GENERAL TIPS WHEN VISITING GREECE

Welcome to GREECE!

Such a beautiful country with an impressive history and approximately 230 inhabited islands for all the tastes, that you can visit during spring/summer season. The traditional villages, on the other side, and the exceptional excursions that you can make during Winter in the mainland are out of this world. I am Greek and below are some general info for the country I think you may find useful if you visit for the first time.

WEATHER: the winter in Greece is heavier from December till March despite the fact that there are several sunny days during that time. If you want to visit the mountains for skiing I suggest from January till March. Summer season starts on May till end of September. July and August always are the busiest months, with June/September less busy. Angel’s tip: Keep in mind that manyyy Greeks go on holidays from end of July till 20th of August. 

CURRENCY: Greece belongs to the Eurozone and EUROS is the currency you will need to use. 

PAYMENTS: Although in the past it was not so easy pay with card eveywhere, now almost everywhere cards are acceptable even in the the taxis. In any case, have always some cash with you.  Angel’s tip: In some smaller shops or resturants if you suggest to pay with cash without asking for a receipt, some people may accept and give you a discount… 

PLUG:  European electrical plug. If you visit a high end hotel they may have usb port but in any case have with you an adaptor or ask the reception of your hotel for one.

TIP: It is not 10%  like other European countries. Tip is not included in your bill and it is optional. If you are satisfied with the service you give as much as you wish, but a 5-10% tip is good enough.

LANGUAGE: Greek is the local language in the country but English are widely spoken. (older people usually don’t speak though)

TRANSPORTATION: Compared to previous years public transport has improved, however it is still not so punctual like other countries. And unfortunately sometimes buses are too crowded. I would highly recommend to rent a car, unless you intend to stay in the city centre of Athens. You will be able to explore easily and quicker. You just need to have a valid international driving license (and ask for the age limit).

GREEK ISLANDS: All of the islands are absolutely AMAZING. So you need to book before summer in order to find the hotel you like, since some of them are getting fully booked way in advance. Ferry tickets can be usually found even last minute if not high season. And remember, the earlier the cheaper! There are some islands fyi that are getting bookings several months in advance like Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Ios, Rhodes, Kos, Skiathos, Corfu, Zante, Kefallonia, Crete that are more famous and more crowded with tourists. While others are less popular but wonderful as well, and are preferred more by locals like Chios, Samos, Limnos, Ikaria, Alonissos, Folegandros, Serifos, Amorgos, Kalymnos, Kythira….

You can book your ferry tickets for the island here: Ferryscanner.com

DRIVER SIDE: left

DRIVING: especially in the islands and in the center of Athens drivers are a bit aggressive so be careful!APPAREL: No restrictions, only if you want to visit a church, shorts for example are not ideal.

TOILET: Do not throw the paper in the toilet but in the relevant bin. Greek sewage pipes can easily get clogged if toilet paper is flushed & they cannot support so big quantity of flushed paper.

OPENING HOURS: Sunday most of the shops are closed apart from specific days of the year. Supermarkets and shopping malls: daily from 9am till 21:00 pm and Saturday till 20:00 pm. In Athens, some local shops and smaller stores are open from  9:00 AM-14:30 PM & 17:30-21:00 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays while on Mondays & Wednesdays opening times are from 9:00 AM till 15:00 PM. Despite that, all the time you may find some small kiosks 24/7. During Summer season in the islands the times may be different though.

PERSONAL BELONGINGS: Be careful of your things in public transport, on the road or anywhere it is too crowded. You should always keep your belongings in sight and have your purse close, avoid putting your wallet/ phone in your back pocket. At the hotel, lock items of high value. I cannot say that Greece is the safest country in the world in that manner….

Feel free to add something to above article, to comment and ask me anything you may need! <3

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