Greece Trip Cost: Flight, Food & Hotels

Often considered a cradle of western civilization, Greece is one of the top destinations for sunseekers. History lovers cherish this old city because it brings them close to the stories of mythmakers and deep thinkers from history books. But before you pack your bags for the city of idyllic islands and iconic architecture, you will want to know how much a Greece trip costs.

The average cost of a 7-days Greece vacation is $864 per person. Couples can expect to pay around $1,740 for a 7-day vacation in Greece. These costs cover your daily expenses while in Greece and do not include flight costs and other significant expenses. The costs can go slightly higher or lower depending on your lifestyle choices.

Greece is an enchanting city with many beautiful things to see and do. Therefore, it's not surprising that it costs quite a lot to keep up with an average lifestyle in the city. The rest of this article will cover detailed reviews of the costs of visiting Greece.

Average Cost Of A Greece Vacation

‍

Let's be honest; there are thousands of reasons to make Greece your next vacation location. Everything invites you to a great time, from the many great beaches to the historical sites and wonderful food. But all these come with a cost. Greece is a relatively expensive location to visit; hence the need to plan a detailed budget before your trip.

One of the first pieces of information that should go into your budget is the expected cost of travel. Another thing is how to bring the prices down. A budget can help you plan your spending throughout your vacation.

That said, a 7-day trip to Greece should cost around $864 for a single individual. If you add flight costs and accommodation, this figure can quickly go up to between $2,350 - $2,999, depending on where you're flying from. You can also expect to pay more if you want to enjoy added experiences like food tours, day trips, and visits to expensive sites.

Is Greece An Expensive Place To Visit?

‍

It's normal to assume that a trip to Greece will cost a fortune. After all, most cities in its class, with an abundance of top-level tourist sites, are expensive to visit and stay in. However, while a few high-end parts of Greece are quite costly to live in, most other parts are relatively affordable to visit.

Some of the relatively expensive islands in Greece include Santorini, Zykenthos, and Mykonos. Famous cities like Athens can also fall into this classification, especially for travelers on a budget. While these islands offer a lot of things to do, visiting costs can be a turnoff. If you're concerned about costs, don't worry; there are many ways to save money and travel to Greece on a budget.

One way to travel on a budget is to visit cheaper islands like Crete, Kythnos, Rhodes, Kos, and several others. These islands are generally cheaper because of their more affordable accommodations and easier lifestyle.

Factors That Sum Up The Total Cost Of A Greece Trip

Now that you're planning a budget for your Greece trip, you might wonder how much each item costs. Yes, we already have an estimate of the total cost, but you deserve also to know what's included in the cost. So, let's quit the generalization and start breaking down the different prices, so you can know what's included.

1. Flight Tickets

Unfortunately, Greece is one of the most expensive European destinations to fly to from North America, and there's a good reason for this. Most North American airlines do not connect directly to Greece, so you may have a stopover in another European country before moving to Athens. These stopovers can easily skyrocket the cost of airfares anywhere.

You can expect to pay around $800-$900 for a roundtrip flight. Let's also mention that prices can fluctuate depending on when you choose to travel. Greece is a seasonal destination, with the high season starting around mid-June and ending in September. Airfares can quickly increase during this time.

Tourists traveling on a budget can consider flying to another destination in Europe and moving from there to Greece in a budget airline flight like Easyjet. However, that'll mean more travel time and stress to you.

2. Accommodation

After flight tickets, the next most significant expense in your budget will be accommodation. Unfortunately, accommodations are tricky to estimate in Greece because prices depend on location.

For example, a hotel in Santorini will cost significantly more than a hotel of the same standard in Naxos. Another factor to consider when calculating accommodation costs is the type of accommodation you want.

Greece is a big city with many beautiful luxury properties spread around. But if you take the time to search, you'll also find some excellent mid-range accommodation options.

For this article, we've researched several mid-range hotels in some very popular parts of Greece. You can get a decent room in such hotels for approximately $200 per night. Let's also point out that you can get cheaper alternatives in the less popular islands.

Also, like everything else, accommodation prices typically fluctuate in Greece. This means you may pay higher for the same accommodation in some months and lower in others.

3. Intra-city Transportation

Another vital part of your vacation budget is intra-city transportation. You don't want to miss out on all the fascinating sights this ancient city offers. Costs of moving around can vary depending on how you choose to move, although transportation costs can generally be seen as affordable in Greece.

