Travel guide – Greece
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Overview
The Olympic Games were spawned in ancient classical Greece, along with democracy and the fundamentals of philosophy, science and mathematics. Modern Greece is better known as a great place to vacation rather than a centre of learning and culture. Today the country attracts by offering simple pleasures: delicious food at reasonable prices, local wine, beautiful beaches, sunshine, quaint villages, a seemingly endless lacework of coastline and little islands full of scenic surprises.
The country exudes traditional charm, particularly on its ever-popular islands, which cling to their stereotypical architecture and way of life despite being often over-run by tourists. Black-clad women still deliver vegetables to island tavernas on panniered donkeys, while bronzed, lined fishermen sit in the sun, drink thick coffee, and play dominoes or dice. The tourist infrastructure has intruded in many respects, but the timeless aspect of whitewashed buildings clustered on hillsides around narrow pebbled alleys has been retained. The myriad islands in the Aegean Sea are easily accessible from Piraeus, the historic harbour of Greece's mainland capital, Athens, by ferry or hydrofoil, offering a unique chance for 'island-hopping'. Many of the larger islands also have airports with connections to Athens or seasonally with major European cities.
On the mainland the city of Athens in the south is sprawling, overcrowded and polluted but nevertheless enthralls visitors, while Thessaloniki in the north is vibrant and modern with a Byzantine flavour. Athens is dominated by its major landmark, the Parthenon: the remains of other wonders of the ancient Greek classical world are to be found mainly on the Peloponnese Peninsula, south of Corinth, the gateway to a veritable treasure trove of history.
Greece and Greeks welcome with open arms the thousands of visitors that flock to admire their national assets every year - no-one leaves without having been warmed, both by the sun and the hospitality.
Regions and cities within Greece...
Athens
Corfu
Crete
Kos
Mykonos
Rhodes
Samos
Santorini
Skiathos
Thessaloniki
Zante
Skopelos
Climate
Greece enjoys mild winters and very hot, dry summers cooled by seasonal breezes known as 'meltemia'. Snow can fall in the mountainous regions in winter. Winter is the wettest season and rain is unlikely between June and August.
Health
There are no specific health risks in Greece, but visitors who plan to walk through forested areas are advised to consider vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis. Medical facilities in Greece vary; those in major cities are excellent but many of the islands are some distance from a decent hospital. Food and water are safe, but those visiting for short periods should consider sticking to bottled water. UK nationals are entitled to a refund on emergency hospital treatment under a reciprocal agreement between the UK and Greece, and a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) should be taken on holiday for this purpose. Despite this, all visitors are advised to take out medical insurance. Yellow fever vaccination certificates are required for those arriving from infected areas. Bird flu was detected in swans in northern Greece in February 2006, but stringent measures have been taken to contain the outbreak; no human infections have been reported. The risk to people is believed to be very low, but visitors are advised to avoid any contact with caged, wild or domestic birds, and to ensure that all poultry and egg dishes are well cooked as a precaution.
The basics
Time
Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 between the last Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October).
Electricity
Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. A variety of plugs are in use including the European-style two-pin and the round three-pin.
Language
Greek is the national language, but English is widely spoken.
Tipping
The tip is often included in the bill in a restaurant. If not, leave between 10 to 15 percent. For drinks at cafes, round the bill up to the nearest euro. Taxis expect change as do cloak room attendants and porters.
Safety
There is a risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks and visitors are urged to be vigilant in public places, including tourist sites. The bombs that exploded in central Athens outside a police station on 5 May 2004 were not targeted at tourists, but visitors could be caught up accidentally in such incidents. Greece is otherwise considered a safe destination, but the height of the tourist season does usually see an increase in petty theft cases, particularly in crowded areas. Visitors are advised not to carry valuables on them. Violent crime is infrequent, but there have been incidents on some Greek islands and lone visitors are advised not to accept lifts from strangers.
Communications
The international access code for Greece is +30. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). There are often surcharges on calls made from hotels and it is generally cheaper to use OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation) offices for local and international calls. Calls can also be made from public card phone booths and cards can be bought from kiosks or OTE offices. The local mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts and are cheaper than accessing the Internet from hotels.
Duty Free
Travellers from non-EU countries do not pay duty when entering Greece for 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g tobacco; 1 litre of spirits with alcohol volume over 22%, or 2 litres of dessert wine not exceeding 22% alcohol volume and sparkling wine, or 2 litres of table wine; 50g perfume or 250ml eau de toilette; and other goods for non-commercial value to the value of €175 for adults and €90 for children under 15 years. Providing goods are bought for personal use, there are no restrictions on carrying tobacco and alcohol between the 15 original countries of the EU (including the UK), with the exception of Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
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