A Campervan Greece Road Trip: The Ultimate Guide

We road-tripped Greece by camper, an 8-metre motorhome, but this post is just as suitable for those wishing to road trip Greece by car.

Our campervan Greece road trip elicited feelings, emotions and sights imprinted in our memories. Now, a certain image from Greece, or a faint scent, can, for a brief moment, transport us back to that wonderful time and place.

A Greek road trip offers ancient monuments, miles of stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, intriguing mountain-top monasteries, tiny churches, canine shepherds, and the iconic Greek blue and white buildings pervading the landscape.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Greece, and it’s not just the sights you will fall in love with.

You will also remember the smell of oranges picked fresh from the tree, the taste of homegrown olives, and most of all, the warmth of the people who’ll offer you their Greek moonshine, either Raki or Tsipouro and toast to your health at every opportunity.

Enjoy your Greece road trip. We hope it will give you as many beautiful memories as it did us.

In our opinion, campervanning and motorhoming are the best and most affordable ways to travel through Greece.

Arriving in Greece

Our late autumn arrival in Greece welcomed us with its brilliant burnt orange hues and cheery yellow tones. Travelling through Greece in autumn meant we avoided the summer crowds, and the colours of nature shimmered.

We arrived in northern Greece, having crossed the border from Albania, where we had just completed our Albanian road trip, part of our year-long Europe in a campervan trip.

Although the weather was pretty nippy in the mountains, further south, and especially in the Peloponnese, it was beautiful and even allowed us to swim occasionally.

Planning Your Greece Campervan Trip

Use the information below to help plan your Greece road trip. You’ll also find it helpful to read our guide on how to Plan a Road Trip and this meticulously crafted Road Trip Planner, designed from our wheels-on-the-ground experiences.

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Greece Road Trip Map

This interactive Greece Road Trip map highlights all the locations detailed in this post, including motorhome, stops for each night of this campervan Greece road trip.

The maps below detail the kilometres and travel times for various options for your campervan trip through Greece.

To use this map, expand it using the square symbol on the top right-hand side and then look to the key on the left-hand side. You will find the corresponding position on the map and the relevant coordinates by clicking each location.

• Orange Circles = campsites or wild camping spots
• Purple = locations to visit in Greece

Greece Road Trip Options

We entered Greece from the north, crossing the border from Albania, so Vikos Gorge was our obvious first destination. From there, we travelled south towards the Peloponnese (the southern part of Greece that looks a little like a hand).

However, if you arrive in Athens, you can just as easily use the maps to plan your itinerary from there.

The Peloponnese part of Greece (Map C) was by far our favourite, and we recommend touring the area if your schedule allows.

Below are a few Greek road trips that may suit your itinerary.

Tips for Motorhoming and Campervanning in Greece 

• Start Smart: Check out our Best Motorhome Tips for Beginners. We’ve compiled what we learned from our first journey, which transformed the way we travel.
• Driving in Europe: Our Europe by Campervan article shares insights from navigating the scenic yet challenging European roads, making your drive smoother.
• Overnight Stops: We highly recommend using PJ Greece Camper Stops on Google Maps and Camper Contact. Finding these gems was a game-changer for our travels through Greece.
• Laundry Tips: Finding self-serve launderettes in Greece was a challenge; we mostly encountered dry cleaners that charged by weight, which was a surprise during our first few visits.
• Wild Camping: While wild camping is not generally allowed, we found that respecting local regulations, especially out of season, allowed us to enjoy serene spots peacefully, even in places marked with ‘no camping’ signs. Camping in season and in tourist areas would be less tolerated, and you could be subject to fines.
• Road Trip Essentials: Our road trip travels inspired the tips in our Road Trip Tips for Couples post. Sharing these experiences can make your couple’s road trip unforgettable.

It’s All Greek To Me

The idiom, It’s all Greek to me, has never been more true than when trying to navigate and read the road signs in Greece. Names of places are often written in Greek, and many road signs seem to lack the English alphabet version.

