Greek

BRITS are ditching popular Greek spots for less-visited parts of the country for better value holidays, says TUI.

According to new data, Brits are heading to quieter spots in Greece including Samos, Preveza, Kefalonia and Halkidiki.

TUI is dubbing this surge in bookings to lesser-visited islands as the ‘Hidden Greece Revolution’.

Here are the ones you need to know about.

Samos

Samos is leading this change with bookings up by a staggering 118 per cent year-on-year.

TUI believes this is in part due to the extra weekly TUI flight from London Gatwick Airport.

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Samos is known for relaxing beaches, serene water and traditional tavernas, like Welcome Bar Restaurant, a TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award for 2025, where tourists can grab fresh seafood dishes including grilled cod and octopus.

One popular thing to see on the island is the monuments of Kings’, Priests and other significant figures.

And there are two UNESCO monuments on the island, including the ancient city of Pythagoreion and the ancient Temple of Hera, Heraion of Samos.

The island is also a great spot for keen hikers, with mountains, caves and ravines to explore.

For example, you could head to Mount Kerkis, which stands 1400 metres above sea level.

If hiking isn’t your thing though, there is plenty more to explore on Samos including the town, where you’ll find neoclassical buildings.

The island has several beaches too, including Tsamadou Beach, which is lined with pine trees and features clear water.

Alternatively, head to Kokkari Beach, which is located in a charming village.

A meal on Samos is likely to set you back around €10 (£8.76) and a beer around €4 (£3.50).

Preveza

Meanwhile, Preveza has also seen an increase in bookings, up 10 per cent.

It is the ideal destination for reaching Lefkada, meaning travellers can experience two destinations in one trip.

Preveza is located at the edge of the Amvrakikos Gulf and features a number of ancient sites as well as stunning landscapes.

In the Old Town, visitors can explore the historic port and get lost in a number of narrow, cobbled alleys that lead away from the harbour, with several traditional buildings too.

One key spot worth discovering is Saitan Bazar, which is a historic lane featuring tiny independent shops and cafes, that are covered in vines and known for having lively atmospheres.

For beaches, there is plenty of choice too, including Monolithi – which is one of Europe‘s longest sandy beaches, stretching between 13.5 and 15.5 miles long.

One recent visitor said: “Monolithi Beach is a long, beautiful, and mostly empty beach – perfect for those who enjoy peace and quiet by the sea.

“There is plenty of space to relax without crowds, as well as lots of natural shade near the parking area.”

A meal in Preveza is likely to set you back around €8 (£7.01) and a beer around €3 (£2.63).

Kefalonia

Kefalonia has seen growth, especially with couples and families visiting.

Caroline McGuire, The Sun’s Head of Travel – Digital, said: “I visited Kefalonia on a family holiday a few years ago, after looking for the ideal Greek island for a trip with a three year old. 

“The island in the Ionian Sea — a Hollywood star in its own right thanks to the 2001 film version of Louis de Bernieres wartime novel — ticked all the boxes and boasts what is often claimed as Greece’s best beach. 

“We spent a week on the island in mid-May and enjoyed everything it had to offer — without spending too much money. 

“Our timing (outside of school holidays) meant we were one of the few tourist groups on the island. 

“The weather was still perfect though. The average is highs of 21C in May and the same in October.

“There were no crowds, either. Looking out at Myrtos beach, which is regularly named one of Greece’s top five, it felt like we were being let in on a great secret.”

A meal on Kefalonia is likely to set you back around €13.50 (£11.82) and a beer around €4.25 (£3.81).

Halkidiki

In Halkidiki, another island seeing a boom, there are more stunning beaches, as well as secluded coves.

An amazing spot to explore is Mount Athos, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important centres of Orthodox monasticism.

It is known as the ‘Holy Mountain’ and is home to 20 historic monasteries, including ones that date back over 1,000 years.

In this region you can expect a meal at an inexpensive restaurant to set you back around €7 (£6.13) and a beer around €2.75 (£2.41).

Commercial director at TUI UK & Ireland, Chris Logan said: “What we are seeing is Brits exploring Greece in a whole new way.

“These picturesque islands offer incredible beaches, amazing food and fantastic value without the crowds allowing people the chance to truly relax and indulge.

“The demand shows travellers are ready to go beyond the classics and discover Greece’s hidden gems and TUI makes it simple, with flights, transfers, hotels and 24/7 support all sorted.”

For other places worth visiting in Greece, there is an island with 70 beaches that experts warn you should see before it gets too popular.

Plus, Wizz Air to launch six new routes with cheap flights to Greek islands and the capital of wine.

