FAST FACTS ABOUT GREECE
Name of Greece: "Greece" is the English translation of Hellas, which is what the Greeks call their country. The name "Greece" comes from the name the Romans applied to Hellas -- Graecia. While the people of Hellas thought of themselves as Hellenes, the Romans called them by the Latin word Graeci.
Official name: Hellenic Republic
Government system: The Greek government is a parliamentary republic
Head of state: President Karolos Papoulias
Population: 11 million
Where is Greece? Greece is considered to be part of Southern Europe; it is also included as a Western European nation.
Border countries:
Albania 282 km
Bulgaria 494 km
Turkey 206 km
FYROM 246 km
How big is Greece? Greece has a total area of 131,940 square kilometers or about 50,502 square miles.
Coastline: 15,147 kilometers or about 9,411 miles
Greek islands: There are about 140 inhabited islands in Greece, but if you count every rocky outcrop, the total surges to about 3,000.
Largest Greek Island: The biggest Greek island is Crete, followed by the lesser-known island of Evvia or Euboia. Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Highest point: The highest point in Greece is Mount Olympus, legendary home of Zeus and the other Olympian gods and goddesses. The highest peak of Olympus, Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres (9,570 ft)
Currency: Euro
European Union: Greece joined the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the EU, in 1981. Greece became a member of the European Union in January 1999, and met the requirements to become a member of the European Monetary Union, using the Euro as currency, in 2001. The Euro went into circulation in Greece in 2002, replacing the drachma.
Tourists: 18.8 million annually
Orthodox real estate: the Greek Orthodox Church is the second-largest landowner in Greece
Seismic activity: Greece is the most seismically active country in Europe, with more than half of the continent’s volcanic activity
Cost of living: Athens is the world's 28th most expensive city to live in
Cheesy: Greeks are the world’s biggest per capita consumers of cheese, eating around 25kg per capita annually
Too much of a good thing? Greeks record the highest obesity rates in the EU
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT GREECE
Greece is a country in southeastern Europe. Although we call our country Hellas or Ellada and its official name is Hellenic Republic, in English the country is called Greece, which comes from Latin Graecia as used by the Romans and literally means 'the land of the Greeks'; however, the name Hellas is sometimes used in English too.
Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the twelfth longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
Greece's total population is around 11,500,000.
Greece is today relatively homogeneous in linguistic terms, with a large majority of the native population using Greek as their first or only language.
Almost two-thirds of the Greek people live in urban areas. Greece's largest metropolitan centres and most influential urban areas, are those of Athens and Thessaloniki, with metropolitan populations of approximately 4 million and 1 million inhabitants respectively. A number of cities that also form influential urban centres around the country include those of Patras, Heraklion, Larissa, Volos, Rhodes,Ioannina, Chania and Chalcis with urban populations above 100,000 inhabitants.
Modern Greece traces its roots to the civilization of ancient Greece, generally considered the cradle of Western civilization. As such, it is the birthplace of democracy,Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature and historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematicalprinciples, university education, coinage, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy. This legacy is partly reflected in the seventeenUNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Greece, ranking Greece 7th in Europe and 13th in the world. The modern Greek state was established in 1830, following the Greek War of Independence in 1821.
A developed country with an advanced, high-income economy and very high standards of living (including the 22nd highest Human Development Index in the world as of 2010),Greece has been a member of what is now the European Union since 1981 and the eurozone since 2001,NATO since 1952, and the European Space Agency since 2005. It is also a founding member of the United Nations, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.
Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus, Greece's most significant port).
RELIGION
The Greek Constitution recognizes the Orthodox faith as the "prevailing" faith of the country, while guaranteeing freedom of religious belief for all. The Greek government does not keep statistics on religious groups and censuses do not ask for religious affiliation. According to the U.S. State Department, an estimated 97% of Greek citizens identify themselves as Orthodox Christians, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church.
