Use the Greek Island Trick to save big on airfare to faraway places.
Let’s say you want to visit Santorini. (Stunning sea and sunset views…delicious food and wine…fabulous boating trips…whitewashed villas…who wouldn’t?)
Then you take a look at airfares…usually well over $1,000 roundtrip, if not more. Yikes!
The good news is, your Santorini dreams are not necessarily out of reach. The Greek Islands Trick may be able to significantly reduce your cost of flights.
An example of how the Greek Islands Trick works
If you search for flights from Denver to Santorini, the roundtrip (RT) price is often $4,000 or more.
But if you search for flights from Denver to Athens, flights are usually much more reasonable if not downright cheap: a quick Google search shows current RT flights as low as $650.
And what can you expect to pay for a flight (or ferry) RT from Athens to Santorini? Around $60.
So while booking Denver-Santorini as one RT itinerary can cost $4,000, booking it as two itineraries can drop the price to $810 RT, a savings of over $3,000.
That’s the Greek Islands Trick: if you’re traveling somewhere remote, breaking your air journey into two itineraries is often cheaper than booking it as just one. Book the least expensive flight you can find to a city near your destination, then add a cheap flight on to your actual final stop.
The Greek Islands Trick doesn’t necessarily add time or extra stops to your journey
Here’s another example to consider: Many flights from New York City to Santorini have two stops and take 17 hours or more. Meanwhile, a nonstop flight from NYC to Athens takes 9 hours, and the onward flight to Santorini is less than an hour.
In this case, the Greek Islands Trick not only saves money, it also results in less travel time.
Plus, you can delay the departure of your second leg, thus allowing for a few days to explore Athens before continuing on to Santorini. Consider it a free stopover en route to your final destination!
Not just for Greek Islands
Though called the Greek Islands Trick, this strategy can work anywhere you’re flying. If your destination is far away and expensive to get to, the Greek Islands Trick may save you money.
Want to visit Bali? If fares are high, check out flights to nearby airports such as Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. If you want to see Angkor Wat, it may be cheaper to fly to Vietnam first, then go on to Cambodia from there.
The Greek Islands Trick even works to closer destinations, like Europe. Looking to visit Prague but there are no discount fares? Book a cheap flight to virtually anywhere on the continent—Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, etc.—then hop a flight on a discount carrier from there to Prague. Or switch from plane to train: fly to Vienna and then ride the rails to Prague.
What to remember when using the Greek Islands Trick
1. Leave a good amount of time between your two itineraries. Twenty-four hours or more is ideal if you can manage it, but at least 12 hours is advisable. Why? If a delay of your initial flight causes you to miss your second one, you’re not re-booked on another flight for free as you would be if you’d booked the trip as a single itinerary. (Note: I usually opt for several days between trip segments in order to enjoy a bit of the first city before continuing onward.)
2. If the onward trip to my final destination may be via a train, ferry, or bus (as opposed to plane), my go-to resource for checking schedules and prices is Rome2Rio. (See here for tips on how to best use Rome2Rio.)
3. Remember you don’t have to book both itineraries at the same time. The best strategy is to book quickly when the long-haul flight drops in price because flights across an ocean have a much wider price range. Once that’s locked in, you can book your second leg over the next few weeks or months.
4. Remember that when selecting your stopover, the closest city to your final destination isn’t necessarily the cheapest, especially in Europe and Southeast Asia. For example, if you’re planning a trip to Croatia, flights from Belgrade to Dubrovnik (186 miles in a straight line) require a connection in Vienna and currently cost at least $168 one-way. Meanwhile, flights from London to Dubrovnik (1,052 miles) are nonstop and are as low as $43 one-way.
Twist’s Take: Use the Greek Islands Trick to save big on flights to faraway places!
