Greece

Ever popular with sun-seekers and ancient history lovers alike, Greece is one of Europe’s top tourist destinations. Miles of sandy beaches, endless hot summers, unspoilt islands and an affordable cost of living mean that this is unlikely to change. In 2007, more than 19 million tourists visited Greece – making it one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world.

More than 6 million visitors a year visit Athens alone. The capital of Greece Athens was the seat of one of the oldest civilizations in Europe. Athens’ attractions include a number of ancient buildings of global stature. The Parthenon, which sits atop the Acropolis (a flat-topped rock 3 hectares in size), is the temple of the goddess Athena. The people of ancient Athens considered Athena to be their protector and the Parthenon dates back to the 5th century BC. The Parthenon has a remarkably diverse history, having been - at various times - a Christian church and later an Islamic mosque in addition to being a Greek Temple.

Although Greece is part of mainland Europe, it has a great many islands. Some – such as Crete and Corfu – are quite sizeable and a great many tourists are attracted to the Greek Islands every year. Indeed, island-hopping has become a recognised term to describe the process of exploring the Greek islands.

Car hire in Greece is readily available in most locations. Hiring a small car is advisable, as traffic can be heavy in cities and rural roads can be narrow and winding, making smaller cars much easier to drive than larger ones.