Education
Greece's post-compulsory secondary education consists of two school types: unified upper secondary schools ( Eniaio Lykeio) and technical–vocational educational schools ("Techniko Lykeio"). Post-compulsory secondary education also includes vocational training institutes ( "IEK") which provide a formal but unclassified level of education. As they can accept both Gymnasio (lower secondary school) and Lykeio (upper secondary school) graduates, these institutes are not classified as offering a particular level of education.
Public higher education is divided into universities, "Highest Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα,Anótata Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, "ΑΕΙ") and "Highest Technological Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Τεχνολογικά Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα,Anótata Technologiká Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, "ATEI"). Students are admitted to these Institutes according to their performance at national level examinations taking place after completion of the third grade of Lykeio. Additionally, students over twenty-two years old may be admitted to the Hellenic Open University through a form of lottery. The Capodistrian university of Athens is the oldest university in the eastern Mediterranean.
Greece is a parliamentary republic. The nominal head of state is the President of the Republic, who is elected by the Parliament for a five-year term. The current Constitution was drawn up and adopted by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975 after the fall of the military junta of 1967–1974. It has been revised twice since, in 1986 and in 2001. The Constitution, which consists of 120 articles, provides for a separation of powers into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and grants extensive specific guarantees (further reinforced in 2001) of civil liberties and social rights. Women's suffrage was guaranteed with a 1952 Constitutional amendment.
According to the Constitution, executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and theGovernment. From the Constitutional amendment of 1986 the President's duties were curtailed to a significant extent, and they are now largely ceremonial; most political power thus lies in the hands of the Prime Minister.The position of Prime Minister, Greece's head of government, belongs to the current leader of the political party that can obtain a vote of confidence by the Parliament. The President of the Republic formally appoints the Prime Minister and, on his recommendation, appoints and dismisses the other members of the Cabinet.
Legislative powers are exercised by a 300-member elective unicameral Parliament. Statutes passed by the Parliament are promulgated by the President of the Republic. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, but the President of the Republic is obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier on the proposal of the Cabinet, in view of dealing with a national issue of exceptional importance. The President is also obliged to dissolve the Parliament earlier, if the opposition manages to pass a motion of no confidence.
The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises three Supreme Courts: the Court of Cassation , the Council of State and the Court of Auditors . The Judiciary system is also composed of civil courts, which judge civil and penal cases and administrative courts, which judge disputes between the citizens and the Greek administrative authorities.
MILITARY
The Hellenic Armed Forces are overseen by the Hellenic National Defense General Staff and consists of three branches:
The civilian authority for the Greek military is the Ministry of National Defence. Furthermore, Greece maintains the Hellenic Coast Guardfor law enforcement in the sea and for search and rescue.
Greece has universal compulsory military service for males, while females (who may serve in the military) are exempted from conscription. As of 2009, Greece has mandatory military service of nine months for male citizens between the ages of 19 and 45. However, as the armed forces had been gearing towards a complete professional army system, the government had promised that the mandatory military service would be cut or even abolished completely.
Greek males between the age of 18 and 60 who live in strategically sensitive areas may be required to serve part-time in the National Guard. Service in the Guard is paid. As a member of NATO, the Greek military participates in exercises and deployments under the auspices of the alliance.
ECONOMY
Maritime industry
The shipping industry is a key element of Greek economic activity dating back to ancient times. Today, shipping is one of the country's most important industries. It accounts for 4.5% of GDP, employs about 160,000 people (4% of the workforce), and represents 1/3 of the country's trade deficit.
During the 1960s, the size of the Greek fleet nearly doubled, primarily through the investment undertaken by the shipping magnates, Aristotle Onassis andStavros Niarchos. The basis of the modern Greek maritime industry was formed after World War II when Greek shipping businessmen were able to amass surplus ships sold to them by the U.S. government through the Ship Sales Act of the 1940s.
