100 something in taxes depending on how early you book. United charges a fee for booking last minute. 

Business class will run you more. There are Business Saver seats for 70,000 miles but I rarely, if ever, come across them. Typically, you’ll need 155,000 miles for a one-way business class seat. 

I typically fly one-way using miles and then book a nonstop on Nowegian to or from North America to Europe for about $300 with an additional two(ish) hour flight with a European airline for around $150. 

If you simply want to go ahead and book a roundtrip flight to Athens, I would say that you should budget an average of $800 per person for that roundtrip flight. 

Cost of Accommodations in Greece

Generally, accommodations are affordable in Greece. However, there are two glaring exceptions to this rule. If you plan on visiting Mykonos or Santorini, you should expect to pay a good amount of money. 

For most destinations in Greece, you’re looking at around 100-150 euros for a clean, well-reviewed apartment or a more luxury property in the 250 euro range. The earlier you can book the better because prices do increase as we get closer to the summer months — high season for Greece. 

I typically use TripAdvisor to look up hotel reviews and book apartments through Booking.com. I find that Booking has a much wider selection of apartments and the cancellation policy is incredibly flexible. I am also a Genius member because I have booked multiple properties with them and although Booking.com’s loyalty program isn’t the best out there, I do get to enjoy the slightly discounted rates and other small perks. 

Plan on staying in a villa in Mykonos or a cave hotel in Oia on Santorini? Expect costs to be anywhere from $500-2000 a night during peak season. 

If you just had sticker shock, don’t cancel your flight just yet! It is possible to spend time on these two islands and stay within a more comfortable price range. 

Santorini on a budget: I discuss this at length in my Greece Itinerary post, but I recommend staying in Thira, the main town on Santorini for the majority of the nights as the pricepoint is cheaper than the town of Oia (the blue and white facade locale where every photo is Santorini is taken). You can then stay overnight in Oia for one or two nights as opposed to your whole vacation. I have a post dedicated to the best Airbnbs in Santorini which suggests a variety of options within a range of prices. 

Mykonos on a budget: It’s ideal to stay in walking distance to Mykonos Town during your time in Mykonos unless you are there strictly to party in which case you should stay at the Tropicana near Paradise Beach. The good thing about Mykonos is that it is really easy to rent a quad or a vespa to get around the island if you are staying a bit further out. Just make sure to get your International Driver’s Permit before your trip so you are able to rent. If not, there is a local bus that you can take around the island, but that won’t give you quite as much flexibility. 

Cost of Transport in Greece 

The cost of transport in Greece is what really differentiates the country from others that are also on the Euro. In Spain, for example, you can take the costly AVE high speed train to travel between major cities, but you also have the option to take a bus for a very affordable price. In Italy, trains between popular destinations like Rome and Florence are very affordable. 

However, if you wish to travel between the Greek Islands, you will need to travel by ferry or flight. You can use Ferryhopper to estimate and book ferries between islands and compare that with flight options on Google Flights. I wasn’t sure initially if the online ferry ticket prices were the same as if I bought in person at the port, but learned that as long as you book from a reputable company like Ferryhopper or Ferries.gr, the price will be the same. 

I go into all the nitty gritty in my Greek Island Hopping Routes post, but when booking your trip to Greece, you need to figure out the island hopping logistics prior to booking flights and accommodation. That’s because it isn’t quite as intuitive as you might think. One might look at a map and think that since Rhodes and Crete look reasonably close to one another, you can take a ferry between them, but one would be wrong. You will need to fly between the two Dodecanese Islands. 

When you are deciding between flight or ferry, make sure to account for the time it would take you to get to and from the airport and board the plane. For example, a flight from Athens to Mykonos is 35 to 50 minutes and the ferry time is around 3-6 hours. After all is said and done, travel time ends up being a similar amount. 

Finally, I recommend that you stay overnight in the same place that you will fly home from. I thought I had time to take a morning ferry from Paros to Mykonos to catch a flight from the Mykonos airport, but high winds caused a two hour ferry delay and 40 people on that ferry missed my same flight. 

Each island has varying forms of transportation to get around. For example, in Paros, you can take a bus to nearby towns for just 3.60 round trip. That’s a steal! If you want to rent a vespa, quad bike or dune buggy to get around an island, expect to pay around 30-50 euro a day. 

Cost of Food in Greece 

You’ll be pleased to learn that food cost can be extremely affordable in Greece. Better yet, Greek food is, in my opinion, the best cuisine you can find in Europe. And yes, I have been to Italy and I do eat pasta on the daily. 