Therefore, navigating your Greece road trip can be tricky unless you are familiar with the Greek alphabet.

It helps to have a sense of humour when road-tripping through foreign countries. We created a tactical tension defuser early on in our road-tripping days.

When things go amiss on our travels, we often morph into our driving personas of Lady Penelope and Parker, which gives us a laugh and reminds us to go with the flow. 

READ MORE: See 100 Smiling Captions and Quotes for more joyful, smiley inspiration

Driving Tips for Your Greece Road Trip

• In Greece, you drive on the right
• Seatbelts are compulsory
• Horns are not to be used in towns unless to avoid an accident
• Have the following documents to hand:
  • Driver’s licence (and an international driver’s licence if necessary)
  • Vehicle insurance
  • Vehicle registration document
  • Passport
• You are also required to have the following in your vehicle:
  • Warning triangle
  • First Aid Kit
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Headlamp beam deflectors for left-hand car vehicles (Depending on your car, you will either need deflector stickers or have to adjust the beam manually)
• The main motorways have tolls. To avoid them, you can program your navigator to avoid tolls.
• Speed Limits are as follows unless otherwise signposted
  • 130 km/h (80 mph) on motorways
  • 90/110 km/h (50 mph) on National roads
  • 50 km/h (31 mph) in urban areas.
• Emergency Number: 112

Greece Road Trip Itinerary

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Stop #1 – Vikos Gorge and Stone Forest 

Vikos Gorge is just 38 km from the Albanian border in the Northern Greece Pindus Mountains.

Here, the autumn colours stood out in contrast to the many pillars of grey-layered rocks we passed en route to the Vikos Gorge lookout. At some points, these naturally layered rock formations seem to be shaped like trees, which is what gives this area its name, the ‘Stone Forest’.

At the end of the Stone Forest route, you’ll come to the Oxya Viewpoint, which gives you sweeping views across the Vikos Gorge.

The gorge, which stretches 20 km through the Zagori region of Greece, holds the 1997 Guinness Book of Records as the world’s deepest canyon relative to its width. It is 900m deep and only 1.1 metres wide at its narrowest point.

We camped overnight in the Stone Forest. The spot we chose was on a cattle route, so come dusk, cowbells jingled past the campervan, with their trusted dog shepherds keeping them in check.

That morning in the Stone Forest was the coldest temperature we experienced for the rest of the trip. At minus 5 degrees C, it was pretty chilly, to say the least.

Therefore, if you travel in late Autumn or winter, take plenty of layers for your campervan trip.

Stop #2 – Vradeto Steps Hike 

When the air is chilly, the perfect thing to do is go for a hike. Therefore, after leaving the intriguing Stone Forest, we headed towards the Vradeto steps—a steep hike with many ancient steps leading up the gorge.

There is a small chapel at the top with a magnificent view. This area is also known for its rich and rare flora.

For details on the Vradeto Steps hike, click here.  

We walked from the road (as noted on our Map above), up to the chapel which was about a 6km round trip.

After the hike, we drove towards Meteora and passed this picturesque old bridge—the Bridge of Kokoros.

It’s an elegant-looking structure, originally constructed in 1705 A.D., but it has a history of collapsing.

Stop #3 – Meteora

The landscape in the Meteora area is absolutely stunning and feels rather out of this world. The towering rock pillars are impressive enough, but it is nothing short of astonishing when topped off with an impossibly placed monastery at the summit of these pinnacles.

These world-famous monasteries, perched precariously on impressive rock formations, are what put Meteora on the must-visit list of many who venture to Greece.

The first monastery we visited in Meteora was the Holy Monastery of Saint Barbara-Roussanou Nunnery. It was an interesting visit, but truth be told, the highlight of my visit was watching the nuns scrolling through their mobile phones — technology in the modern age.

It made me chuckle, and I was expecting one of the nuns to take a selfie at any moment.