According to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report in 2010, the Greek merchant navy is the largest in the world at 15.96% of the world's total capacity. This is a drop from the equivalent number in 2006, which was 18.2%.The total tonnage of the country's merchant fleet is 186 million dwt, ranked 1st in the world. In terms of total number of ships, the Greek Merchant Navy stands at 4th worldwide, with 3,150 ships (741 of which are registered in Greece whereas the rest 2,409 in other ports). In terms of ship categories, Greece ranks first in both tankers and dry bulk carriers, fourth in the number of containers, and fourth in other ships. However, today's fleet roster is smaller than an all-time high of 5,000 ships in the late 1970s.Additionally, the total number of ships flying a Greek flag (includes non-Greek fleets) is 1,517, or 5.3% of the world's dwt (ranked 5th).
Tourism
An important percentage of Greece's national income comes from tourism. According to Eurostat statistics, Greece welcomed over 19.5 million tourists in 2009, which is an increase from the 17.7 million tourists it welcomed in 2007. The vast majority of visitors in Greece in 2007 came from the European continent, numbering 12.7 million,while the most visitors from a single nationality were those from the United Kingdom, (2.6 million), followed closely by those from Germany (2.3 million). In 2010, the most visited periphery of Greece was that of Central Macedonia, with 18% of the country's total tourist flow (amounting to 3.6 million tourists), followed by Attica with 2.6 million and the Peloponnese with 1.8 million.Northern Greece is the country's most-visited geographical region, with 6.5 million tourists, while Central Greece is second with 6.3 million.
In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Greece's northern and second-largest city of Thessaloniki as the world's fifth-best party town worldwide, comparable to other cities such as Dubai and Montreal.In 2011, Santorini was voted as "The World's Best Island" in Travel + Leisure. Its neighboring island Mykonos, came in fifth in the European category.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR TRIP TO GREECE
We’ve compiled the practical travel information you need during the planning of your trip and your stay in Greece.
MONEY
Greece has been using the euro currency since the beginning of 2002 ( previous to that we had the Greek drachma (dr)) , fixed at a rate of 340.75 dr to €1.
ATMs and Credit cards
ATMs are to be found in every town large enough to support a bank – and certainly in all the tourist areas. If you’ve got MasterCard or Visa/Access, there are plenty of places to withdraw money. Cirrus and Maestro users can make withdrawals in all major towns and tourist areas.
The main credit cards are MasterCard, Visa (Access in the UK) and Eurocard, all of which are widely accepted in Greece. They can also be used as cash cards to draw cash from the ATMs of affiliated Greek banks in the same way as at home. Daily withdrawal limits are set by the issuing bank.
American Express and Diners are usually accepted as well, not in every place though, so make sure not to bring along ONLY one of these two cards.
Cash
Nothing beats cash for convenience especially in Greece. However,it’s best to carry no more cash than you need which means working out your likely needs whenever you change travellers cheques or withdraw cash.
Note that Greek shopkeepers and small business owners (even taxi drivers sometimes!) have a perennial problem with small change. They rarely have any! If buying small items it is better to tender coin or small denomination notes as the seller will inevitably never have any change.
Tipping
In restaurants a service charge is normally included in the bill and while a tip is not expected (as it is in North America), it is always appreciated and should be left if the service has been good. The locals usually give a small tip between 1-3 euros. Taxi drivers normally expect you to round up the fare, while bellhops who help you with your luggage to your hotel room or stewards on ferries who take you to your cabin normally expect a small gratuity of between €1 and €3.
Insurance
If you’re an EU citizen, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; formerly the E111) covers you for most medical care but not emergency repatriation home or non-emergencies. It is available from health centres, and post offices in the UK. Citizens from other countries should find out if there is a reciprocal arrangement for free medical care between their country and Greece. If you do need health insurance, make sure you get a policy that covers you for the worst possible scenario, such as an accident requiring an emergency flight home. Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
Recommended vaccinations
No vaccinations are required to travel to Greece, but a yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required if you are coming from an infected area.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Bar scams
Bar scams continue to be an unfortunate fact of life in Athens, particularly in the Syntagma area. The basic scam is always some variation on the following theme: solo male traveller is lured into bar on some pretext (not always sex), strikes up conversation with friendly locals, charming girls appear and ask for what turn out to be ludicrously overpriced drinks, traveller is eventually handed an enormous bill.
Fortunately, this practice appears only in Athens at this stage.
