# Travelling to Greece



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Notwithstanding the current difficulties Greece face which none of us know the outcome of (so lets not speculate here:smile2 what is the view on driving to Greece rather than taking the ferry across from Italy?


Most folks seem to do the ferry option however one driving route looks like Hungary - Rumania - Bulgaria (all EU) whilst another takes you down through the Balkans/Albania etc


Do we have many folks on here who have experiences of driving down or indeed of touring any of these countries?


Id be interested in knowing as Greece may be a possible alternative in years to come, for wintering (I also know that there are not too many sites open etc)


Cheers


Graham:smile2:


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I think Rayercrock on here went across to Greece a couple of years back, via ferry (?) and drove through Albania and Montenegro to Croatia and back. Hopefully he'll get a response, if not PM him. Also I know Peejay has been to Greece a few times. I know Ray hated the roads in Albania!!

I was in the southern part of Croatia last month (not in the MH!). and did a trip out into Monenegro; the roads are very good there and in Croatia, and there's motorway for most of the way north from between Dubrovnik & Split. You'd need outside EU insurance cover for Albania / Montenegro etc, but don't worry about the small bit of Bosnia along the coast road of Croatia between Split & Dubrovnik- it's only about 5 miles, and you'd be very unlucky to have a problem there! Good cafe / duty free shop there just inside the enclave, going north. 

Southern Croatia is on my list of places to go in the motorhome - Dubrovnik is a superb place, and the coastline is wonderful; as for heading for Greece in the winter, it gets cold! That's the reason it's not an all year round destination.:wink2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

How do you "Follow this thread" on the new site.???
I used to be able to as I am toying with the idea of driving to Turkey next year.

Tay.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

ray 

under thread tools, subscribe to this thread....


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh thanks Mike.
But it did take me quite a time to find the "Thread Tools" instead of just "Tools".

I guess it's just as easy to post something and you are then automatically following the thread.!!

Ray.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

bognormike said:


> ray
> 
> under thread tools, subscribe to this thread....


Thanks Mike - very useful info!


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## worky (Dec 30, 2005)

hya Graham - can't give you any advice on driving to Greece but we took the ferry from Ancona to Patras on our Greece/Turkey tour two years ago travelling with Minoan line and had cabin as they don't do camping on board, this was booked thru Viamare who were very good at getting any discounts available to us, think the cost was something like 265 euros - which included evening meal. On our return from Turkey thru northern Greece we drove to Igoumenitsa and managed to get the overnight ferry to Ancona, again, and that was with Anek but camping on board, think the cost was something like 280 euros. We both agreed that were we to do it again, maybe next year !!, we preferred the Minoan ferry with cabin but I know a lot of people prefer the camping on board. Hope that helps.
cheers

Clyde


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## Storageman (Feb 2, 2008)

We always said that when we retired we would do Morocco first winter and Greece/Turkey second winter. We set off just after New Year 2012 and drove down to Ancona and took ferry to Patras. We then wildcamped for a 2-3 nights before going to a campsite in Peloponese for 2 weeks. Then back to wild camping for a week before booking into a campsite for a month. This was also Greece's coldest winter and campsite owner saw a minus temperature for first time. We left there and headed to Athens, wild camping on the way and picking sister-in-law up, and stayed on campsite for 3 nights and from there went to Turkey again wild camping on the way. We travelled down the coast stopping at campsites on the way before putting wife's sister on a plane at Dalaman Airport.
From there we headed inland and took the most direct route to Istanbul and had to wild camp as there were no campsites available. We spent 4 nights in Istanbul before heading north via Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany and home. Total trip took 5.5 months and only problem was second day in Turkey someone through a brick through side window while we were walking along a beach.
Everyone was very friendly and helpful. If you want more info PM me.
John


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks folks


I asked about road routes as we avoid ferries as Mrs GMJ is not good with them at all. A bad trip can wipe her out for a week if not more (its MS related so no amount of advice about travel sickness tablets or remedies will help on this occasion:grin2


Getting a strong vibe on the coldness though so it may be off the agenda anyway:smile2:


Cheers


Graham:smile2:


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

We travelled down to Greece from Hungary to Croatia dipping into Bosnia twice in a few miles through two border controls, look on google maps and you can see the blip in the border, then into Motenegro. then on to Albania then on to Greece.. You must make sure your insurance covers Montenegro and Albania (non EU) otherwise you will be turned around at the borders, you can as I did buy insurance at the borders as they both have insurance guys sat in an office that will sort you out (for a price!)..