Of course, you won't need to pay anything to walk around the city center. But there's only how far you can go on foot. Public transport services are the best option when moving from one city to another. Most of these services are also very affordable. Take a look at some of them and their costs:

• KTEL buses in Greece: one of the most popular and affordable ways to travel around Greece. Private companies run KTEL buses, and there are many of them around Greece. Generally, KTEL buses are categorized into two: inter-regional buses and local buses. The average price for these buses is $3, although the price generally increases depending on where you're traveling to.
• Ferries: like KTEL buses, hundreds of ferries are run by private companies. They connect hundreds of Greek islands with specific ports on the mainland. The cost of riding on a Greek island ferry can range between $10 to $100 for a round trip.
• Train rides: Train rides are very popular in Greece. They're also comfortable and quick. They run every few hours a day and cost an average of $1.40. A 24-hour ticket will cost $4.50.
• Domestic flights: while this may not be a popular option for tourists, it's still worth looking at. There are dozens of airports around Greece, so when planning to move long distances, it's perfect to choose to fly between cities in Greece.

4. Food

No vacation experience is complete without tasting local foods. So, what will your daily meals cost you on the Greek islands? The answer to this question is "it depends."

Meal prices typically vary based on where you eat and the type of food you choose. Of course, food quantity will also directly affect the cost of food.

You can eat for under $10 per meal, especially if you opt for not-so-expensive options like street food /fast food. On the other hand, foods in high-end restaurants cost more.

Similarly, the price of drinks in Greece widely varies. They start at about $3 for a beer bottle and $9 for a cocktail. As expected, drinks are more expensive in nightclubs, so you can expect to pay more if you buy drinks here.

5. Sightseeing

We've covered flight tickets, food, transportation, and accommodation, but let's face it: if you're going to enjoy a trip of a lifetime, you better go out for a detailed sightseeing adventure.

Fortunately, many tourist activities in Greece are free, so you can have enough fun without paying a dime. But if you want an unforgettable experience, you better try free and paid attractions.

If you're in Athens, it may make sense to get an Athens sightseeing pass for around $40. The pass gives you unlimited access to attractions like the Acropolis Museum and many other landmark sites listed on it.

Another highlight of a typical visit to Greece is a sunset cruise in Mykonos, Crete, or Santorini. You can expect to pay around $210-400 for your family to enjoy this experience.

There are several other activities you can try, and you can find the price of all of them on their website. We recommend setting aside $1,000 for sightseeing and other activities during your stay in Greece.

Related Read: Best Time to Visit Israel

How To Save Costs During Your Greece Trip

We've talked so much about the costs of going to Greece, but the truth is: you don't have to spend all this money if you don't have it. You can travel on a budget and still have the trip of a lifetime. You just have to know what to do and what not to do during your trip.

Fortunately, there are a few hacks that can help. Here, let's review some cost-cutting tips that can help you save costs during your next visit to Greece.

1. Choose The Cheapest Flight

‍

Flight tickets are among the most significant parts of your travel budget. So, any reduction in flight costs is usually welcome. While planning your Greece vacation, remember to search for inexpensive flight options.

Note that third-party booking sites may be more expensive than booking directly from the airline. Some will even increase airfares just before you submit your payment info. So, while booking online, it's important to double-check all info and be sure that figures correspond before paying.

Also, remember that the costs of flight tickets may vary throughout the day. So, we recommend deleting your browser history and cookies while comparing prices online to get the exact price schedule every time you check.

‍

2. Book Ahead And Book Wisely

Another easy hack for cashing in on cheap ticket prices is to book ahead. Flight tickets are usually more affordable when you book weeks before the take-off date. The same applies to hotels and tourist centers.

Booking in advance allows you to take advantage of early discounts. Besides, it also takes the burden off your shoulders when planning your vacation since you settled payments long ago.

When booking a hotel, it's advisable to pick an independently owned small villa over a large chain resort. Most Greek properties in this category provide exquisite discounts for early bookings.

3. Choose When To Go

You can also save significant money on your trip if you're smart enough to travel during off-seasons or in the shoulder months. The peak season in Greece starts from July until August. The massive influx of tourists during these months causes prices to go extremely higher than normal.

You can easily save costs by scheduling your trip in other months. It's a double win if you're not interested in vacating with too much of a crowd. Besides, Greece's weather is similar to the Mediterranean, so you'll enjoy excellent beach weather even in less traditional months.

4. Walk

Walking is one of the most underrated means of transportation. However, people enjoy walking in Greece, especially when covering short distances. Apart from helping you save costs, walking brings you closer to most ancient archeological sites.

You'll find people walking to and from your destination regardless of location. If you're sociable, you can form a group of twos and threes as you enjoy the unique views spread around the city.

Even if the distance is too long to be walked, consider walking a few kilometers before joining a public transport service. Transportation services like train rides and KTEL buses are the cheapest means of public transport. Use them whenever possible to save a few bucks for other activities.