Greece by Car: A 2-Week Road Trip Starting from the Ferry

Step One: Getting There by Ferry

A road trip to Greece starts well before you set foot on Greek soil. The Adriatic ferry crossing is itself part of the adventure – an overnight voyage that lets you wake up in a different country without losing a day to driving through the Balkans.

If you're heading for the northwest of Greece (Epirus, Meteora, the Zagori mountain villages), disembark at Igoumenitsa – reachable from Ancona in around 15 hours or from Bari in just 8–9 hours. If the Peloponnese, Athens or the Aegean is your first target, stay on board to Patras, roughly another 5 hours south along the Greek coast.

You can compare live fares and departure times for both ports on our Ancona–Patras and Bari–Igoumenitsa route pages. For a two-week trip, it's worth checking whether to enter via one port and exit via the other – some travellers take the ferry in via Igoumenitsa, loop south, and return from Patras (or vice versa).

Northern Route: Igoumenitsa → Meteora → Zagori

If you dock at Igoumenitsa in the morning, you can be in the mountains by lunchtime. The road northeast through Ioannina to Meteora takes around 3.5 hours and passes through some of Greece's most underrated scenery – wide river plains, forested gorges and the lively university city of Ioannina on the banks of Lake Pamvotis.

Meteora is genuinely jaw-dropping: a cluster of Byzantine monasteries balanced on top of near-vertical rock pillars above the town of Kalambaka. Allow at least two full days here. Arrive in the late afternoon to catch the golden light, visit the open monasteries in the morning before the bus tours arrive, and stay for a sunset from the ridge above Kalambaka.

From Meteora, double back west to the Zagori region – a collection of 46 stone-village communities tucked into the Pindos mountains. This is off-the-beaten-path Greece: ancient cobbled paths connect the villages, the Vikos Gorge (one of the world's deepest) cuts through the area, and you can hike, swim in cold-water springs and eat proper mountain food at family-run tavernas. Base yourself in Papigo, Monodendri or Tsepelovo for two or three nights.

Southern Route: Patras → Peloponnese → Athens

Arriving at Patras puts you at the gateway to the Peloponnese – a peninsula packed with more ancient history per square kilometre than almost anywhere else in Europe. The drive south from Patras along the coast road, or inland via Tripoli, opens up a world of Mycenaean ruins, Venetian fortresses and Byzantine towns.

Olympia, site of the original Olympic Games, is about 1.5 hours southeast of Patras. Give it a full morning – the archaeological site is large and rewarding, and the museum holds the stunning pedimental sculptures from the Temple of Zeus. From Olympia, head south and east toward Nafplio, arguably Greece's most beautiful small town: neo-classical architecture, a Venetian fortress on a rocky promontory and excellent waterfront restaurants. Stay two nights.

Continue to Mycenae (the Lion Gate alone justifies the stop) and then north to Athens for the final days. Three days in Athens is comfortable – the Acropolis, the National Archaeological Museum, the Monastiraki flea market and sunset drinks in Anafiotika will fill your time nicely.

14-Day Itinerary (via Igoumenitsa → Full Loop)

This itinerary enters Greece at Igoumenitsa, sweeps north to Meteora and Zagori, then heads south through the Peloponnese and finishes in Athens – from where you can fly home or return to the Italian ferry port of your choice.

• Day 1: Arrive Igoumenitsa by ferry → drive to Ioannina (1.5 h), explore the lake island and old bazaar.
• Day 2: Ioannina → Kalambaka (2 h). Afternoon walk below the Meteora rocks.
• Day 3: Meteora monasteries – visit 2–3 early, afternoon hike on the ridge path.
• Day 4: Meteora → Zagori (2.5 h). Settle into a stone-village guesthouse.
• Day 5: Zagori – hike part of the Vikos Gorge or walk the stone bridge at Kipi.
• Day 6: Zagori → Preveza coast → Messolonghi → Patras (3 h total). Overnight Patras.
• Day 7: Patras → Olympia (1.5 h). Visit archaeological site and museum, overnight near Olympia.
• Day 8: Drive south through Kyparissia toward Kalamata. Swim at Voidokilia beach.
• Day 9: Kalamata → Mani peninsula coast drive → Sparta area overnight.
• Day 10: Sparta → Mystras (Byzantine ghost city) → Nafplio (2 h).
• Day 11: Nafplio – Palamidi fortress, old town, boat trip to Bourtzi island.
• Day 12: Nafplio → Mycenae (45 min) → Epidaurus (45 min) → Athens (1.5 h).
• Day 13: Athens – Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Monastiraki.
• Day 14: Athens – National Archaeological Museum, Anafiotika district, evening flight or overnight ferry onwards.

Practical Tips for Your Greek Road Trip

• Tolls: Greek motorways use electronic tolls. Cash booths exist at most plazas, but having coins ready speeds things up. Budget around €3–5 per motorway section.
• Fuel: petrol stations are common on main routes but scarce in mountain areas. Fill up before heading into Zagori or the Mani.
• Cash: Greece is increasingly card-friendly, but smaller tavernas, village guesthouses and archaeological sites sometimes prefer or require cash. Keep €50–100 on hand.
• Camper travellers: wild camping is technically not permitted in Greece, but designated motorhome areas (stelplatz-style) are growing in number, especially near popular sites. Our camper guide has more details.
• Heat in August: summer temperatures in inland Greece routinely exceed 38°C. Sightseeing is best done before 11am and after 5pm. May–June and September–October are far more comfortable.
• Mobile data: Greek SIM cards are cheap and easy to buy at the ferry port or any supermarket. EU roaming applies for EU residents, but data speeds on local SIMs are better.