Greece by train and ferry

May to June or September to October is the best time to visit Greece, with warm, dry weather and fewer crowds than peak summer. July and August bring the hottest weather and the busiest islands, particularly Santorini and Mykonos. Winters are quiet, with some island resorts and businesses closed, though Athens remains a good year-round city break. There are highlights year-round: Orthodox Easter fills villages and islands with candlelit processions and feasting every spring, panigyria (village festivals honouring local patron saints) bring music and dancing to communities across the islands all summer, and olive and grape harvests take over the countryside every autumn.

The best things to do in Greece include exploring Athens's Acropolis and old town, relaxing on Corfu's beaches, and island-hopping around the Ionian and Aegean islands.

• Exploring the Acropolis and the Plaka district in Athens

• Relaxing on Corfu's beaches and wandering its Venetian old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Island-hopping around the Ionian Islands, including Kefalonia and Zakynthos

• Wandering the whitewashed streets of the Cyclades, including Santorini and Mykonos

• Visiting ancient sites like Delphi and Olympia

• Hiking in the mountains of the Peloponnese

• Joining a village panigyri, an overnight feast of music and dancing held for a local patron saint's feast day

• Sailing to Delos, the sacred, uninhabited island near Mykonos said to be the birthplace of Apollo

Greece is reachable overland by train through Europe, connecting to Italy, followed by an overnight sleeper ferry across the Adriatic. Ferries to Greece run from Bari, Ancona and Brindisi to ports including Patras, Corfu and Igoumenitsa, with crossings taking anywhere from around 8 hours to over a day depending on the route. From these mainland ports, further ferries connect onward to the Greek islands.