Theft
Crime, especially theft, is low in Greece, but unfortunately it is on the increase. The worst area is around Omonia in central Athens – keep track of your valuables here, especially on the metro and at the Sunday flea market.
The vast majority of thefts from tourists are still committed by other tourists; the biggest danger of theft is probably in dormitory rooms in hostels and at camping grounds. So make sure you do not leave valuables unattended in such places. If you are staying in a hotel room, and the windows and door do not lock securely, ask for your valuables to be locked in the hotel safe – hotel proprietors are happy to do this.
VISAS
The list of countries whose nationals can stay in Greece for up to three months without a visa includes Australia, Canada, all EU countries, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the USA. Other countries included are the European principalities of Monaco and San Marino and most South American countries. The list changes – contact Greek embassies for the full list. Those not included can expect to pay about US$20 for a three-month visa.
Visa extensions
If you wish to stay in Greece for longer than three months, apply at a consulate abroad or at least 20 days in advance to the Aliens Bureau (210 770 5711; Leoforos Alexandras 173; 8am-1pm Mon-Fri) in the Athens Central Police Station. Take your passport and four passport photographs along. You may be asked for proof that you can support yourself financially, so keep all your bank exchange slips (or the equivalent from a post office). These slips are not always automatically given – you may have to ask for them. Elsewhere in Greece apply to the local police authority. You will be given a permit that will authorise you to stay in the country for a period of up to six months.
Most travellers get around this by visiting Bulgaria or Turkey briefly and then re-entering Greece.
Travel insurance
If you’re an EU citizen, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; formerly the E111) covers you for most medical care but not emergency repatriation home or non-emergencies. It is available from health centres, and post offices in the UK. Citizens from other countries should find out if there is a reciprocal arrangement for free medical care between their country and Greece. If you do need health insurance, make sure you get a policy that covers you for the worst possible scenario, such as an accident requiring an emergency flight home. Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
WHEN TO GO
The high season for Greece tourism is Mid-June to the end of August . It’s party time on the islands and everything is in full swing. However, it’s very hot – in July and August the temperature can go up to 40°C (over 100°F) in the shade just about anywhere in the country. Moreover, the beaches are crowded and the ancient sites are swarming with tour groups. In many places you cannot find any decent accommodation as everything is fully booked .
During Winter tourism goes into hibernation especially on the islands. Some of the smaller islands close completely and some islanders head off to their winter homes on the mainland for a few months. Most hotels, cafés and restaurants close their doors from the end of November until the beginning of April. Bus and ferry services are either drastically reduced or cancelled.
Everything reopens for Orthodox Easter (usually around April), when the first tourists start to arrive. Conditions are perfect between Easter and mid-June, when the weather is pleasantly warm in most places. The beaches and ancient sites are at that time still relatively uncrowded. Public transport operates at close to full schedules and there’s a bigger variety of accommodation options to choose from. (one can find amazing travel deals at that time of the year)
The high season starts to wind down in September and conditions are once again ideal until the end of October. By November however the endless blue skies of summer have disappeared. November to February are the wettest months and it can get surprisingly cold. Snow is common on the mainland, occasionally it snows in Athens as well.
Having said all that, we believe that Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit Greece; specifically May, June, September and October.
We will not give you any advice on how to get to Greece! There are thousand of sites on the web where you can easily arrange that.
However, we will tell you a few things about GETTING AROUND in our country.
Greece is an easy place to travel around thanks to a comprehensive public transport system.
Buses are the mainstay of land transport, with a network that reaches out to the smallest villages. Trains are a good alternative, where available. To most visitors, though, travelling in Greece means island-hopping on the multitude of ferries that crisscross the Adriatic and the Aegean. If you’re in a hurry, Greece also has an extensive domestic air network.
GETTING AROUND IN GREECE
Sea Transport
Boat
Greece has a vast and complex ferry network covering every inhabited island. Services are more frequent from May to October and drop back to often quite limited services in between. The fleet is changing and travel is now quite comfortable.
