# Motorways in Greece



## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

There's been a lot of interest shown lately in touring Greece.

This site HERE might be useful if you need to get from A to B quickly. 

Safe travelling.

Don


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## rexos (Oct 16, 2006)

*Greek motorways*

Thanks for the info Don, We drove to Thassos last June via Ancona, Igoumenitsa and once on the A2 we thought, `Great!`. 5 mins later, the motorway ended and we were on local roads for a couple of hours. Have looked on that website and notice the A2 will be `completed` by Feb `09!
So by this summer, it could be really finished...........
Rex and Denise


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

*Re: Greek motorways*



rexos said:


> Thanks for the info Don, We drove to Thassos last June via Ancona, Igoumenitsa and once on the A2 we thought, `Great!`. 5 mins later, the motorway ended and we were on local roads for a couple of hours. Have looked on that website and notice the A2 will be `completed` by Feb `09!
> So by this summer, it could be really finished...........
> Rex and Denise


Hi,

Knowing the Greeks like I do I would be very surprised if its finished this year. 8O 8O

We have had some very interesting drives on the old road, the first time we used it we thought it was dangerous   after that it was just exciting. 

In Greece you can always tell how dangerous the road is by the number of small shrines along the road side. 8O

Don


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## smiler (May 23, 2005)

Hi Don Madge, the shrines or ikonostases do not necessarily mark the spot where someone died. Sometime they are erected by individuals or a family to thank a saint for any favours he may grant to them. Smiler


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

Don, the small shrines can also indicate where a drunken driver or passenger thereof met their "O Theos" :wink: 
Something to keep in mind also is that what we know as the Hard Shoulder is often considered as a legitimate thoroughfare or somewhere to park a HGV trailer ! 
Believe me the two do not mix well, a Greek taxi driver and his Brit passenger learnt that the hard way, the Brit died and he wished he had.
Having lived and worked there I have a pretty good "take" on the Greek system, both the good and the, well shall we say, more interesting!
Rob.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

Hi Rob,

If you have lived in Greece you will know that it is "Custom & Practise" to drive on the hard shoulder there. 8O 8O 

I've been driving in Greece since the 60's when many of the roads were just a single tarmac (if you were lucky) strip just about wide enough for one vehicle. When you met an oncoming vehicle you just moved over to the right and got the near side wheels on the "Donkey Track". 8O 8O 

I've some very happy memories of my travels in Greece and I'm very sad to have to miss my planned trip to Crete this year.   

I'm hoping we might be able to get away to the Peloponnese some time in March.   

Safe travelling.

Don


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## 104477 (May 13, 2007)

Don Madge said:


> Hi Rob,
> 
> If you have lived in Greece you will know that it is "Custom & Practise" to drive on the hard shoulder there. 8O 8O
> 
> ...


Don, I lived in Crete for three years, just because the police turn a blind eye to the custom and practice it is still not right. After all it was still very common practice to not wear seatbelts or crash helmets and to drive whilst intoxicated when I left in 2001.
I also lost a friend on the Ethnikee into Iraklio in 2000.

Kalo Taxidhi.

Rob.


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

rapidorob said:


> Don Madge said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Rob,
> ...


Hi Rob,

Don't get me wrong I'm not condoning the practise.

I try not to drive on the hard shoulder but over the years people have tried to move me over more than once. Also I've had people roaring along the hard shoulder undertaking.

But after reading this thread members here will be aware of the practise.

And a safe journey to you as well.

Don


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## captmike (Sep 30, 2008)

This business of driving on the "hard shoulder" is not just normal but included in the Greek equivalent of the Highway Code (or at least was when I lived there). You have to remember that it started in the not so distant days of horses (or oxen) and carts which I remember from my childhood. The carts went along the side strips and cars and trucks passed by in the normal lane. So yes, Don, it is a "Donkey Track". With the demise of carts, slower moving traffic has taken their place. Except on motorways where the hard shoulder is really supposed to be a hard shoulder as we know it, on the normal two lane "Ethnikoi Odoi" it's a "get out of the way so you can be overtaken" lane. 

By the way, the shrines can also commemorate an accident when someone has been miraculously saved and so he or she sets up a shrine to the saint who has interceded on their behalf. We used to rate the severity of a bend by the number of shrines. I seem to remember the record was around 14!

Cheers,

Mike


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