Hello, just starting to plan a last minute trip to Greece, 14 days starting end April. Picking up rental car at Athens airport, touring the mainland mainly, Pelopponese, Delphic and Meteora and more if time permits. Should I buy a map in the US now (Amazon only sells older Michelin maps) or wait to land in Athens to buy a better one? Thank you.

....or load down a map for free?

....or load down a map for free?

Downloading a map is a good idea, but there is a newspaper and magazine shop in the Departure Lounge (up one level from Arrivals) that has a good selection of maps. That part of the Departure Lounge can be accessed by everyone. It's across the hall from the main food court.

IMO the "best" one is the one that is up to date and downloaded on that GPS in your car or that is on the GPS application ON YOUR PHONE.

Yes, paper maps are great AS A BACKUP and that is basically all they are these days.

Most of the people lately who have used both feel that the best approach is GPS with a paper map to make sure u are on the right track. Problem with GPS alone, for people who use only English, is that when u translate Greek words into our alphabet, there are several different options for spelling -- i.e., city in Crete can be Chania, Xania, Hania, Hanya. Also, there are certain very popular names that will recur in a given area -- i.e., in several prefectures (counties) in the peloponnese, you can find towns called Apostoli. Therefore, you could enter a name and find "no results" or expect you are going to one Apostoli and are actually directed to another. The paper map keeps u from going too far astray.

Also Dukey, someone may not have a "smart-phone", or at least one that works in Greece.

It's not just in Greece where GPS can lead you astray: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31814083

I agree with travelerjan — there are so many destinations in Greece with the same name, and so many different spelling variations, a paper map is essential, IMO.

Thanks everyone. I have downloaded two maps from visitgreece.gr, and saved some area maps from google maps onto my iPad, and Osman maps into my husband's android. but would like a paper map too. Can't be too careful driving in a foreign country.

www.road.gr for good local maps in Greece.