Catamaran
High-speed catamarans have become an important part of the island travel scene. They are just as fast as hydrofoils – if not faster – and more comfortable. They are also less prone to cancellation in rough weather. Fares are the same as for hydrofoils.Hellenic Seaways is the major player. It operates giant, vehicle-carrying cats fromPiraeus and Rafina to the Cyclades, and smaller Flying Cats from Rafina to the central and northern Cyclades and on many routes around the Saronic Gulf.
Blue Star Ferries operates its Seajet catamarans on the run from Rafina to Tinos,Mykonos and Paros.
Dodekanisos Seaways (22410 70590; www.12ne.gr; Afstralias 3) runs two luxurious Norwegian-built passenger catamarans between Rhodes and Patmos in theDodecanese.
Most services are very popular; book as far in advance as possible, especially if you want to travel on weekends.
High-speed ferries
These supermodern leviathans can slash travel times on some of the longer routes.NEL Lines (22510 26299; www.ferries.gr/nel) leads the way with its futuristic-looking F/B Panagia Thalassini and Aeolos Kenteris II, which operate from Piraeus to Syros,Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Lavrio, Kythnos and Amorgos. In addition, there is a high-speed service with the F/B Aeolos Kenteris I to Rethymno on Crete. These services cost roughly twice as much as standard ferries.
Blue Star Ferries (210 891 9800; www.bluestarferries.com) is almost in the same league as NEL Lines, and its fleet of modern boats serves many destinations in the Cycladic and Dodecanese islands, cutting down travelling time considerably. It charges about 20% more than the regular ferries.
Hydrofoil
Hydrofoils used to be popular on the Greek transport scene but have seen their heyday come and go. They have been replaced in the main by more comfortable and just as fast catamarans and jet boats. They now just exist in isolation in some of the remoter parts of the Aegean archipelago.Aegean Flying Dolphins (210 422 1766), based on Samos, links that island with Kosin the Dodecanese and islands in between. Other hydrofoil routes operate between Kavala and Thasos in the Northeastern Aegean, and from Alexandroupoli to Samothraki and Limnos. Hellenic Seaways operate hydrofoils on some of itsSporades services.
Tickets cannot be bought on board hydrofoils – you must buy them in advance from an agent.
Water taxi
Most islands have water taxis (taxi boats) – small speedboats that operate like taxis, transporting people to places that are difficult to get to by land. Some owners charge a set price for each person, others charge a flat rate for the boat, and this cost is divided by the number of passengers. Either way, prices are usually quite reasonable.Mainland Transportation
Hitching
Hitching is never entirely safe in any country in the world, and we don’t recommend it. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. People who do choose to hitch will be safer if they travel in pairs and should let someone know where they are planning to go. Greece has a reputation for being a relatively safe place for women to hitch, but it is still unwise to do it alone. It’s better for a woman to hitch with a companion, preferably a male one.
Some parts of Greece are much better for hitching than others. Getting out of major cities tends to be hard work and Athens is notoriously difficult. Hitching is much easier in remote areas and on islands with poor public transport. On country roads it is not unknown for someone to stop and ask if you want a lift, even if you haven’t stuck a thumb out.
Bus & tram
Bus
All long-distance buses, on the mainland and the islands, are operated by regional collectives known as KTEL (Koino Tamio Eispraxeon Leoforion). Every prefecture on the mainland has a KTEL, which operates local services within the prefecture and to the main towns of other prefectures. Most can be found on the internet atwww.ktel.org. Fares are fixed by the government.
The network is comprehensive. With the exception of towns in Thrace, which are serviced by Thessaloniki, all the major towns on the mainland have frequent connections to Athens. The islands of Corfu, Kefallonia and Zakynthos can also be reached directly from Athens by bus – the fares include the price of the ferry ticket.The KTEL buses are safe and modern, and these days most are air-conditioned – at least on the major routes. Some buses are double-deckers. In more-remote rural areas they tend to be older and less comfortable.
Most villages have a daily bus service of some sort, although remote areas may have only one or two buses a week. They operate for the benefit of people going to town to shop, rather than for tourists. They normally leave the villages very early in the morning and return early in the afternoon.
