Practical Information
Short facts
Entry requirements
Greece is a party to the Schengen Agreement. No visas are required for visits up to 90 days for most nationalities. For more extensive information on the entry requirements, check the government website on travel.
Safety
Samos is a safe place, however exemptions can always occur. Beter safe then sorry, so just keep your eye on your bags in crowded places and don’t leave them unattended.
Power
The power plugs and sockets in Greece are of type C and F; with two round pins. The voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. In some modern accommodations USB sockets may be available.
Language
The official language of Samos is – of course – New Greek. Most people in more touristic areas speak English and sometimes other languages such as German or French.
Internet/Mobile Phone
If not part of the EU, you can buy a pre-paid SIM card in one of the shops. Wind, Vodafone and Cosmote are the main mobile providers in Greece. For the best coverage choose Cosmote or Vodafone.
Since the Island lies just off the coast of Turkey, your network might jump to a Turkish provider when you are on the east side. In that case roaming charges may apply.
Money
The currency on the island is the euro. You can pay with cards in restaurants and shops. Make sure you also have some cash at hand, just in case you wonder to more remote or secluded parts of the island or when the electricity goes down and POS machines won’t work.
The best place to exchange some money is through an ATM that can be found in most villages.
Weather
The climate in Samos is typical for the Aegean Sea; mild winters with some rain and hot, sunny summers. The temperature of the sea reaches a maximum of 23/24 °C from July to September. You can find more historical weather data on Samos here.
Spring
mid-March to May: Quite suddenly it starts to get warmer and sunnier with average temperatures between 15 to 21 degrees.
Summer
June to mid-September: Dry, sunny, humid and hot. It can be windy at times. The Meltemi – the wind from the north-west which is typical for summer in the Aegean Sea – blows by the middle of May, cooling the air. Average temperatures are between 24 to 33 degrees.
Autumn
mid-September to November: In the beginning of Autumn it is still pleasantly warm with plenty of sunny day’s. Temperatures are dropping gradually and it becomes rainier. Average temperatures are between 15 and 24 degrees.
Winter
December to mid-March: It can get quite cold and windy at times and also rainy, but it very rarely snows. Only the peaks of Mount Kerkis and Ambelos turn white occasionally. These days are alternated with sunny winter days. Average temperatures are between 7 to 15 degrees.
Opening hours
Shops
- Monday, Wednesday and Saturday: 9am –2.30pm
- Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9am–2pm and 5.30pm–9pm.
- Sunday: closed
In tourist locations, most shops stay open all day, every day from 9am to late at night.
Banks
- Monday to Thursday: 8.30am–2.30pm
- Friday: 8am–2pm
- Saturday & Sunday: closed
Travelling to Samos
By Plane
Samos International Airport is situated just 3,5 km outside of Pythagorion. All year round, the airport connects the island to Athens and Thessaloniki. In the summer, some other greek islands are added aswell. There are flights to/from Athens – travel time 55 min. – with Olympic Air, Aegean Air or Sky Express and to/from Thessaloniki – travel time 65 min. During the summer season many charter flights from European countries add Samos to their destinations.
Car Rental
If you want to drive yourself and haven’t arranged for a rental car in advance, you can rent a car in one of the rental offices at the airport.
Taxi
Taxis are waiting for you just outside the terminal building. The service is metered with fixed costs (prizes 2023):
- to Vathy – €30,00 – ca. 25 min.
- to Pythagorio – €10,00 – ca. 5 min.
- to Kokkari – €45,00 – ca. 40 min.
- to Kampos Marathokampou – €45,00 – ca. 60 min.
- to Karlovasi – €45,00 – 60 min.
Bus
From Monday -Saturday there is a bus service during the day (until 17.00). More information about the bus service can be found at the local bus office.
Airport Transfer
Some hotels offer airport transfers at an extra charge. If you have booked your flight with a touroperator you can also add on airport transfer.
By Ferry
There are ferries arriving at Samos from the port of Piraeus in Athens. During the high season, the ferries arrive approximately 4 times per week. Depending on the vessel and stops, the trip takes 9 to 11-hours.
The ferries from Piraeus usually stops at both ports of Karlovasi and Vathy. The economy price is around €100 for a return ticket (2023).
Samos is also connected through ferry with other islands including: Ikaria, Fourni, Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Chios, Lesvos and the islands of the Dodecanese.
You can visit Turkey from Samos or vice versa thanks to the daily ferry line between Kusadasi and Vathy or Pythagorion from May till October. Or you can go for a day trip.
Departure: daily at 9:30 AM and 6:30 PM in high season. The trip takes between 1 and 1,5 hour and costs around €35 one-way (2023). There is harbour tax to be paid as well.