Note that to visit the monastery, you need to dress modestly — I was in jeans, and the nuns gave me a wraparound skirt to wear. 

From the Roussanou Nunnery,  you could get a great view of some of the other monasteries perched on the pinnacles.

The next visit was to the Varlaam Monastery. This monastery was a little more commercialised, with many artifacts and souvenirs for sale, including some raw honey we were happy to buy.

There are six monasteries in total to visit in Meteora, which became listed under the UNESCO World Heritage in 1988.

Stop #4 – Meteora: Visit the Holy Spirit Chapel and Monk Prison    

Just behind the village of Kastraki, there is a rugged trail that leads you up to the Aghio Pnevma or Holy Spirit Rock.

It is almost at the top that you will find Meteora’s oldest monastery, a tiny chapel hewn into the rock that dates back to the 10th century.

You’ll find a ladder beside it that will take you to the rock’s plateau. Here, a large cross and bell keep sentinel over the vastness of Meteora below. 

It is difficult to find this trail on Google, so we have marked the beginning of the trail on the map above.

On the northern side of the rock, also seen from the main road, is the Monk Prison. These are long caves that once housed the expelled monks. Scaffolding can still be seen in the caves today.

Stop #5 – Thermopylae: Spartans and Hot Springs 

Here in Thermopylae, you’ll find the Leonidas Monument, commemorating a battle in 480 B.C. in which a small number of  Spartan soldiers held off a huge Persian army for three days. That delay allowed the successful defence of Athens against the Persians. 

On the opposite side of the road to the monument, you can also take a dip in the hot springs. The water was about 40 degrees Celsius, and it was great fun hopping in for a sulphur bath. 

Note that a historic Thermopylae spring is denoted on Google, but we found that area to be quite derelict, with an immigrant camp on site. We would, therefore, recommend finding a stream further down, as we did.

From Thermopylae, we drove on to Delphi.

However, we arrived after the last entry time of 2.30 pm (winter opening times) to visit the ruins. On the opposite side of the road, with free entry, we found the Sanctuary of Athena, so we spent some time soaking up the ancient Greek ambience and admiring the Delphi scenery.

We had a great motorhome overnight stop on the mountain edge and beside the ruins.

Stop #6 – Delphi Ruins and Galaxidi 

Delphi, once considered the centre of the world, is home to the 4th-century Temple of Apollo and many other archeological remains. In 1987, the area was listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site. 

The Temple of Apollo was said to house the ‘oracle’, and for centuries, many came to Delphi to consult the Oracle and ask for advice.

Today, you can wander the home of the Gods and indulge yourself with the depth of historical stories and mythology rooted amongst the ruins that stand as a testament to those ancient civilisations.

Leaving Delphi, we headed south to Galaxidi, a historic seafaring town with a picture-postcard harbour, cobbled streets and a surprisingly uncommercialised promenade. A beautiful and relaxing stop that is definitely worth adding to your campervan trip through Greece itinerary.

After a stroll around the waterfront and a coastal walk at Galaxidi, we found a fantastic free campervan stopover at Agios Vasilieos Bay — about 17km further along the coast.

You can park right on the beach just a few metres from the bay’s turquoise waters. 

We were the only ones in this secluded bay, apart from about 15 cats and the 50 goats that wandered by later.

Stop #7 – Marathias, Skaloma and Nafpaktos 

This day involved visiting two pretty coastal towns, Marathias and Skaloma, walking along their bays, taking in the scenery, and doing a spot of geocaching. It was a relaxed and beautiful day, admiring these coastal paradises without the crowds.

Our final stop of the day was the larger seaside town of Nafpaktos. This medieval town is south of the Greek mainland and is known for its well-preserved Venetian Castle, which overlooks the town.  

Nafpaktos’ horseshoe-shaped, fortified harbour is full of colourful boats and many of the old cobbled stone streets that guide you up into the surrounding hills overflow with bougainvillea – so even in winter, the town exudes beauty.

