Slow Traveling - By Bus to Greece

We live in a world full of challenges. While opinions may differ on who bears the responsibility for acting on the climate crisis, for me, one thing is clear: I want to be part of the solution as often as possible. That’s why, when planning our last summer holiday, I asked myself: is it possible to reach crystal-clear water and shading olive trees within Europe without boarding a plane?

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I have known Greece since my childhood. Although the memories are quite blurred, the feeling is still there—the stories from my parents and the photo album featuring my grandparents. I felt drawn back to the beautiful Greek islands, and at the same time, my partner and I had made a commitment to avoid flying within Europe as much as possible. So the question was:

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How do we get there?

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One evening of research later, the answer was clear: a bus trip. Well, several bus trips. Although many people react with surprise—“What? You took the bus all the way to Greece?”—I have to say that the concept itself didn’t intimidate me, as I was already familiar with bus travel in Asia. For me, the real question was: can what I know be applied to Europe? How will we fare on night buses, will we encounter storms, and how exhausted will we be upon arrival?

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In short: it is possible.

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The journey became the trip itself, and I was able to experience the backpacking vibe I know and love from Asia right here in Europe. From Graz, we took the train to Vienna, and from Vienna, a night bus took us to Sofia. We spent our first day there exploring the city, recovering in air-conditioned vegan restaurants (of which there are plenty), stayed for one night, and spent the following day strolling through the streets and sitting in cafés. In the evening, we boarded the next night bus from Sofia to Athens.

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We arrived in Athens earlier than planned, which taught us a lesson: when in doubt, book a later bus. There isn’t much to do in a foreign city at four o'clock in the morning. Unfortunately, the bus station is not in the most tranquil neighborhood, which is where the few moments of anxiety during our trip occurred, as we couldn’t quite gauge the safety of the dark streets.

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We walked a few blocks toward the city center and were greeted by an incredibly rewarding view of the illuminated Acropolis. We took a seat on the chairs of cafés that hadn't opened yet and refueled with some biscuits we still had with us. We treated ourselves to several days in Athens. To summarize: despite the forty-degree heat (thanks to air conditioning), we enjoyed it immensely; it is definitely now one of my favorite cities.

At the same time, we experienced firsthand what it means to deal with extreme heat when you don't have the luxury of moving from air-conditioned transport straight into air-conditioned hotel rooms. From 4:00 AM until 2:00 PM (check-in at our Airbnb), we were at the mercy of forty degrees Celsius in the shade—and there was hardly any shade to be found. This was a new experience for both of us, and it served as a reminder of what many people in various parts of the world are already dealing with, and what will increasingly manifest in our own latitudes in the coming years.

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What did we do?

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We spent the first few hours of the early morning walking through the city center. After breakfast (plenty of vegan options here, too), it already became so hot that we took refuge in a nearby air-conditioned shopping mall with a book department. When the staff there no longer seemed happy with us—as we were almost falling asleep in the armchairs—we headed to a neighboring park. There, the only possible goal was the shade under a tree, where we remained lying for several hours. We were able to feel directly, once again, how much trees and green spaces counteract the heat. And I probably don't need to explain how much we appreciated our air-conditioned room after that! :-)

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After a few wonderful days in Athens, we took the ferry to a Greek island. By that point, we were fully in "travel mode," had left our everyday thoughts behind, and were ready for two weeks of pure island time.