RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR TRIP TO GREECE
Dear TOURCOM Guest,
Below you will find a few tips and general information on Greece.
We hope they will be useful.
Have an enjoyable and safe trip!
1. VISA
American visitors must hold a valid passport. No visa is needed
for tourist or business stays of up to three months.
2. HEALTH
If arriving from an infected area (most of sub-Saharan Africa
and South America), proof of yellow fever and/or cholera immunization
is required.
HEALTH INSURANCE . A travel insurance policy which covers medical expenses as well as loses, delays and cancellations is strongly recommended by TOURCOM. Travel insurance by Travel Guard International is available via TOURCOM.
FOOD & WATER. Even though the tap water is said to be safe, drink bottled water. Bring good antibiotics with you against tourist diarrhea.
HEATSTROKE. By far the biggest health risk in Greece comes from the intensity of the sun: Exposure to high temperatures can leave you vulnerable to heatstroke. You should avoid excessive alcohol or strenuous activity when you first arrive in a hot climate. Don't rely on feeling thirsty, drink nonalcoholic beverages and especially water as much as possible to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Beware of salt deficiency, as well. Use a hat and sunscreen with as many factors as possible.
MOTION DISCOMFORT. Fresh air helps, so you will feel better
on the deck of a ferry/cruise ship rather than inside. Try to
find a place close to the midship. Looking at a steady reference
point like the horizon can help, whereas reading or cigarette
smoke don't.
Commercial antimotion-discomfort preparations can cause drowsiness.
Ginger is a natural preventative and is available in capsule form.
Or pressure antimotion-discomfort bracelets when worn on the wrists
work pretty well.
3. MONEY
Greek currency is the drachma. A pound= 100 piastres(pt). There
are notes in denominations of 100, 500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000:
coins of 1,2,5,10,20, 50 & 100 drachmae. $1= app. 300 dr.
Money can be changed at banks, post offices, foreign exchange
(forex) bureaus and many hotels. The best rate is give by the
forex bureaus. Note that rates can vary quite a bit between banks,
hotels, forex bureaus though the variations seem to be minimal
on the US dollar. To exchange travelers' checks, you need your
passport. The commission on the travelers' checks also differ
from on place to another.
All major credit cards are acceptable but only in larger establishments.
Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted credit cards.
You can get a cash advance on a Visa card at the Commercial Bank
of Greece and on Access (MasterCard) at the National Bank of Greece.
Some branches of these banks and others have ATMs which operate
24 hours a day.
Outside the big cities and islands cash advances are often impossible,
so keep some travelers' checks and/or cash handy.
4. TELEPHONES
The international dialing code for Greece is 30. Athens is 1.
The international access code (to call abroad from Greece) is
00. You should always ask the reception how much you would pay
in case you make a phone call from your hotel room even if you
would like to use your calling card.
Card phones are very good value and can be purchased from the
little kiosks which sell newspapers and magazines on the streets.
Some of these which are called peripteros, may also have telephones.
These are metered and can be used for direct-dial international
calls. You make the call first and then pay the periptero owner
after completion.
E-MAIL: There are internet cafes in big cities. The deluxe hotels
have the internet access.
5. TIME
Egypt is seven hours ahead of American Eastern Standard time.
When it's 7 pm in Egypt,
it's noon in NY.
6. ELECTRICITY
Electrical current is 220 volts AC, single phase, 50 hertz. Wall
sockets are the round, two pin standard continental type. Bring
adapter plugs and transformers if necessary.
7. WEIGHTS
& MEASURES
Greece uses the metric system.
Temperature: to convert F to C subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9
to convert C to F multiply 1.8 and add 32
Length, Distance & Area: in to cm multiply by 2.54
ft to m " " 0.30
yd to m " " 0.91
ml to km " " 1.61
acres to ha " " 0.40
Weight: ounces to grams multiply by 28.35
pounds to kilograms multiply by 0.45
tons to kilograms multiply by 907
Volume: gallons to liters multiply by 3.79.
8. TIPPING
In restaurants the service charge is included in the bill but
it is the custom to leave a small amount. The practice is often
just to round off the bill. Likewise for the taxis-a small amount
is appreciated.
It's customary to tip hotel personnel, guides, drivers and cruise
ship crew. Service charges are often included in tour packages.The
average tip for a group tour (20-30 people) is $4- 5 per person
per day for the guide and $2-3 per person per day for the driver.
For individual travel arrangements (less people in a group) it
may be better to increase this amount considerably. If you are
taking a cruise, the amount and style of tipping depends on the
cruise line. Ask for details if you are taking a cruise.
