Greece

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Flag of Greece Greece
Information
Language: Greek
Capital: Athens
Population: 11,216,708
Currency: Euro (€) (EUR)
Hitchability: <rating country='gr' />
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<map lat='39.8' lng='21.47' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' />

Greece is a country in Southern Europe, bordering Albania, FYRoM, Bulgaria, and Turkey. It is a member state of the European Union as well as the Schengen Agreement.

Hitchhiker Jason thumbing in Greece, June 2008. His hips have seemingly turned inside out.

Greek drivers will never directly ask for money. In very few cases, some might say they don't have enough to pay the tolls, or that they have not enough gas to arrive to their destination and no money to buy more. Because there are few motorways in Greece, the national roads become great havens of locals and long distance drivers pouring in from the south east to west and vice versa, up into the north. Hitching in Greece can be a little slow because many Greeks seem to be afraid of immigrants. It's best not to ask too much about it as something close to racism and prejudice comes out. You can cross the border by foot!

It is very hard to hitchhike using mainly petrol stations – it can cause long waits since they are a little off the motorway and quite small by Western standards. Besides, you can barely find any in the northern parts of Greece. The best way to get lifts is to hitch right on the road (if it is not a motorway).

It is forbidden to thumb on the motorways, and if the police passes, they will tell you to move out. If you walk on a motorway and a camera sees you (bridges, tunels), they will send a vehicule and ask you to move away, and will with you until you comply. Toll stations are also considered "motorway". The best legal place to hitch-hike is the ramp just before the "motorway" sign.

It would be smart not to mention "Macedonia" as a country. Greeks call "Macedonia" the northern part of Greece. If you're going to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and want to avoid the political conversation, just say that you're going to Skopje

Map of licence plates.

In summer it can get very hot in Greece, so be careful that you don't get sunburned and carry plenty of water with you.

Number plates

The number plates of Greece consist of 3 letters and 4 digits. The first 1 or 2 letters represent a state. The plates are valid for the whole life of the vehicle even if its owner moves to an other town, so you can not be absolutely sure about where the vehicle is from.

Wild camping

Wild camping in Greece is forbidden by law. If you camp next to hotels, organized campgrounds or other kind of tourist accommodation, their owner can call the police. Police may fine you (150 euro) during the summer months (July and August especially), so it's best to ask other wild campers when you arrive at a beach.

Compared with the other Mediterranean EU countries, there are still a lot of of beaches where you can camp for free and without police problems. You can camp freely anywhere in the mountains, valleys, hills, river beds etc. Nobody is going to chase you off.

Cities

Getting away

You can get a ferries from Igoumenitsa or Patra. A lot of trucks going through Igoumenitsa. Ferries are expensive and time consuming, but there is a shower and you can sleep on the deck. Crossing in the truck cab - dangerous and illegal. There are discounts for students. If you are under 25 - ask for a discount!

Links

  • 14 hours of autostop – the hitchhiking adventures of Georgi Kalendarov and Diljan Vulev, of Bulgaria, in Greece



trash:Greece

wikipedia:Greece