Driving.. We did it all off toll along with all the countries we went through, so Croatia the best country by a mile for me, we went down the entire coast road next to the sea wild camping as we went along, roads were not too bad.. Bosnia bit, roads like Croatia. Montenegro, roads still OK, you will come to a big Fiord with a ferry across, take it or you will have to drive a good 150 miles to get to where the ferry lands a couple of miles across the sea.. Then Albania, if you are a timid driver think carefully before going through this country, the people are brilliant, the scenery is even better, the drivers are suicidal, the roads are worse than them, I drove most of Albania in 2nd and 3rd gear!, land slides all through the mountains with parts of the road down the mountain side, they do put a pile of roadstone where the landslide is to warn you so you don't drive over the edge.. I took this route through the mountains because A/ we like mountains/ B it was the non toll route.. There may be better roads, if there are toll roads but I don't know, if there are any toll roads we would not have taken them as we decided we would not use any, maybe with hindsight we would have through Albania.. The capital Tirana is want for a better word, the Wild West gone mad!

We wild camped in every country with absolutely no problems, we even stopped on some land opposite some gypsies who had a camp site, one little lad came over and Sandra gave him a big bag of crisps and a bottle of pop, he just smiled and sat on a rock outside the van and wolfed the lot down.. At road junctions there are kids begging off the drivers, we just gave them a hand full of sweets..

If you want an experience that will last a lifetime go this way, if you want a true adventure then go this way, If you do not mind going out of your comfort zone go this way. Otherwise go round through Kosovo and Macedonia, this route I have never drove so can't comment, maybe others can.

Once again make sure your insurance is sorted for these non EU countries..

Hope this helps.

ray.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Ray

did you have insurance cover for the bit of Bosnia-H? Others have asked on here about it in the past; having been through it last month on a coach trip from Dubrovnik to Split, I can't really see the point of paying for cover for that bit. 

it's a wierd place, basically a holiday resort on the coast for Bosnians; I thought it was still there to give trading access to the sea, but there's no port there, just loads of holiday accommodation! I'm told it goes back to a settlement between the state of Dubrovnik and the Ottomans, and basically the Bosnia-H's will never give it up, so Croatia are contemplating building a bridge across the short stretch of sea that separates a couple of pensinulas to take the north / south road without going through B-H! 

anyway, off topic - back to Greece!!


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

We haven't driven to Greece, but we did drive to Romania this year where we met a French couple who had driven down through Croatia etc, then through Greece to Istambul and were on their way back to France when we met them. They said they had no problems at all, and had used an aire near the water (Bosphorus presumably?) with easy access of all the major sights of Istambul.

One issue would be road conditions during the winter. I would be interested in people's experiences of this, as we plan to go to Sicily this winter. We have never been to the Alps in winter but know we will need to use snow chains, or at least have them available, if we go the 'shortest' route into Italy (which we might drive down or more likely take the ferry from Genoa to Palermo).

Our motorhome is rear wheel drive and is fitted with all-weather tyres, which I understand satisfy the requirement for 'winter tyres' in those countries which require them [unless anyone knows different?]. What I don't know is whether we need chains for both front and back wheels or just for the back wheels?? Also are here any recommendations for makes of snow chains?

While this might be a subject for a separate thread, it would seem to be pretty relevant to anyone wanting to drive south for the winter to anywhere other than the Iberian peninsular.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

hblewett said:


> We haven't driven to Greece, but we did drive to Romania this year where we met a French couple who had driven down through Croatia etc, then through Greece to Istanbul and were on their way back to France when we met them. They said they had no problems at all, and had used an aire near the water (Bosphorus presumably?) with easy access of all the major sights of Istanbul


That is probably the parking area at fishermans quai on Kennedy Cadesi.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Campsites&op=display_results&csid=11557

There is another parking area further along near the sports centre as well but its more expensive and has had mixed reports in the past.

Pete


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## hblewett (Jan 28, 2008)

That certainly looks like the place and location they described.


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