The coastal promenade is lined with restaurants and cafes, and Nafpaktos is apparently a popular place for Greeks to spend their summer holidays.  

Stop #8 – Nafpaktos to Patras

The next part of this campervan road trip through Greece takes you across the Rio-Antirrio bridge to the Peloponnese — a peninsula shaped like a bony hand in the southern part of Greece.  

We went to Patras and a free campervan spot on the shoreline in the late afternoon. From here, you can see a spectacular view of the Rio-Antirrio bridge. 

Stop #9 – The Peloponnese   

The Peloponnese part of our Greece road trip was our favourite, and we’ve dedicated a separate article on this wonderful area.

Camping on secluded beaches and exploring this region was an incredible experience, and I recommend that you include the Peloponnese on your itinerary if you are motorhoming and campervanning in Greece.

To give you an idea, we’ve listed the main places you should visit on the Peloponnese part of your campervan Greece road trip.

Summary of the Peloponnese Part of This Campervan Greece Road Trip 

👉 You’ll find details about all these places and more in our article on camping in the Peloponnese here.

Stop #10 – Athens

Leaving Corinth, the final part of the Peloponnese road trip, we began the hour drive towards Athens. Our destination was Piraeus, a suburb within Athens with a reasonably priced campervan stop.

Negotiating the traffic on a weekend in Athens wasn’t a problem (I’m not sure what it would be like on weekdays), and we found our stopover in Piraeus at a car park that is also designated for campervans.

At 13 Euros per 24-hour stay, it was definitely a bargain, and although the outlook wasn’t one of our prettiest, there was absolutely no issue with security or safety.

From the car park, it was a 5-minute walk to the closest subway station, and from there, it was a 30-minute subway ride (with a change in between) to the Acropolis.

The subway cost per person for one way was just a few euros.

After paying our entrance fee to access the Acropolis, we passed under some majestic white marble ruins that opened to a plateau to find the Parthenon dead ahead.

The neighbourhood next to the Acropolis is Plaka, the oldest area of Athens, filled with cafes and tourist shops. Walking through here will lead you to Syntagma Square and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is below the Greek Parliament and is a cenotaph in honour of the soldiers who died to defend the nation and her freedoms.

We arrived here at just the right time to watch the changing of the Evzone guards.

The Evzones are the Presidential Guards and are famed for their ability to stand motionless. At the changing of the guards, they work in pairs to perfect the coordination of their movements, which is done slowly to protect their blood circulation after standing motionless for 60 minutes.

Actually, these pairs team up for the life of their military career.

Their uniform traditionally represents the mountain guerrillas who resisted the 400-year Turkish occupation.

Stop #11 – Santorini

Santorini is one of the most well-known Greek Islands for a reason. Therefore, winter is one of the best times to visit to avoid the crowds and cruise ships that descend upon this island gem each summer.

Santorini is not geared up for motorhomes, and many streets are narrow. Therefore, we highly recommend leaving your campervan in Athens (we left ours at the Megaparking Airport facility), flying into Santorini, and then hiring a car.

Also, the ferry to Santorini cost more than our flight and the cost of leaving the campervan in Athens.

There are also great opportunities to get a good deal at the hotels in winter. We highly recommend the boutique hotel we stayed in. The owner was lovely, gave us plenty of help deciding what to visit on the island, and the breakfasts were absolutely delicious.

Campervan Greece Road Trip …That’s a Wrap

Greece gave us many marvellous experiences over the winter, but it was time to move on.

We had hiked her incredible Lousios Gorge, been mesmerised by the magical town of Monemvasia, visited her ancient ruins, and cruised her Arkadian Coast. And who could help but fall in love with one of her most visited islands, Santorini?

We could have just kept ambling along Greece’s captivating coastline for eternity, but there were other road trips and sights to see.

Campervanning in Italy was next on the agenda, and if you want more, check out our top European road trips here.

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