Greece has long been a favorite holiday destination for people from around the world to visit. In fact, over 15 million people choose Greece as their holiday destination every single year. Greece has many different things to offer the vacationer, from wonderful villages, to fantastic shopping and pristine beaches; Greece has it all. Usually, the Greek islands are where most people frequent, but the mainland of Greece is also a great place to visit too. You could visit Athens, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes and Thessaloniki.

The Mediterranean climate is alive and well in Greece. The winters are short and mild. The summers run from April through November and boast hot, dry weather and days and days of sunshine. Occasionally there will be rain showers, but these are short-lived and infrequent. May and June and September and October are the very best months to see Greece as the weather is at its most comfortable and pleasant. From the middle of July to the middle of August, Greece is under the spell of the hottest summer weather.

The peak of the holiday season is from July until August, the vast majority of those taking a holiday arrive in Greece between April and October. Most of the country’s tourist infrastructure goes into hibernation outside of these months, especially on the islands. The bulk of scheduled international flights are handled in Athens and Thessaloniki. Several charter and planned low-budget flights arrive everyday from several of Europe’s cities to many of the islands and smaller cities on the mainland during tourist season.

There are any number of Greek and international hotel booking services. You will most likely be able to book your accommodations online, as most hotels have websites and will take bookings by email, although sometimes a fax is more reliable for communication. Hotels in Greece tend to be simple establishments. Even in the simpler places, the standards of cleanliness are usually good. Rooms usually tend to be small, have air conditioning, and a balcony. The more luxurious hotels can be found in the cities as well as on the more popular islands, but it is not too common and does not always represent a good value for your money.

Greece is not known for its major cosmopolitan flair. You usually will not be able to do major shopping while on the islands. What you can expect is specialty products from local artisans which can not be beat. These things include hand-made lace and jewelry, leather goods, pottery, local wines, hand woven rugs and much more. When you are in Greece, expect to eat very well since eating out is a major way of life. Most restaurants are called “Taverna” or “Estiatorio” and they are easily found in any area you visit. And if you speak English, then you will not have any issues with a language barrier since most people speak the language.