For years, Greece has been high on my list for a workation. It may not be as well known as Spain and Portugal as a destination for digital nomads, but it certainly has just as much to offer! Therefore, it was high time to go on my own remote work from Greece and explore this beautiful country. I visited coworkings, the best coffee shops to work and of course the coolest places for some sightseeing in between working!
Why go to Greece on workation?
There are some conditions for a destination if you want to work remote there. And Greece meets all those conditions!
- WiFi: which is good almost everywhere.
- The language: many people speak English so you can easily connect with the locals.
- Great to combine with vacation: why go on a workation if you can’t also immerse yourself in another amazing culture right away?
- Beautiful again, this one needs no explanation it seems to me.
- Travel time: the country is super quick to get to and in Greece itself you can also easily get from A to B. We’ll tell you more about that below!
How to get there.
This is perhaps one of the nicest things about a workation to Greece: with just under 3 hours of flying you’ll be in Athens or Thessaloniki. There are daily flights from Amsterdam and Eindhoven that take you to your destination. Would you like to combine these two cities during your work vacation? That is also possible, there are flights that take you from Athens to Thessaloniki or vice versa within 50 minutes. There is also a good train connection between the cities.
This is the easiest way to travel in Greece
On a larger scale, you can get around Greece perfectly by train or plane. You can also count on buses in the cities and, in the case of Athens, subways and streetcars. The bus, as is often the case in southern Europe, goes when it goes. You don’t always know exactly when it will pass your stop, but it comes! For just over 8 euros, you have a ticket that is valid for 5 days and allows unlimited use of all kinds of public transport. You can read more about it on the Athens public transport site.
Food is life, even in Greece
On to one of my all time favorite things about traveling: the food! When I think of Greece, I immediately think of throwing plates. Spoiler alert: they don’t do the latter at all, that’s a myth perpetuated only by tourists. What is not a myth is the delicious Greek cuisine! It is incredibly diverse and not comparable to what you get in the average Dutch Greek restaurant. Yes, the souvlaki is famous here as well and highly recommended, as are the fish dishes on the menu, but vegetarians are not lacking anything here either! The menu here often consists of the most delicious veggie dishes, prepared in the unique Greek way. For an average dinner in the evening in Greece you pay about 15 euros per person, then you eat mezze, which are Greek appetizers. And fun fact for the foodies among us: did you know that Thessaloniki is on the Unesco Gastronomy list because of their unique cuisine? If that’s not an extra good reason to book your workation to this Greek city?
Living like the locals
Dinner here is done around 9 p.m., or even later. If you go out to eat on Dutch time you are often alone at a restaurant. By the way, Greeks do not take a lunch break during their working day, they usually work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and only eat after that. In between, they eat some snacks, often filo dough snacks like bougatsa. In addition, Greeks, like me, love Cappuccino Freddo! It is an iced coffee with a delicious thick, creamy froth and strong coffee. Greeks prefer to drink an Espresso Freddo, so if you really want to do like the locals: be sure to order this one! Oh and that bougatsa I mentioned? I got to learn how to make those myself in Thessaloniki! You can read about that and more about the workation in that city in this Thessaloniki blog.
Remote working in Greece
When working remotely in Greece, it is recommended that you follow the rhythm of the Greeks as much as possible. Start your day nice and early, walk to a coffee shop for your caffeine fix for the day and to the bakery for a tasty bougatsa and unfold your laptop. You can do that at home, or in one of the coworking places we visited in Athens. You can then close your laptop again around 4 p.m. to let Greek life begin! Below I give you 3 tips of things you really need to do during your digital nomad trip in Athens as far as I’m concerned. 3 things to do during your workstation in Athens
Ok, I love good food and Athens has plenty of that, but this city has so much more to offer. It really has the perfect combination of culture, history and vibrant city life. It’s hard to make a selection of things you should definitely see, but these 3 are a real must visit as far as I’m concerned:
- An afternoon at the beach. From the center of Athens you can be on the beach within 45 minutes by public transport. Also nice: you’re mostly among locals here; there are few tourists in sight.
- The Acropolis. Of course, this historic site is not to be missed. Also visit the museum, preferably with a guide, to learn more about the stories behind this special place.
- Odeion of Herodes Atticus. This theater still hosts concerts 2000 years after its construction. I attended an opera here. One word: goosebumps! A once in a lifetime experience that I can really recommend 100%!
Want more tips on what to do in this Greek city? Then be sure to check out the blog about my workation in Athens.
Greece workation land
You probably already noticed after reading this blog: but I have become a fan of Greece! As far as I’m concerned, this is a perfect place to do some remote work. And for the single ladies among us: it’s full of handsome men! If you want to read more about Athens and what it has to offer for remote workers; be sure to check out my separate blog about it. And is Thessaloniki still a big unknown for you? It was one for me before my visit, but this city also stole my digital nomad heart! In my Thessaloniki blog you can read more about how I experienced remote working and living in this city and about my great experience in the Vanoro Hotel. Also excited and want to know more about the possibilities for a workstation for your company to Greece? Then be sure to contact us and ask us all your questions! #collaboration
