Capital: Athens
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in September)
Telephone services: Country Code: 30 + 1 for Athens, 31 Thessaloniki, 81 Heraklion, 661 Corfu.
Outgoing Code: 00
Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-Police – 100, Ambulance – 166, Fire – 199.
Tourist information: National Tourist Organisation of Greece (GNTO), 4 Conduit Street, London W1R 0DJ Tel: (020) 7724 5997 Fax: (020) 7287 1369.
Passport information: Passports are required to be valid for at least 6 months required by all except: EU Nationals with a valid ID card who have sufficient funds for the length of their stay. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the relevant authority before travelling.
Visa information: Visas Required by all except: Nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, EU, Japan for a period of 3 months. Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, St Christophe, Taiwan (China) for a period up to 3 months. Nationals of Brazil, El Salvador, and Uruguay for a period of up to 2 months. Nationals of Peru for a period up to 1 month. Nationals of Singapore for a period of up to 2 weeks. NOTE: Visitors using chartered tickets, leaving Greece on an overnight trip to another country, may risk having their return ticket invalidated by the authorities.
Health information: Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from visitors over 6 months of age coming from infected areas.
Food & drink: Water is of variable quality. Bottled water is widely available.
Currency: Drachmar (Dr)
Currency can be changed at banks and money exchangers. NOTE: Import of local currency is limited to Dr100000 and export to Dr20000 for non-residents and Dr40000 for residents.
All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted in all major currencies, and can be easily changed at banks.
ATM availability: Over 1500 locations.
Cost of living: Tourist centres can be very cheap when compared to other European countries.
Languages: Greek. Most people connected with tourism will speak some English, German, Italian or French.
Weather: Warm Mediterranean climate. Nov – Mar is when most rain falls. Winters are mild in the South but much cooler in the North.
Electricity: 220 volts AC 50 Hz.
Post: All postcards and letters for overseas will be sent by airmail. Poste Restante is available at the post office.
Transport: RAIL: Regular trains operate between Athens and the main cities. There is a 20% discount on return fares and other offers available. ROAD: Good road network. BUS: Link Athens and all the main towns in Attica, Northern Greece and Peloponnese. TAXI: Run on a shared basis. Rates are reasonable an based on a Km basis. There is an extra charge on journeys from / to airports, ports, stations. CAR HIRE: Most firms operate throughout Greece, DOCUMENTATION: A national driving licence is acceptable for EU nationals.
Special information: Diverse traditions and customs prevail throughout Greece but a sense of unity prevails. The Greek Orthodox church has an important place in the community. Throwing back the head is a negative gesture. It is offensive to sell your belongings doing so can lead to arrest.