On islands where the capital is inland rather than a port, buses normally meet boats. Some of the more remote islands have not yet acquired a bus, but most have some sort of motorised transport – even if it is only a bone-shaking, three-wheeled truck.
Larger towns usually have a central, covered bus station with seating, waiting rooms, toilets, and a snack bar selling pies, cakes and coffee. It is important to note that big cities like Athens, Iraklio, Patra and Thessaloniki may have more than one bus station, each serving different regions. Make sure you find the correct station for your destination.
In small towns and villages the ‘bus station’ may be no more than a bus stop outside a kafeneio (coffee house) or taverna that doubles as a booking office. In remote areas, the timetable may be in Greek only, but most booking offices have timetables in both Greek and Roman script. The timetables give both the departure and return times – useful if you are making a day trip. Times are listed using the 24-hour clock system.
When you buy a ticket you will be allotted a seat number, which is noted on the ticket. The seat number is indicated on the back of each seat of the bus, not on the back of the seat in front; this causes confusion among Greeks and tourists alike. You can board a bus without a ticket and pay on board, but on a popular route, or during high season, this may mean that you have to stand. Keep your ticket handy for checking.
It’s best to turn up at least 20 minutes before departure to make sure you get a seat, and buses have been known to leave a few minutes before their scheduled departure. Buses on less-frequented routes do not usually have toilets on board and they don’t have refreshments available, so make sure you are prepared on both counts. Buses stop about every three hours on long journeys. Smoking is prohibited on all buses in Greece.
Costs
Bus travel is very reasonably priced, with a journey costing approximately €4 per 100km. Some major routes include Athens–Thessaloniki (€31, 7½ hours),Athens–Patra (€16, three hours), Athens–Volos (€20, five hours) and Athens–Corfu(€44 including ferry, 8½ hours).Bus
Most Greek towns are small enough to get around on foot. All the major towns have local buses, but the only places you’re likely to need them are Athens, Patra,Kalamata and Thessaloniki.GENERAL GREECE TRAVEL TIPS
This Greece Travel Tips section will help you book your trip to Greece and avoid many of the problems that people face, therefore reducing the number of desperate travellers !
1. The earlier you book your flight the more inexpensive seats will be available.
2. When airlines are short of cash they offer discounted fares, usually in January-Febuary so look for bargains then.
3. Automated On-line Booking sites are useful for researching hotel prices but they give you zero support. Hotel websites are not objective. The website will tell you the hotel is the best.
4. Booking hotels individually means you are responsible for getting there and to do that you need reliable ferry information often before the ferry companies have even released them. With last-minute cancellation fees for hotels as high as 90 to 100% this is risky.
5. . A travel agency that knows the hotels will tell you the pros and cons of each.
6. Travel agents make deals with specific hotels for extra low rates in return for the promise of bookings. The rooms are paid for before the season and these are the hotels the agency will have the best prices for.
7. If you come to an agent with a specific hotel you saw that looked good on a website ask if there are hotels of the same category or better for less.
8. The most popular hotels are not always the best but they are generally the most expensive.
9. A good travel agency knows that return customers are his bread and butter and will go out of his way to make sure you are satisfied. When planning your trip express any doubts and don't be afraid to ask questions. If you have problems during your trip, whether it is dissatisfaction with your room or problems with the ferries or a change in the weather contact the agency. Part of their job is solving any problems that may occur for their clients and making sure they return home singing praises of Greece and the agency and return again and again.
10. ATM's are everywhere. Use your credit card to get money but for restaurants and shops it is better to use cash. In fact when you buy from a shop ask if there is a difference in price if you pay in cash instead of with your credit cards. You may get a better price for paying in cash.
11. When booking on-line a travel agency will usually ask you for proof that the credit card is yours by having you fax a signed photo-copy. This is to prove that you made the purchase and not someone who has your card number. Do not worry! This is standard procedure.