BUDGET airline Wizz Air has announced it will launch routes to six destinations from next spring.

From beautiful Greek islands with sandy beaches to a well-known football destination in Germany and a riverside city in France.

The airline flies to over 60 destinations from London Luton Airport – and is adding even more to the list.

From next spring, Wizz Air customers will be able to reach four new destinations across Greece; Chania, Mykonos, Rhodes and Zakynthos.

And the other two routes are to Bordeaux in France and Dortmund in Germany.

These two will be the earliest to begin in 2026 with flights taking off on March, 29.

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Flights to Dortmund will operate five times a week starting from £27.99 -the destination is well-known for being the home Westfalenstadion , Germany’s largest stadium.

Journeys to Bordeaux, the world capital of wine, will be four times a week from £22.99.

For anyone wanting to head to Greece, the first flights will be from Luton to Zakynthos (aka Zante), which will start on May, 13 2026.

These will be twice-weekly and start from £44.99.

Zakynthos is a well-known summer resort with a famous shipwreck attraction on Navagio Beach.

The MV Panagiotis ran aground in 1980, it sits on the sandy shores and has become a well-known spot for taking holiday snaps.

On June 7, 2026 flights to both Mykonos and Rhodes will begin.

Mykonos will have flights three times a week with prices starting from £44.99.

The island is known for being glamorous and brings in celebrity visitors who love exploring its luxury resorts and beautiful beaches.

But it doesn’t have to be expensive, as one writer who has been visiting for 30 years discovered.

For ways to do Mykonos on a budget, here are activities you can do for free and where to find the most popular beaches that also avoid sun-lounger fees.

Rhodes will have twice-weekly flights also priced from £44.99.

The island is known for its rich history as well as having traditional villages, as one writer discovered when he visited Rhodes’s east coast.

The last flights to start next year will be to Chania in Crete, which will operate twice-weekly from June 8, 2026 with tickets from £44.99.

Chania is a city on the northwestern coast of Crete which is known for being 4,000 years old and is a mix of Venetian, Greek and Ottoman architecture, as one writer discovered.

Crete is Greece’s biggest island, offers ancient culture, delicious cuisine and some of the cheapest pints on the Med.

And of course there’s the stunning turquoise swimming spots teeming with colourful marine life.

Yvonne Moynihan, Managing Director at Wizz Air UK, stated:  “With holidaymakers already dreaming of their 2026 getaways, we’ve got an early Christmas gift for our customers: six brand-new routes from our London Luton base!

“These exciting additions will whisk travellers away to some of Europe’s most-loved destinations, including Greece’s stunning beaches. As London’s low-cost airline, we’re all about making those dream holidays affordable and accessible.

“And with our 14th aircraft joining the fleet at London Luton Airport, we’re giving UK customers even more flexibility and choice, because nothing says “Merry Christmas” like more holidays to look forward to.”

For more Greek Islands, this expert has four better value islands where locals go on holiday with Santorini-like houses and secluded beaches.

Plus, Brits are swapping busy Spain for these three quiet Greek hotspots with £1 pints and secret beaches.

Hundreds of farmers block parts of the Athens-Thessaloniki highway in protest over the delayed payments.

Greek farmers have clashed with police during protests in central and northern regions over the delayed payment of European Union subsidies.

Police used tear gas on Sunday as the farmers brought hundreds of tractors to block the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway near the central city of Larissa.

Officers made three arrests, police said, but the farmers managed to close the highway ahead of additional protests planned for next week.

“We will stay here until [the government] gives solutions,” local farm trade unionist Costas Tzelas told reporters.

The delay in payments comes amid investigations into a scandal in which some farmers allegedly faked land and livestock ownership to receive EU agricultural subsidies.

Greek officials say the fraudsters made more than 30 million euros ($35m) worth of false claims for Common Agricultural Policy subsidies.

Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food Christos Kellas told the ERT public broadcaster on Sunday that farmers had received reduced EU subsidies as the investigation into fraudulent claims was still under way.

“They received 100 million euros [$116m] less at this stage,” he added. “After appeals, those who are entitled to funds will receive them.”

Greek authorities have launched separate investigations, and the parliament is probing the government agency OPEKEPE, which distributes roughly 2.5 billion euros ($2.9bn) in EU aid annually to hundreds of thousands of farmers.

The scandal has already led to the resignation of a minister in the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Livestock farmers were also demanding compensation following the loss of more than 400,000 sheep and goats to a sheep pox outbreak, all slaughtered to stop the disease.

The authorities have resisted calls from farmers to be allowed to vaccinate their flocks, arguing there is no proof the measure actually works.