9. TRANSPORTATION
Be very careful on the streets. Athens is very crowded and the
traffic is always a nightmare till they complete the subway. There
are many motorcycles which are called Kamikazes. They may not
care about even the traffic lamps so be extra careful especially
in Athens while crossing the streets.
Don't even think about using the public bus. They are incredibly
crowded. Taxis are more time saving. They are very reasonably
priced in Greece but the problem is getting on one. The taxis
take more than one party at a time who go to the same direction
to make more money. If you are traveling alone, be cautious but
don't be alarmed if the taxi driver takes other people. Before
getting on one, offer the driver more money and tell him not to
accept other passengers if you feel scared. Try to fix the amount
of money before you get on a taxi. Tell the driver where you want
to go and show him on the map in case he does not understand you.
Then fix a price and give him some extra tip. There are taxi meters
in the taxis but they may not be used if the driver is taking
more than one passenger. You would better let the people call
a taxi for you from your hotel and tell the driver where you would
like to go and set a price for you.
10. WHAT
TO BRING
You must pack:
-Hat
-Sunglasses
-Sun screen above factor eight
-Crease-free, comfortable clothing
-Sweater, jackets, coats and umbrella for the winter and spring-fall
(Mid March-April, Mid October-Mid November) traveling
-Your prescription drugs
-Good walking shoes
Ladies are required to wear appropriate length dresses or skirt
with sleeved blouse and men are required to wear slacks and shirt
for the monasteries and churches.
For cruises casual daytime attire is suggested. Most of the Mediterranean
cruise lines offer destinational cruising and you don't need to
pack evening gowns and/or tuxedos for that. But that depends on
the cruise line's policy. So ask for the details before you go.
For occasional special gala evenings, cocktail dress and tie and
jacket may be necessary.
-Swimsuits if you are planning to swim.
-Camera film, as they are expensive in Greece
11. THEFT
AND ROBBERY
Take precautions. Besides having an insurance, put your wallet
in a safe place of which you can keep track. Do not carry your
passports with you instead use your hotel safety boxes for them
and for your valuables. Pay extra attention in crowded places
such as the Omonia Square and Monastraki Flee Market in Athens
(and all the crowded areas). Do not wander around empty and dark
side streets at night.
12. BUSINESS
HOURS
Banking hours are from 8 am to 2 pm from Monday to Thursday and
Friday from 8 am to 1 pm. Some banks in large towns and cities
open from 3:30 to 6:30 pm in the afternoon and on Saturday mornings.
13. SHOPS
Shops open from 8 am to 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm on Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday and from 8 am to 2:30 pm on Monday, Wednesday
and Saturday. In tourist resorts and busy ports, many shops open
seven days a week. Periptera (street kiosks) are open from early
morning until late at night.
14. WHAT
TO BUY
-JEWELRY: Gold and silver is good value in Greece and the designs
are of a high quality. Especially Athens, Mykonos and Ioannina
are the places to find the best ones.
-CERAMICS: You will see ceramic objects of every shape and size.
The best places for high quality handmade ceramics are Athens
and Rhodes. There are artists in Greece who produce hand-painted
replicas of museum items.
-ART COPIES:From the National ARchaeological Museum of Athens,
you can find them.
-TAPESTRIES AND CARPETS: Flokati are thick woollen rugs, unique
to Greece. Arahova are brightly colored and patterned wool rugs.
They make attractive wall-hangings or bedspreads. Greek carpets
are less sophisticated than the Turkish carpets and they are considered
as handicrafts rather than an art form.
-LEATHER. Shoes and handbags are good buys.
-FOLK ART ITEMS: These are really nice.
-OLIVE OIL, WINE, OLIVES AND HONEY.
15. HOW TO SHOP
TAX-FREE IN GREECE
Non EU residents, if they shop in any of the stores that display
a Tax-Free For Tourists window sticker which supply a Tax-free
shopping check, can later claim a VAT Refund. When you leave Greece,
make sure your pruchases and receipts are readily available for
inspection. A Customs official will stamp your checks. Cash your
check at the international or local Refund points that can be
found at most major EU exits. Or fill in the back of your checks
in the pre-addressed envelope given you at the shop and mail it.
16. USA EMBASSY
AND CONSULATE IN GREECE
EMBASSY: 91 Vass. Sophias Ave, 115 21 Athens
Phone: 7212951-9, 72118400-1
Fax: 6456282
Visa Section Hours: Mon to Fri 8 am to noon.
US CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI:
59 Leoforos Nikis
Phone: (31) 242 905
EMERGENCY NUMBER:
US CITIZENS EMERGENCY AID: 721 2951