Planning a trip to Italy and Greece can be incredibly exciting and overwhelming. Italy is certainly magnificent just like Greece, two places so different but the same at the same time. Greece with its wild landscapes and magnificent coasts and Italy with all its cultural and landscape heritage create the perfect pair of places to visit. To discover these two places in peace and depth, there are Italy Tours and also Greece Tours that will help you organize everything perfectly.
Greece
Basic things to know about Greece
Greece is part of Europe and is located in the southern Mediterranean, between Italy and Turkey, and south of Albania and Bulgaria, at the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. In Greece, it is actually known as Hellas and its official name is the Hellenic Republic “Helliniki Dimokratia”. It consists of 132,000 square kilometers of land, including 227 inhabited islands. The population is just under 11 million people.
Religion is Orthodoxy (Christianity), they drive on the right side of the road and the area code is +30.
Passports and visas
Greece is a member of the European Union and therefore all residents of the 26 countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement need a visa. Other countries like Singapore, Australia, and the US also don’t require it, but some do. Check the official government website to be sure.
Best period
We believe there is never a bad time to visit Greece, but most people will say the ideal time is May, June and September when the weather is great and it is tourist season.
High season is July, August and Easter. Orthodox Easter lasts for a whole week and is the most important holiday of the year. It’s a great time to visit with lots of celebrations across the country.
What to visit
Greece has many beautiful places and is considered to be home to some of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. There are 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 16 more are under consideration.
Most people want to see the Greek islands, especially the much-photographed islands of Santorini and Mykonos in the Cyclades group of islands. There are actually several island groups: Cyclades, Dodacannese, Saronic Islands, Sporades, North Aegean and Crete, so the Greek islands are popular but require some research.
Italy
Best period
The best months to visit Italy depend on your traveler preferences. Spring and early summer — April, May, and June — are characterized by good weather, mostly mild temperatures, and moderate to dense crowds. Summer is the busiest season and can be sweltering in most parts of the country. September and October are still busy but the weather is nicer. With the exception of December, winter is less crowded. If you can stand the cold and the rain, perhaps with some sunny days, January, February and March are the least crowded months to visit.
How to move
Italian cities are connected by an extensive railway network consisting of high-speed trains serving major cities and slower regional trains serving smaller destinations. Trenitalia is the national carrier and covers the entire national territory, while the private railway company Italo serves the main cities. If your trip to Italy mostly involves cities and towns on train lines, you can get around quickly without a rental car.
If you want to spend a lot of time in the countryside, for example visiting vineyards in Tuscany or hiking in the Dolomites, a car will probably be indispensable. In almost all major Italian cities, tourist attractions are concentrated in the historic centre, and are within easy reach of each other. Moving in groups or doing anything else can be more difficult but even for this there are very simple solutions.
Tips
Buy or book tickets in advance for the attractions you want to see. The Colosseum, the Uffizi Gallery and Leonardo’s Last Supper are just some of the attractions in Italy for which reservations are required or highly recommended. And don’t overdo it. While it’s tempting to step into every museum and attraction, remember that Italy’s allure lies in its more relaxed, dolce vita lifestyle. Take your time not to get lost.
Patience is a virtue, especially in Italy. You can find slower food service, delayed trains, and a general lack of urgency when it comes to customer service. Take a deep breath and adjust to life, in Italian.
