Samos (Greek: Σάμος) is an island in the Aegean Sea that is part of the North Aegean Islands. The North Aegean Islands are a region of Greece (Europe). The capital of Samos is Vathy (Samos Town). See educationvv for education in Europe.
Samos is an island with a long history. This is reflected in the many monasteries, ruins and historic towns. As a result, the island also attracts many tourists. The island is very mountainous with some of the largest mountains in the Aegean Sea. The highest mountain is the Kerketefsberg with a height of 1437 meters. The coastline is rocky with some nice sandy and pebble beaches. The island is also known for its excellent white wine, which is reflected in the many wine fields on the island. From Samos it is easy “island hopping” to other Greek islands.
Where is Samos located?
Travel information of Samos
Official name: Samos
Continent: Europe
Area: 468 km²
Capital: Vathy (Samos city)
Country code: GR, GRC
Population: 32,977 inhabitants (2011)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,440 m (Vigla)
Distance (Amsterdam – Vathy): 2,359 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hours
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply on Samos that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Samos, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Samos. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Samos?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay on Samos at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Samos has a Mediterranean climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees and in the summer months around 30 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Samos can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Samos can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Samos. In these months you have the best chance of good weather.
Language
Greek is the official language on Samos. In addition, a lot of English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Greek for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Greece: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch Consulate on Samos: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Greek Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Greek Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Samos.
Money and Currency matters
On Samos, payment is made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs on Samos can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on Samos are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -22% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (33% cheaper), food (18% cheaper), imported beer in catering (14% more expensive), cigarettes (36% cheaper) and public transport (50% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
On Samos it is customary to tip, even if this is already included in the bill. Good service is about 5-10% tip.
Time difference
On Samos it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time on Samos is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Samos can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On Samos you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on Samos.
An overview of all ferry connections between the various Greek islands can be found on GTP.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Samos.
Electricity
On Samos the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity on Samos can be found on our electricity page (look under Greece).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112 or 100
– Fire: 112 or 199
– Ambulance: 112 or 166
Tap water
The water from the tap is drinkable, but due to the high chlorine content in many places, we recommend drinking bottled water.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Samos can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Greece (Samos) can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Samos end in.gr.
Samos official website: visitgreece.gr.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone on Samos is 0030 or +30.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Samos? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Samos Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Samos.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Samos.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos of Samos.
Public holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays on Samos can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Greece (Samos) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Samos, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Samos?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Samos. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Samos can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites on Samos can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Samos? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, medicines and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business on or with Samos, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Samos, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Samos.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum allowed blood alcohol level is 0.5 for cars and 0.2 for motorcycles and novice drivers up to 2 years old.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Samos is known worldwide for its white Samos wine?
…Samos has only been part of Greece since 1912?
…Samos still has many traditional Greek villages?