Memory Tickets

Greece

Best apps for traveling in Greece

The apps worth installing before a trip to Greece: ferries, Athens transit, taxis, food delivery, offline maps, translation, mobile data, and one for the memories.

Updated · 5 min read

White houses and blue domes above the Aegean Sea in Santorini

Greece is easy to travel with a phone, as long as the right apps are on it before you land. This is the short list: what each app is for, and the one thing worth knowing about it. None of these are sponsored. Going on to Italy too? We have the same list for Italy.

For Americans arriving through Athens, one non-app detail is worth checking first: U.S. tourists do not need a visa for stays of 90 days or less, and the State Department says a passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure date.

Ferries between the islands

  • Ferryhopper: compare ferry companies and connections, book an island-hopping trip, keep the reservations together and see schedule changes. When the operator offers online check-in, the app sends you to the operator's check-in and then keeps the boarding details in one place.
  • The ferry operator's own site or app: useful when you already know the sailing you want. It is also the final authority for check-in and boarding instructions.

Do not assume the booking confirmation is the ticket. Most Greek ferry companies offer e-tickets, but the boarding process differs by operator. Read the instructions for every leg, complete online check-in when it opens, and save the boarding pass offline. Check the trip again the day before departure: ferry schedules can change.

Athens public transport

  • Google Maps: the simplest way to plan metro, tram and bus trips. Download Athens and each island you will visit as offline maps before the trip.
  • OASA Telematics: the official app for real-time bus and trolleybus arrivals and vehicle locations in Athens. It is most useful when the metro does not take you close enough.

You can tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or the same card in Apple Pay or Google Pay, on Athens metro, tram, bus and trolleybus validators instead of buying an ATH.ENA ticket. Use exactly the same card or device throughout the trip, including when entering and leaving the metro, or the system can treat it as two journeys. Metro line 3 runs directly between Athens Airport and Syntagma in the center, and contactless payment also supports the airport fare.

Taxis and rides

FREENOW books licensed taxis in Athens, Thessaloniki and a long list of mainland and island destinations. Uber works in Athens too, through Uber Taxi: you request the ride in the Uber app and a licensed local taxi picks you up. An official taxi rank remains a good backup at airports and ports.

Food and translation

  • efood and Wolt: restaurant and grocery delivery in Athens and many other Greek cities and islands. Availability depends on the exact address, so enter the hotel or apartment before deciding which one to keep.
  • Google Translate: choose Greek, download it before the trip and use the camera on menus and signs. Downloaded languages can work without an internet connection, which is useful at a beach taverna with a weak signal.

Driving on the islands

A rental car can make sense on a larger island when the beaches and villages on your list are spread out. Compare the rental terms, insurance and fuel policy rather than choosing only by the daily price, and photograph the vehicle before leaving the lot. Download the whole island in Google Maps before pickup: offline driving directions work when the entire route is inside the saved area, but live traffic and alternate routes do not.

Be especially careful with scooters and ATVs. The U.S. State Department warns that ATV rentals often come with only third-party insurance and that many travel policies exclude quad biking; check the license and insurance requirements before booking one.

Mobile data

From the US, first compare your carrier's international pass with a travel eSIM. Airalo and Saily both sell Greece data plans that can be installed before the flight. Your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked; on an iPhone, check Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock before buying.

Paying

Cards work at most businesses, but keep some euros for a small vendor or a taxi that asks for cash. Check whether your US card charges a foreign transaction fee before the trip; if it does, every purchase abroad can carry an extra charge. When a terminal or ATM offers to convert the amount to dollars, decline the conversion and pay in euros. That conversion includes its own exchange rate and may add fees.

The Acropolis and other sites

Buy tickets for the Acropolis and other state archaeological sites through hhticket.gr, the official ticket service supervised by the Greek Ministry of Culture. The Acropolis ticket requires a date and time window, and entry is tied to the selected window. Keep the ticket's code on your phone and bring the documents required if you chose reduced or free admission. The Acropolis Museum has its own separate ticketing system, so do not confuse it with the archaeological site.

Keeping the trip

  • Memory Tickets (ours): one photo from each day of the trip becomes a keepsake ticket with a title, a place, a date and one line about why it was worth keeping. A week in Greece becomes seven tickets instead of 600 photos you never open again. Free on iPhone, works offline, and your photos stay on your phone.

For ways to remember the trip that need no app at all, see how to remember your trips.

The short version

Before you fly: Ferryhopper for island connections, Google Maps with Athens and the islands downloaded, OASA Telematics for Athens buses, FREENOW for taxis, efood or Wolt, Google Translate with Greek downloaded, an eSIM if it beats your US carrier's pass, Acropolis tickets from hhticket.gr, and one app to keep the days from blurring together. In Athens, the same contactless card can take you from the airport metro into the city and around the network.