A few months ago an idea of a solo Greece travel adventure popped to my head, pretty much out of nowhere. I’ve only been out on a solo adventure to LA and I was meeting friends there so it was hard to compare the two. Its safe to say I craved an adventure that was 100% out of my comfort zone so I settled for a solo Greece travel and here is what I’ve learned.
If you followed my solo Greece travel on Instagram, you may know that I picked three islands to visit Tinos, Mykonos and Paros. Since Mykonos has the best flight connections from London, it was an obvious choice to book my return flight there and continue the travel further from it.
Transportation
The best thing about travelling through Greece its the abundance of ferry routes. The ferry travel is very comfortable, quick and most of the time inexpensive. The best website to check the routes here, however, you can always purchase your tickets on the day. To be honest I haven’t seen much of a difference in price when booking in advance so don’t worry about planning it too much in advance. I would recommend checking the schedule as some ferries operate only a couple of times a day.
Annoyingly Uber is not a thing in Greece as they have their own taxi operators. Price will depend on the island and the distance and you can expect to pay something like 15 Euros from Mykonos town to the airport and the distance being only 3 miles or so. I didn’t personally take too many taxis as I walked everywhere but its good to check the price when you call them to book your ride.
Busses and coaches are another great way to travel the island especially if you are not able to drive a car like me. Obviously exploring the island will be the easiest in your own car rental but don’t worry if this isn’t an option for you. Ktel busses are a good place to check out the routes and timings and you can always call them to get a price ahead but its usually 2-4 Euros one way depending on the journey distance.
Safety
Greece is pretty safe especially the islands. People are friendly and very hospitable willing to help. I would say always keep an eye on your belongings as there may be some pickpocketers around but in all honestly, I felt completely safe and had nothing stolen the entire time. I carried my photo equipment with me at all times and would leave my camera on the tripod during busy times and nobody even paid attention let alone try to rob me.
Language
Everyone pretty much speaks English but the language barrier is present and I saw it especially with bus drivers. They kept on shouting in Greek and making hand signs so it did weird me out a little bit but I suppose embracing cultural differences is the best part of your travel journey.
Currency
Euro is the main currency but cards are accepted everywhere. I really recommend applying for the Monzo card as it will really save you so much money in the long run as it has the best exchange rates so you never have to change your money again plus its free to use abroad.
Things to do
Hopping islands of Greece as a solo traveller will keep you buys as when you get tired of tanning and lounging by the pool, you can embark on an exploration adventure. So many cute villages to explore and here are some of my must-dos in
Must visit villages of Tinos – Pyrgos, Isternia, Volax
Must visit beaches of Paros – Santa Maria, Golden beach and Kolympithres. I also wrote anotehr post on how to spend few days in Paros.
Must visit beach clubs Mykonos – Scoropios, Paradise Beach club and Jackie O.
I felt that the solo travel in Greece was more on the chill side of things as going out on your own may be litte daunting. There is something to do for everyone so it really depends what are you feeling like. I personally enjoyed taking a break during the day and shooting content in the evennings before going out to dinner.
Is it worth it
Absolutley! No place in the world like Greece. Not only is the most beautiful to photogrpah but its the home to the frendliest and most hospitable people in the world. I did however feel that Cyclades are more on the comercial side in comaprison to alot of other places I visited but I really had a lovely time.
I have realised that spending time with yourlef is the most valuable thing you can do for yourself. Just allowing yourself the freedom to decide to do whatever you feel like is truly priceless.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and let me know if you have ever been on a similiar adventre.
Lots of love.
Tania x
