Greece was the centre of ancient Greek civilisation, and cities such as Athens and Sparta have played an important role throughout history. Visit the Parthenon, Delphi and the iconic Meteora in Kalambaka to witness the history first-hand, while the unique terrain, monolithic rock formations and mysterious caves offer travelers a unique experience. Greece is also known for its many beautiful islands, with islands like Santorini and Mykonos being particularly romantic. Colourful sunrises and sunsets, beautiful beaches and azure waters are a big draw to travelling to Greece.
1. Greece Quick Facts
Language Greek
Religion Greek Orthodox
Currency EURO (€, EUR)
Visa Free 90 day, Shengen Area rules apply
Power Plugs 220 V 50 Hz (C, Type)
Capital Athens
ATM
When you withdraw cash from an ATM, the fee is usually “1% of the amount withdrawn plus $3 for under $200, $3.25 for $200 to $500, and $3.5 for over $500”.
Use card
Credit cards are very convenient and many places only accept them. There are usually fewer fees for using a credit card than a debit card.
APP
Google Maps
Taxi Beat
2. Packing for your trip
Air plain Ticket
Dollar Flight Club has made it easier and cheaper to buy flights to the Airport.
SIM card
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to 200+ eSIMs (digital SIM cards) globally at affordable prices.
New member one-time use 15% discount coupon
10% discount coupon for multiple use by all members.
Pacsafe Pro safe 800 Luggage Lock
Good protection against snatchers or impulse thieves.
Universal Power Adapter
One of the most essential but most forgotten items in your travel gear? A power adapter!
Travel insurance
Prepare for risky situations Travel insurance can be a big help in the event of an emergency
GoPro HERO11
If you want to capture your own memories of your travels, GoPro is the way to go. It’s small, has great image quality, and is easy to carry around
3. Transportation
Freely transfer between metros, buses, trolleys and trams for the duration of the ticket (except buses and metros to/from the airport)
Single ticket (90 minutes of free transfers): €1.20
5-trip ticket: 5.70 euros
10+1 ticket: €12
One-day ticket: 1 day (24 hours): € 4.10
city Buses (excluding Airport lines, while the 24-hour ticket is valid for X80 line),Trolley-Buses, Tram, Metro (all stations except Airport),
Suburban Railway (only sections Piraeus – SKA and Magoula – Koropi not for Airport)
3-day ticket (including return to and from the airport): 3-day tourist ticket (€ 20)
Allows round-trip airport express bus or metro travel Unlimited transport (bus, metro, tram) for 3 days Includes use of Line X80
Other transport cards
URBAN RAIL TRANSPORT (STASY) (Metro and Tramway use)
Transport by road (OSY-Buses and Trolleybuses)
MetroMetro
Line 1 (green) : Piraeus – Kifissia
Line 2(red) : Elliniko – Anthoupoli
Line 3 (blue) : Aghia Marina – Doukissis Plakentias – Airport
*Metro to the airport runs every 30 minutes, separate ticket for the airport section (one-way regular €10, one-way student €5, round-trip or two-person regular €18)
Tram
Line 1 (green) : Piraeus – Kifissia
Line 2 (red) : Elliniko – Anthoupoli
Line 3 (blue) : Nikaia – Doukissis Plakentias- Airport
The metro to the airport runs every 30 minutes, with a separate ticket for the airport section (regular 9 euros one way, 16 euros return)
BusBus, Trolley
Transport by road (OSY-Buses and Trolleybuses) Transport cards for both electric vehicles (trolleys) and regular buses
Airport buses: X93, X95, X96, X97 routes operate 24 hours a day (6 euros for adults, 3 euros for students)
TaxiTaxi
Shared rides are common
Fares are based on time, distance, and late-night surcharges
Base fare: €3.47
Taxis can be hailed via the Taxi Beat app (UBER is suspended)
Santorini Island
Local buses Local buses cost between € 1.6 and 2.2 euros depending on the route
4. Safety
Greece is a relatively safe country, but you may encounter crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching at popular tourist destinations and on public transport. In particular, Athens’ Omonia Square, Monastiraki market and Piraeus harbour are known to have a high risk of crime.
