The classic is the USA, Canada or Australia. Simply rent a car, drive off, spend a week or two in search of the unknown and the soul of a foreign country. Greece is not the typical country for this kind of a road trip, but precisely for that reason an exciting destination.
After our hike through the Enipeas Gorge (read here) and the climbing of the giants of the Olympus, now follow me on the rest of the path. Let's ask the The Oracle of Delphi something about the future.
After all, the Greek mainland is a popular tourist destination, just like the Greek islands. But to explore by car what is happening on the flat land, what there is to see between the metropolises, that is a special program. Uncommon for the most.
But it is precisely this that perhaps makes the greatest magic of such a round trip to the cradle of the modern civilisation. With the potential for surprises! Because Greece is by no means just ancient ruins, bustling cities and lonely beaches. There is a lot of untouched landscape, a lot of nature with great diversity and impressive mountain scenery. Sleepy mountain villages lie between picturesque coastlines, wide, almost non-traveled highways crisscross the country and bizarre sights like the floating monasteries of Metéora (read my story about it here) offer spectacular destinations.
It is just as easy to start a round trip from the north of the country in Thessaloniki as from the center of the country in Athens. The times are over when you could rent a car for two weeks for very little money. But at around 1000 euros, a compact car is at least no more expensive than a similar car in the USA. And you save money on the flight - at least if you travel from Europe to Greece.
The first driving experience is already astonishing. The Greeks, who have the reputation of being very emotional drivers, are very professional. No horns, no hassle. The first test shows that everything is normal, even in narrow inner cities. They are recognize the foreigners and have mercy. Outside the cities, then the shock: Greece now has wide, mirror-smooth highways. And it is no one on it! However, tolls have to be paid everywhere.
This toll is quite low compared to other countries. But apparently this is a good reason for the Greeks to avoid the beautiful new roads. Those who drive here, at least out of season, roll south almost alone, on a voyage of discovery through a country of which most visitors know only the absolute highlights: Athens, the Acropolis, the Oracle of Delphi and the famous beaches, plus the island landscape in the Mediterranean.
The geography of the Peloponnese, a three-fingered peninsula in the southwest of the country, dictates the itinerary here, which can then be deviated from from time to time along the way to get to Delphi (read here), to Athens (here), to the Temple of Apollo Epikourios, the excavation sites in Mycenae and Tiryns and the amphitheater in the coastal city of Epidauros. All of these sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, all of them are worth seeing, even if at some point there is a danger of having inhaled a bit too much antiquity and the ancient times of the old greeks.
Overnight stays along the way are also unproblematic. Greece does not have such a dense network of motels and small hotels as the USA. But the distances that have to be driven per day to get around the country are also much shorter. This leaves more time to take time out on deserted beaches or to sit on a sunny hotel terrace in the afternoon and drink a glass of wine.
If the north of Greece still conveys an air of unspoiltness, although it is accessible throughout thanks to the expansion of the road system, the trip to central Greece will be an excellent opportunity for travelers to discover corners that are off the beaten track.
From Thessaloniki it goes via Larisa and Volos first of all in the direction of Athens, after a few days of discovery there further to the west in the direction of Corinth, Patras and then via Mesolongi, Arta, Ioannina and Kozani back to the north.
Everywhere along the way there is much to see, amazing scenery and countless restaurants with incredibly delicious food await. The Greeks are friendly people who will help you immediately if you get lost. The ferry connections are convenient and the prices are cheap, the remote beaches mostly completely deserted, as are the hotels, at least out of season, which is too hot anyway to have fun under the blue sky with the burning sun.
An experiment, but a successful one that can definitely be recommended. The best thing is to set off, without a fixed route. The rest of the trip will happen on the way. You will met new people, you will see new places. You will have some good Mythos-beers and drink some fine wine. You will dance with strangers. No plans. Just curiosity. Because the real experiences always happen where you least expect them.
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