Greece sees soaring holiday travel costs as fuel and ferry prices surge

Fuel prices in Greece have risen to almost €2 per litre, with regular gasoline at €1.97 and diesel at €1.93, after the government‑approved hike that began on 14 July and will run until 31 August. The increase adds tens of euros to road‑trip expenses, pushing the cost of a round‑trip drive from Athens to Agios Ioannis Piliou to about €179 and to Syvota to roughly €205 when tolls are included.

At the same time, ferry ticket prices for families have jumped sharply. A four‑person trip to Paros in early August costs around €518 for tickets and €1,600 for accommodation, totalling €2,118; similar journeys to Amorgos and Rhodes reach €2,588 and €2,801 respectively. A survey by IELKA finds that about half of Greek citizens cannot afford to leave Attica for a holiday this summer, and those who do are cutting back on travel compared with previous years. The combined effect of rising fuel, tolls and ferry fares is putting a heavy strain on household budgets and the tourism sector.