Breakfast in Greece

If breakfast is not included with your accommodation and you have a refrigerator in your room, I HIGHLY recommend going to the nearest grocery store and picking up some Greek yogurt and honey for your morning meal. I’m not the biggest yogurt fan — I don’t choose to have it at breakfast ever really — but once I had Greek yogurt served with a free hotel breakfast, I never ate anything else for the duration of the trip. 

If you prefer to go out for breakfast, I would plan on spending anywhere from 5-10 euros. Cappuccino Fredo drinks are around 3.60 to 4.20 euros ( slightly more expensive than the frappe) but significantly better if you like iced coffee. Plan on the yogurt being around 3-4 euros as well. 

Lunch and Dinner

A lunch at a traditional taverna will typically cost you anywhere between 8 and 15 euros. For dinner, I would expect that to increase slightly from 10 to 20 euros. But, if you are trying to save money, it is so easy to get a gyro or hearty sandwich for 3 to 5 euros. My absolute favorite lunch is a halloumi pita from Pita Fan. I ended up getting these daily while in Rhodes, Greece and I have now replicated the recipe at home because I am that obsessed.  

Breaking down the food budget, you can eat for as little as 15/16 euros a day, but I would expect costs will more likely average around 25 euros each day.

This does not include drinks which can vary in price drastically. For example, if you get the house wine, you may only be paying 5 euros for a carafe. Cocktails in Greece, especially in places known for partying, are pricey. You should anticipate paying 12-20 euros for a drink.

Cost of Attractions in Greece

Athens

Combination ticket for 7 sites including Acropolis and the Agora                          30 euros

 

Acropolis Museum

         Winter Season (November 1st – March 31st)                                                     5 euros

          Summer Season (April 1st – October 31st)                                                        10 euros

 

Santorini

Most of the main attractions in Santorini are free. You can watch the sunset in Oia, hike between Thira and Oia, and visit any of the famous beaches for no cost. 

 

Caldera Tour

       Volcanic Islands Cruise with Hot Springs Visit                                                   $31.38

       Santorini: Small Group Catamaran Cruise with Meal & Drinks                      $113.45

Cable Car                                                                                                                              5 euro one-way

Santo Winery                                                                                                                      12 -30 euro tasting

Akrotiri Archaeological Site                                                                                             12-14 euros

 

Mykonos

Delos day trip                                     approx. 60 euros for guided tour includes boat and entrance fee

Rhodes

Grand Master’s Palace + Archaeological Museum                                                    10 euros

Acropolis at Lindos                                                                                                          12 euros

 

Read More – Rhodes Itinerary: Best Things to Do in Rhodes, Greece

 

Crete

Palace of Knossos + Archaeological Museum                                                             16 euros

Day Trips to Elafonisi Beach, Samaria Gorge, Balos Beach                            approx. 30 euros each

 

Read More – Elafonissi Beach: Travel Guide to Pink Beach Crete

 

So…How Much is a Trip to Greece?

Flights = Expect to pay anywhere from $500 to 800 per person. If you are booking flights last minute, costs could go up to as high as $1200. 

Accommodations = On average, I would expect to pay around $150 for 3*and 4* level properties. Divide the costs among your travel companions.

Transport = You should anticipate that each ferry ride will be around 30-70 euros per person. Interisland flights will probably cost a similar amount, if not more. Let’s also add 10 euros a day for bus transportation within the island, and 50 euros for a quad rental for one day. 

Food = You can eat for an average cost of 30 – 50 euros a day in Greece. This does not include alcohol. 

Attraction Tickets = In most Greek destinations, there are only a couple of entrance fees that will be necessary to pay for. You should expect to pay the most ticket fees in Rhodes and Athens. On average, you will probably spend about 30 euros on attractions in each Greek destination. If you wanted to add a tour or two, that might be an additional 60-100 euros. 

Assuming that you were in Greece for 10 days, visiting two islands plus Athens, and splitting the cost of accommodation with another person, the average cost of a trip to Greece would be: 

Flight: $800

Hotel: $75 (x10)

Transport: $50(x3) plus 10 

Food = 40(10)

Attraction Tickets = $160

Miscellaneous (Drinks, car rental for a day) = $150

 

How much does it cost to go to Greece? 800 + 750 +150 +100 + 50 + 400 + 30 + 160 + 150 = $2590