About Greece
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GEOGRAPHY
Greece consists of the mainland and about 3,000 small and big islands covering an area of 131,957 sq. km.
TIME
Greece is GMT+2, Greece 12:00 - London 10:00 - New York 05:00
CURRENCY
Euro is the official currency of Greece. Foreign currency, traveller’s checks and Euro cheques can be exchanged at the exchange bureaux at the airport, upon arrival at the hotel or at banks located throughout Athens.
BANKS
Banks are open from Monday to Thursday 8:00-14:30 and on Friday 8:00-14:00; on Saturdays and Sundays they are closed. ATMs are widely available in Greece for Master, Diners, American Express or Visa cardholders.
CREDIT CARDS
All major credit cards are accepted in almost all hotels, shops and restaurants. Stickers in the front windows will advise you as to which cards are accepted.
SHOPPING HOURS
Varying
Downtown:
Monday-Friday 9:00-20:00 non-stop
Saturday 9:00-15:00
Suburbs:
Monday – Wednesday - Saturday 9:00-15:00
Tuesday-Thursday-Friday 9:00-14:00 and 15:30-20:30
Supermarkets:
Monday- Friday 9:00-21:00
Saturday 9:00-20:00
On Sundays all shops are closed, except tourist shops.
CLIMATE
During August the temperature in Athens ranges from 34-38 oC.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity is 220 V/50 Hz. Plugs are the standard continental (DIN) type with two round pins.
HEALTHCARE
Emergency treatment is free to all in public hospitals. Public and private hospitals can be found in big cities. Small and large islands usually have hospitals and health centres.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS |
Ambulance |
166 |
Emergency Fire Brigade |
199 |
Emergency Hospitals |
1434 |
English-Greek Medical Information |
210 8983146 |
Forest Service |
191 |
Athens International Airport |
210 3530000 |
Pharmacies on duty |
1434 |
Poisoning Treatment Center |
210 7793777 |
Police |
112 |
SOS Doctors |
1016 |
Telephone Directory Service |
11888 |
Tourist Police |
171 |
|
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
The international access code for Greece is +30. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 001 for the USA or Canada, 0044 for the United Kingdom). Public payphones are available all over Greece and use phone cards, which can be purchased from kiosks. For information concerning mobile phone use in Greece (telephone transmissions are based on GSM technology), please ask your provider.
WATER
Tap water is generally drinkable in Athens. For places outside Athens water quality varies, so please ask your hotel reception.
