Greece : What’s The Food And Drink Like?

This part of our guide to holidays in Greece covers the cuisine of the country…

Greeks often dine out, and restaurants – referred to by locals as taverna or estiatorio – are widespread. Excellent restaurants can be found in popular tourist regions, especially areas frequented by Greek tourists. Eating in places that the locals prefer is a good way to experience authentic Greek cuisine.

The best restaurants will offer not only authentic traditional Greek cuisine and regional specialties, but also Greece’s latest culinary trends as well. Therefore, it’s easy to sample a rich and extensive range of Greek dishes, traditionally cooked, during your stay.

The Greek cuisine has features in common with the traditional cooking of the Balkans, Italy and the Middle East, particularly Turkey. Lamb, pork, vegetables, grains, bread, olives, olive oil, and yogurt are typical ingredients, while common seasonings include oregano, garlic, onion, mint, bay leaves and dill.

Fish is a specialty in Greece’s islands and mainland coastal districts and often the fish you eat for dinner will have been caught that same day. The country also has a wide variety of traditional cheeses. These come in distinct local flavors and most of these are homemade on family farms dotted throughout Greece.

Another important part of Greek culture is coffee. Join the locals and drink it while relaxing in one of the many outdoor cafes that line the streets. Greek coffee tends to be thick, strong and black; it is served in a small cup, moderately sweetened, with the grounds left in.

As for alcohol, Greece offers a wide variety of local wines, from indigenous and imported grape varieties. Many restaurants usually have a barrel or two of locally produced house wine, which is generally of good quality. Beer is also popular; local varieties, like Mythos and Alpha, and Northern European beers, such as Heineken and Amstel, being available mostly everywhere.

Guide To Greece : Getting Around The Country

This part of our guide to holidays in Greece sees us covering transportation…

It is inexpensive and easy to hire a car or moped in Greece. All you need is an internationally recognized driving license and a passport. Prices per day start at about $40 for a car and $15 for a moped – but make sure the quoted price includes all insurance and taxes. Hiring a vehicle offers the freedom to travel where you please. Most roads are good, but be careful in some parts of rural Greece or on the islands as some roads in these areas can be narrow and poorly maintained.

Greece’s bus system is very efficient and can take you anywhere on the Greek mainland. The ‘KTEL’ (intercity) buses are excellent value for money and let you see parts of Greece that you would otherwise never get to visit. However, the system wasn’t designed for tourists, so you may have some language problems, but if this happens the majority of young Greeks speak some English and most would happily to assist you.

Taxis are readily available and reasonably priced, and by law every cab must have a meter. Tipping isn’t customary, but continuing to pick up passengers until the taxi is full is a local custom. So you can flag cab that already has passengers as long as they are going in the same direction that you want to travel. On the islands and in the cities, most – but not all – drivers will speak some English.

Getting to the islands requires traveling by boat or by plane. Flying is the most convenient transport to the more far-flung islands with many of these destinations having with regular flights from Athens or Thessaloniki. As Greece is relatively small, flying to even the more distant islands takes less than an hour. When travelling to islands close to the mainland, ferries – which run regularly throughout the day – are the best option. But these trips can be more time-consuming than you first expect as the ferries will make multiple stops on various islands.