12. Beware of hustlers. If you are booking as you go and someone approaches you on the street or in your hotel and takes you or sends you to a travel agency to buy ferry tickets, let's say to Amorgos, and you walk out of the agency with five days on Mykonos and a cruise because they told you the Amorgos ferry was cancelled, then you were just hustled. That however does not mean you won't have a good time. It just means someone took advantage of you.
13. You can take the metro or a taxi from your hotel to the port. The hotel concierge can arrange the taxi or point the way to the metro.
14. You can take the metro from the port back to the hotel. Or a taxi. But chances are unless you have pre-arranged for a taxi to pick you up at the boat you won't find one. Usually several hundred people disembark and the three or four taxis there are waiting for customers who phoned them in advance.
15. If you have an early morning flight you don't have to stay at the airport or near the airport because the roads are clear of traffic in the morning and you can be at the airport in less than half an hour by taxi.
16. Don't try to see too much. Five islands in ten days is a lot of traveling and waiting around for ferries and flights.You will probably not enjoy any of the islands. Two islands in ten days is sensible. You can always come back next year! If you want to see a lot of islands take a cruise.
17. Packages and Programs on travel agency websites serve two purposes. They make it easy for the customer and the agent to create the itinerary because all the pieces of the puzzle are already in place. But a good travel agency excels at putting together custom itineraries that suit the individual so don't be afraid to give the agent a list of islands, a time-frame and a budget and ask them to come up with something and then don't be embarrassed if you want to fine-tune it. This is what they do. At the same time don't put an agent through hours of work and then take the itinerary to someone else and ask for a better price. This is bad karma.
18. Taxi drivers are not criminals. They are generally some of the most interesting people you will meet. There are some low-lifes among them but this is true of any profession. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip. However,if you like a taxi driver tip him 10%. If you really liked him take his card.
19. A pre-arranged taxi transfer from the airport usually costs twice as much as a regular street taxi. This is because the transfer taxi is going empty to the airport to pick you up and waiting as long as it takes for you to arrive. A regular taxi is at the airport because someone paid for him to be there and someone will pay for him to go back. There is no reason for having a pre-arranged taxi transfer from the airport. There are hundreds of taxis in the airport.
The only reason for you to pre-arrange a taxi transfer is that when you have a pre-arranged taxi it is usually an English speaking, non-smoking, informative driver in a new Mercedes!
20. Greece is the safest country in Europe, Athens the safest city and women should not be worried about traveling alone. Chances are also good you will meet someone else who is also traveling alone.
As for terrorism there is more of a chance that you will drown or have a heart attack in the shower than be killed by a terrorist!!! Not that the showers are dangerous either.
21. Travel agencies book flights and ferries as a service to their customers since there is no profit in them. If you book with an automated system or the hotel trying to save money you are pretty much on your own. You can buy deck tickets in the port usually on the day of departure unless there is a big holiday. If you want a cabin, have a car or are going by highspeed it is best to book at least a week in advance.
22. Most people you will come in contact with will speak English since most people you come in contact with will be waiters, hotel employees, travel agents, shop owners and people involved in the tourist trade. But even in non-touristy places the number of people who speak English is remarkable.
23. Anti-Bush or Anti-US Government is not the same as Anti-American. The Greeks are anti-Bush and anti-US Government but are quite fond of the Americans who come to visit their country. Unless your name is George Bush, Colin Powell or Donald Rumsfield you are in no more danger than you would be in your home town and maybe less. Most Greeks like Obama except for the occasional taxi driver who thinks he is a tool of the vast Jewish conspiracy that runs the world. If you just agree with everything he says you will be fine.
24. Many people who come to Greece have a profound experience, like coming home or feeling like themselves for the first time in years If this happens to you don't be surprised. It is normal and when you go home you may see life differently. Many people want to return to Greece as soon as possible.
Before you travel in Greece, it is advisable to bear in mind the following:
1)Depending on your country of origin, you might need a passport and a visa; you could obtain a visa through the Greek consulate nearest to your residence.
2)Call your bank or your credit card company to let them know that you will be using it in Greece.
3)The Electric Current in Greece is 230V AC (50Hz). Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adaptor.
