Greece Travel Secrets Blog

Jun 17, 2021

New Stations for Athens Metro Line 3 Ready by Summer 2022

Once completed, the three new stations – Maniatika, Piraeus and Municipal Theater – will connect Piraeus with Athens’ center and the Athens International Airport.

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Jun 15, 2021

Mitsotakis Calls for UK to Revise Greece Travel Restrictions

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday urged his British counterpart to revise the UK’s travel restrictions for Greece.

The Greek PM met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson while attending the NATO Summit in Brussels, an announcement by the Greek PM’s press office said.

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Jun 15, 2021

Greece Extends Covid-19 Rules for International and Domestic Travelers

The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) has updated its Covid-19 aviation directives (NOTAMS) and extended travel rules for passengers of international and domestic flights in Greece.

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Jun 15, 2021

EU Digital COVID Certificate for Travel is Now Official

The EU Digital COVID Certificate, a European Union-wide initiative to facilitate travel in Covid-19 times, was signed into law on Monday by the presidents of the three EU institutions, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission.

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Jun 15, 2021

Greece to Accept Negative Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Tests for Entry

Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis recently said that Greece will soon permit entry for travelers who present negative rapid antigen tests on arrival, as proof that they are not infected with the coronavirus (Covid-19).

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Jun 15, 2021

Northern Greece Plays a Big Part in Country’s Tourism Restart, Says Minister

Northern Greece has a leading role in this year’s opening of the country’s tourism, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said following his official visit to Thessaloniki on Friday.

While in the Greece’s second largest city, Minister Theoharis met with local and regional bodies and discussed ways to boost tourism development in the area’s destinations, considering that Northern Greece is the country’s gateway for land arrivals from the Balkans.

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Jun 15, 2021

Thessaloniki Ready to Welcome Hollywood Stars for Film Shoot

A big Hollywood production is getting ready to begin filming in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, the governor of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said on Friday.

According to Tzitzikostas, this is the first time Thessaloniki will be a film location for such a big production which includes a cast of world-famous actors.

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Jun 15, 2021

Ferry Travel: Greek Seamen to Strike on Wednesday, June 16

Ferry transport in Greece is expected again to face disruption after thirteen Greek seamen’s unions announced a 24-hour strike in all ship categories for Wednesday, June 16.

The unions – part of the umbrella union of the Panhellenic Seamen Federation (PNO) – are protesting against a number of regulations in a new labor bill, which will be voted for in parliament that day.

The strike will affect ferry travel from 00:01 until 24:00 on June 16.

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Jun 10, 2021

Greeks outraged at concreting of ancient site

Installation of new pathway and lift has been criticised by archaeologists and called ‘a scandal’

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Jun 10, 2021

United States Eases Travel Advisories for Greece

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US State Department eased travel advisories for dozens of countries including Greece this week.

The US State Department revised on Tuesday its travel advisories for 85 countries and territories, including Greece, and Japan ahead of the Olympic Games to open on July 23, where foreign spectators have been banned.

On Tuesday, the CDC lowered Greece from a “Level 4” rating advising against travel to recommending travel for fully vaccinated individuals. The CDC said that revisions were based on new criteria.

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Jun 10, 2021

Greek, European Parliaments Approve EU Covid-19 Travel Certificate

Lawmakers in Greece and in the EU gave the Digital COVID Certificate the final go-ahead so that member states can put it into force on July 1 for 12 months.

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Jun 10, 2021

Inbound Air Traffic to Greece Gains Ground in June

Incoming air traffic to Greece is set to pick up pace this month with more than 800,000 seats booked for June, according to SETE Intelligence (INSETE) data released this week.

According to the research department of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), 800,000 seats are planned on flights to major Greek airports this month: 384,000 for June 14-20 up by 45 percent compared to the previous week; 462,000 for June 21-27, up 20 percent. While this week, there were 264,000 scheduled seats, INSETE said.

Key source markets for the month are Germany, the UK, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Cyprus, the US, and Israel.

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Jun 10, 2021

Denmark to Ease Travel Restrictions to Greece

Denmark is expected to lift restrictions for travel to Greece, the tourism ministry announced on Wednesday, adding that the decision paves the way for other countries to follow

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Jun 10, 2021

Greece to Lift Music Ban at Restaurants and Cafes on June 12, Abolish Curfew in July

Greece will lift its ban on music at restaurants, bars and cafes as of Saturday, June 12, Greek Civil Protection Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias said on Wednesday.

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Jun 03, 2021

2021 Guidelines For Traveling Within Greece

As Greece has reopened to tourism, a number of safety measures have been put into place to prevent, and contain, the spread of Covid-19 among international visitors and local citizens.

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Jun 02, 2021

Greece Among 7 Countries to Launch EU Digital Covid Certificate

The EU Digital Covid Certificate has gone live in seven EU member states, including Greece, the European Commission announced on Tuesday.

This means that Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Croatia and Poland have already connected to the EU gateway and started issuing the first digital Covid certificates.

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Jun 02, 2021

EBD Places Three Greek Beaches Among Safest in Europe for Summer 2021

The European Best Destinations (EBD) organization has included three Greek beaches on its list with the safest beaches in Europe for the summer of 2021.

The list features a total 13 beaches in Mediterranean destinations such as Greece, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus. They were selected based on various criteria such as the low number of Covid-19 cases and the health measures undertaken by local authorities.

Greece’s Egremni beach, located on the island of Lefkada, ranks fifth on the list; the beach of Preveza – and particularly Monolithi – in western Greece is in the 10th position, while Halikounas beach on Corfu ranks 13th.

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Jun 02, 2021

Greek Island Covid-19 Vaccination Rollout Picks Up Pace

Greece’s “Blue Freedom” island vaccination plan is moving forward successfully with a number of islands building immunity against Covid-19.

The news was announced by the health ministry’s General Secretary of Primary Health Care, Marios Themistokleous, who praised the island of Kythnos, where 93 percent of its residents have been vaccinated with the first dose and 79 percent with both.

He also mentioned Syros where the number of fully vaccinated islanders increased from 12 percent to 30 percent.

On the down side, Themistokleous referred to low participation for vaccination on the islands of Samos, Naxos, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, as well as on Kalymnos, where emergency lockdown measures were ordered last month.

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Jun 01, 2021

Live Cultural Events, Shows in Greece Resume in Outdoor Areas – Rules

Greece’s theaters and other cultural venues in outdoor areas recently reopened to the public under strict Covid-19 health protocols and social distancing rules.

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Jun 01, 2021

Alonissos Underwater Museum to Reopen for 2021 Summer Season

Greece’s first underwater museum, located off the coast of Alonissos, is ready to reopen its doors for the summer season and guide visitors through its unique 5th century shipwreck.

Following an agreement recently signed between the Culture Ministry, the Thessaly Region and the Alonissos Municipality, the museum will resume operations on June 1.

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