Emergency number: 112
Police: 100
Tourist Police (foreigner emergency number, English): 1571, +30 210 322 2230/2232
Fire: 199
Emergency medical assistance and ambulance requests: 166
5. Climate
The country has a typical Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
Spring (March-May)
The Mediterranean climate keeps the atmosphere dry, so it’s pleasant and generally warm, ranging from 20°C (68°F) to 25°C (77°F).
Summer (June to August)
Summer in Greece is characterised by hot and dry conditions, with temperatures reaching as high as 40°C (104°F).
Autumn (September-November)
Autumn in Greece is generally warm, around 25°C (77°F) – 30°C (86°F), and just as pleasant as spring.
Winter (December-February)
Winter in Greece is relatively cool, with temperatures ranging from 10°C (50°F) – 20°C (68°F). However, it gets colder in the mountains, with temperatures dropping below 0°C
(32°F) in the mountains.
6. price
Food purchased at the supermarket is especially cheap.
The cost of living in Greece is lower than in Italy and similar to Spain. It’s not particularly expensive or cheap for travellers, but the island of Santorini is expensive.
McDonald’s Combo Meal: 7.00 EUR
Water (1.5 litres): €0.25 EUR
Greek beer. 1 euro for a can
Coca-Cola 330ml €0.80, 500ml € 1.
Gas(Petrol)1.6 € per liter
7. Travel precautions
If they offer you flowers or pamphlets, decline – they’re trying to sell you something and can get loud if you don’t buy.
Santorini is a volcanic island and on windy days small stones can fall from the rocks.
In the event of an accident, such as a car crash, please take video evidence and try not to show people’s faces directly.
Tap water is safe to drink, but outside of Athens and major cities, it is better to buy bottled water as it can be high in lime.
All public toilets in Athens are charged. You’ll see WC signs near the main tourist attractions in the old town, which cost €0.5 to €1.
Tourist tax: 17% to 24% refundable on purchases over €50 in stores labelled ‘Tax Free’
8. Etiquette & Service Tip
In Greece, nodding your head means no.
Waving when parting ways is a minor insult, so be careful in Greece.
Making a “V” with your fingers is considered a strong insult in Greece.
In restaurants, ordering for one person is the norm, and it is polite to ask for an appetiser if two people can’t afford two mains.
Tip.
It is polite to tip after a meal. A general rule of thumb is to tip around 10% of the bill
10. Holidays
The following are the national public holidays for 2024:
1 Jan Mon New Year’s Day
6 Jan Sat Epiphany
18 Mar Mon Orthodox Ash Monday
25 Mar Mon Independence Day
1 May Wed Labour Day
3 May Fri Orthodox Good Friday
5 May Sun Orthodox Easter Sunday
6 May Mon Orthodox Easter Monday
23 Jun Sun Orthodox Whit Sunday
24 Jun Mon Orthodox Whit Monday
15 Aug Thu Assumption Day
28 Oct Mon Ochi Day
25 Dec Wed Christmas Day
26 Dec Thu 2nd Day of Christmas
2025 National Public Holidays:
Wednesday, 1 January : New Year’s Day
Monday, 6 January : Epiphany
Monday, 3 March : Orthodox Ash Monday
Tuesday, 25 March : Independence Day
Friday, 18 April : Orthodox Good Friday
Sunday, 20 April : Orthodox Easter Sunday
Monday, 21 April : Orthodox Easter Monday
Thursday, 1 May : Labour Day
Sunday, 8 June : Orthodox Whit Sunday
Monday, 9 June : Orthodox Whit Monday
Friday, 15 August : Assumption Day
Tuesday, 28 October : Ochi Day
Thursday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Friday, 26 December: 2nd Day of Christmas