Greece from the UK

Best time to visit

Monthly breakdown for the UK travellers planning a Greece trip.

Best value

May · Jun · Sep · Oct

Peak season

Jul · Aug — Hotter, busier and more expensive

Getting there

Flight time

~3.5–4 h

Why Greece?

Greece has been a fixture of the British holiday calendar for decades, and the range on offer explains why: Crete and Rhodes for big, well-organised resorts and family package deals, Corfu and the Ionian for greener scenery and a slower pace, Santorini and the smaller Cyclades for the classic whitewashed-village view. Direct flights run from most UK regional airports, not just London, so the choice of island often comes down to where you can fly from.

Package holidays and charter routes still shape how Britons get to Greece, particularly in summer when seasonal direct services from Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Stansted add island airports that don't operate year-round. Athens, by contrast, is served daily from Heathrow and Gatwick throughout the year, making it the reliable option for a city break or as a stopover before island-hopping by ferry or domestic flight.

Beyond the beaches, Greece offers a depth of history that's hard to match on a single-week trip: the Acropolis and its museum in Athens, Minoan ruins on Crete, Byzantine churches in Thessaloniki. The season runs long, roughly April to October, and value holds up well outside the July and August peaks, when accommodation costs ease and the weather is still reliably warm.

Where to stay

• Athens — The Greek capital pairs the Acropolis and its museums with a compact old town, and serves as the main gateway for ferries onward to the islands.
• Chania — Crete's old Venetian harbour town has a lantern-lit waterfront and easy access to the island's beaches and mountain villages.
• Thessaloniki — Greece's second city has a lively waterfront, Byzantine monuments and a food scene rated among the country's best, with far fewer tourists than Athens.
• Kalamata — Gateway to the Peloponnese, this port city offers olive groves, quiet beaches and ancient sites like Mystras within easy reach.

A week for two in peak season (July–August) on a popular island such as Crete or Rhodes typically runs £900–£1,600 including flights and a mid-range hotel; travelling in May, June, September or October can cut accommodation costs by 20–30%. A basic taverna meal costs around £8–£12 a head, a beer or glass of wine £3–£5, and inter-island ferries typically £15–£40 per crossing depending on distance and season.

Plan your trip

• Greece travel guide
• Events in Greece

Package holidays vs booking independently

Compare packages from the UK-based operators against building your own trip.

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