Why a motorcycle trip in Greece is a great idea!
Who doesn't know Greece, at least by reputation!
Its countless islands, its ancient civilization at the origins of ours, its Mediterranean climate, its inimitable salad, and so many other evocations of memories or dreams of vacations at the sea and in the sun...
But did you know that this small country in the south of the Balkan Peninsula lends itself wonderfully to motorcycle road trips, and vice versa?
Here are 12 good reasons that will make you want to choose Greece for your next motorcycle trip, unless it's the other way around...
1. Greece is only a three-hour flight away
Wherever you're flying from in France, Belgium or Switzerland, it will take you much less time to get to Athens by plane than it does to drive down to the south of France or the north of Italy or Spain by car or motorcycle.
A great advantage when you only have one or two weeks ahead of you and you don't want to sacrifice a part of it to go down and back up by driving on saturated, expensive and boring highways.
By taking an afternoon or evening flight, you will dine in the Hellenic capital with a magnificent view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, or by the Saronic Gulf.
During the season, there are direct round-trip flights from almost everywhere for a few hundred euros.
2. But Greece is still 3,000 km from home!
And yes! Knowing that a kilometer on a motorcycle counts double or triple, getting off with your personal motorcycle to ride in Greece is not a matter of course.
It takes at least two days on the freeway to reach Ancona, arriving exhausted and in a bad mood, as freeway driving in Italy is no picnic.
Then there's the long ferry crossing from Ancona or Venice. And if you're tempted to do it all by road via the Balkans, you won't get away with less than a week, provided you take the fast lanes.
No, the best way to go riding in Greece is to fly and rent a motorcycle there.
At the same time, the distance also makes the change of scenery. It is often because it is far that it is interesting ! Because if Greece is in Europe, this country is still very different from ours, if only by its language and its alphabet.
But by the way, why go to Greece to ride a motorcycle when there is so much to see in and around France?
3. Roads you wouldn't believe!
What are you looking for when you travel by motorcycle on vacation? First and foremost, of course, beautiful roads, so that you can enjoy yourself and take in the sights! What you're looking for are sweeping curves to open up the throttle on, cornering to take the edge off, beautiful landscapes and picturesque villages, nice taverns and bars to take a break, and so on and so forth.
In Greece, you will have it all: long ribbons of roads winding along the seashore, small winding roads in the mountains, or lost paths in the bottom of a valley.
The potential and diversity for motorcycle riding is simply exceptional, and compares favorably with France, but with much less traffic and therefore less danger.
4. Simply dream weather!
In Greece, from May to October, the sky is always blue, or almost!
The average temperatures are ideal for motorcycle riding, except in July and August when they can be uncomfortable if you are not used to and equipped for riding in high temperatures.
Apart from July-August, you will have between 20 and 30 degrees from April to mid-November. As for rain, apart from rare passing showers or thunderstorms, it hardly rains in Greece between April and November.
What better way to ride a motorcycle?
5. A color palette in blue and green
In Greece, between the sky and the sea, there's the mountain!
Contrary to popular belief, mainland Greece is a mountainous and hilly country, with large pine and deciduous forests, olive groves, vineyards, fruit trees, etc.
And as winter is often rainy, nature comes out very green when spring arrives, and it often remains so until the heart of summer, when everything becomes drier (except when it burns of course).
As a result, you never have the feeling of driving in a desert in Greece.
And the sea, which is never far away, always brings the marine note that cannot be missing in any trip to Greece.
6. Breathtaking panoramas
Whether in the mountains or by the sea, Greece rarely leaves the eye indifferent.
More than two-thirds of the territory is mountainous, which makes Greece one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, and at the same time the sea is nowhere more than a hundred kilometers away, often much less.
It is this combination that makes Greece a bit like the sea in the mountains...or the other way around, with beautiful landscapes and breathtaking views everywhere.
In mainland Greece, there are the deepest canyons in Europe, such as in the Vikos Gorge, as well as many geological sights such as Meteora.
Greece is also particularly well off when it comes to preserving natural sites and biodiversity. The country has nearly 450 Natura 2000 areas and a dozen national parks and as many marine reserves, representing about 30% of the territory.
In short, riding a motorcycle in Greece is the promise of a change of scenery and a daily wonderment that few countries can offer on this scale.
7. Eighteen UNESCO World Heritage sites
Greece isn't just a country for motorcycling, it's also a country with more to offer than just roads and panoramic views.
With no less than four empires (Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman) occupying its territory between antiquity and the 19th century, Greece has inherited countless vestiges and monuments from its rich and eventful history.
With 18 Unesco World Heritage sites, and a further 14 awaiting classification, Greece is one of Europe's big players. Among the most famous sites are the sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, the archaeological sites of Olympia and Delphi, the medieval site of Mystras, the Acropolis in Athens, the monasteries of Meteora, Mount Athos, and more.
While many of our destinations have their roots in ancient Greece, the cradle of European civilization, our medieval heritage is also very rich.
For those interested in heritage, whether cultural or natural, Greece is a must!
8. Top gastronomy and wines
Simple, tasty cuisine, fresh, aromatic wines, outdoor dining and the conviviality of a shared gastronomy: Greece is a country where the table is worth eating at!
In addition to bread, olive oil and wine, products with which Greek gastronomy is spontaneously associated, there are more than a hundred protected specialties in Greece, which ranks in the top 5 in Europe, behind France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
On the wine side, Greece has also made enormous progress since joining the European Union in 1981.
Mainly located in Macedonia, Thessaly and the Peloponnese, as well as Crete and a few islands such as Santorini, Samos and Kefalonia, Greek vineyards produce excellent wines - red, white and rosé, still or sparkling, dry or sweet.
When you come to Greece, you won't have to compromise with your plate or your drink!
9. Quality accommodation
With around 30 million tourists a year, Greece has developed an unrivalled accommodation offering in the Balkans, in line with European Union standards.
If the best establishments are concentrated in the islands, especially the Cyclades, you can find comfortable and pleasant accommodation almost everywhere, and it is possible to find real nuggets in the less frequented areas of mainland Greece or the Peloponnese.
10. Still very attractive prices
In Greece, two people can live and eat together, in excellent conditions and without depriving themselves, for a daily budget of one hundred euros. For an extraordinary experience, you'll need more, of course, but it's nothing like France, Italy, Spain or even Portugal.
With the exception of the Cyclades and some of the Saronic islands in high season, Greece is a very affordable country where one can enjoy a quality tourist experience for a reasonable budget.
For those who want to experience a change of scenery, while traveling comfortably and pleasantly, Greece has no equivalent in Southern Europe.
11. The Greeks, of course!
Although the Greek language and alphabet don't always make it easy to get in touch with the locals, English is now widely spoken where there's tourism, which is just about everywhere in Greece. So communicating with Greeks is far from impossible.
And so much the better, for these welcoming, smiling people love nothing more than to share and discover the country they have fought so hard to conquer, and of which they are proud.
If one obviously does not decide to go to Greece simply for the Greeks, one does not go there in spite of them, as it can sometimes be the case elsewhere...
One more reason to choose Greece!
12. Hellenic Rides is the twelfth good reason to travel by motorcycle in Greece.
Of course, you can make your own way to Greece and organize your own trip.
But to live an extraordinary experience in Greece, you need to know some incredible addresses, to have selected accommodation unlike any other, to know exactly where to go and not by chance, to have spotted some incredible routes leading to spectacular panoramas or mysterious sites, and to offer an exceptional human and tourist experience.
At Hellenic Rides, we know how to do just that.
We're specialists in Greece, and that's why we can organize a trip you won't forget...