4)In order to have access to necessary health care, tourists from member states of the European Union (EU) wishing to visit Greece must be holders of the European Health Card (EHIC) or any other legal Community document issued by their competent social security agency. Tourists from countries other than the member states of the European Union must consult their social security agency for information before travelling.
5)Contact your phone company in order to make sure that your can use your mobile phone in Greece.
6)As a consumer, you are protected by Greek consumer protection law for all transactions you make while travelling in the country.
Tourist protection by Greek consumer protection law
When travelling to Greece, it is advisable to bear in mind the following:
As a consumer, you are protected by Greek consumer protection law for all transactions you make while travelling in the country.
All enterprises, regardless of their nature (tourist or otherwise), are obliged to issue written receipts for the total amount they receive. Possession of a receipt safeguards the consumer in the event of any claim or dispute with the enterprises.
Foreign visitors must ensure that they have valid medical cover before departing.
The following is valid during your stay in accommodation licensed by the GNTO and displaying the Special Function Sign:
The hotelier is obliged to lisence vacant rooms to customers and provide all advertised amenities.
Within 3 days of receiving an enquiry for a room, by any means (telephone, letter, or email), the hotelier is obliged to inform the customer by print whether or not they accept the booking, and include details on the booking (type of room, length of stay, price). A written response protects both the customer and the hotelier.
The deposit for the booking cannot exceed the 25% of the total accommodation cost, and on the other hand cannot be less than the charge for one night.
In the event that the customer wishes to cancel a booking, and the cancellation is made 21 days prior to the agreed arrival date, the hotelier is obliged to refund the deposit in full, while for cancellations made within 21 days, the customer must pay the hotelier the 50% of the total cost of the cancelled booking.
In the event that the hotelier is unable to provide rooms they have confirmed with customers, they are obliged to secure customers’ stay in alternative accommodation of at least the same category, in the same town, which offers the same amenities and services as those advertised by their own establishment.
The hotelier is only responsible for valuable belongings entrusted to them by the customer, and for which they have issued the relevant receipt.
Keeping pets of any kind in a hotel is forbidden, unless the hotel provides a designated area for pets. In all cases, a prior arrangement on this issue must be made between the hotelier and the tourist-consumer.
The following is valid for transactions with tourist agencies licensed by the GNTO and displaying the Special Function Sign:
The tourist agency is responsible to the consumer for all the services they have sold, including those provided by third parties (hotels, restaurants, car rentals, etc.), except in cases of personal or third party liability, or force majeure.
In all cases, the customers of a tourist agency or car rental agency must be informed by print about the terms under which services or products are provided prior to making a purchase.
Specifically, for Organized Trips (P.O. 339/96), which Greek law defines as a fixed combination of at least two of the following elements, i.e. transport, accommodation or other services (participation in meetings or events of a professional, cultural or artistic nature, meals, guided tours etc.), it is obligatory to sign a relevant contract, which includes:
1. The terms attached to the services included in the contract (cost and category of accommodation).
2. Means of transport, meals included, itinerary, information pertaining to passports and necessary visas, cancellation policy, guided tours, entry to archaeological sites and museums, other recreational services, etc.).
3. An insurance policy which will state by print that in case of insolvency or bankruptcy of the tourist agency, the consumer, above and beyond other claims, will be entitled to a refund of the full amount paid, as well as immediate payment of repatriation expenses.
In all cases, the tourist-consumer:
Should acquire, for their own convenience, detailed information regarding the use of public transport at their destination, especially with regards to the cost of the journey, ticket validity and cancellations, and recommended arrival times in advance of the departure of the service.
Has to be aware, when using taxis, that drivers are obliged, upon request, to issue official receipts for the total cost of the journey, which include vehicle’s registration number and owner’s name.
In the event of any omission or violations of the above, you may submit a complaint or claim to the Greek National Tourism Organization, by telephone on 1572, or by email to kouremenou_i@gnto.gr.
For tourist information:
call 210 3310392, 210 3310716
Tourist Police: 171
