| Greece ((el)Ελλάς) | |
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| Flag | |
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| Information | |
| Capital city | Athens |
|---|---|
| Area | 132 000 km² |
| Population | 11 000 000 hab. (2010) |
| Density | 83,33 inhab./km² |
| Change | euro (EUR) |
| Electricity | 230 V/50 Hz, European plug |
| Telephone prefix | 30 |
| Internet suffix | .gr |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 2 |
| Location | |
 38 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ N 23 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
The Greece (Ελλάς) is a country ofEurope, member ofEuropean Union since 1981. She borders onAlbania, the North Macedonia, the Bulgaria and the Turkey, and its coasts overlook the Ionian, Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
Understand
Cradle of Western civilization, we locate the birth of philosophy, democracy, theater and its artistic influence was considerable. The Olympic Games were also born in Greece.
Its archaeological sites, its mountains and its many islands (1,400 of which 227 are inhabited) make it a very popular destination for tourists.
Regions
 Regions of Greece |
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Cities
- 1 Athens
- 2 Thessaloniki
- 3 Patras
- 4 Nafplion
- 5 Sparta
- 6 Volos
- 7 Larissa
- 8 Ioannina
- 9 Kavala
- 10 Chania
- 11 Rhodes
Other destinations
Archaeological sites
- 1 Delphi
- 2 Mycenae
- 3 Epidaurus
- 4 Olympia – In a green valley ofËlide, the site of Olympia is home to exceptional monuments and an archaeological museum where you can admire some of the most precious masterpieces of Greek antiquity.
- 5 Mistra – Ruins of a medieval town founded by the Franks in 1249 on the slopes of Mount Taygetus near the ancient Sparta.
- 6 Monemvasia – Ruins of a Byzantine fortress on an imposing rock that stands solitary in the middle of the Myrtoon Sea, attached to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, which has earned it the name of "Greek Gibraltar".
- 7 Meteors
- 8 Mount Athos – Monastic republic on a peninsula in the Calcidic and with a remarkable artistic heritage.
- 9 Delos – Ruins classified as World Heritage by UNESCO on a small island of Cyclades.
- 10 Knossos – The most important of the Minoan palaces in Crete
National parks
To go
Formalities
- See as well: Traveling in the Schengen area
Greece is part of theSchengen area. The citizens of the Swiss and the European Economic Area which includes theEuropean Union, theIceland, the Norway and the Liechtenstein only need a national identity card or a passport valid. They don't need any Visa to enter or circulate in the Schengen area and are generally allowed to stay as long as they wish.
Remarks (1) Nationals of these countries need a biometric passport to enjoy visa-free travel. (2) Serbian nationals with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (residents of Kosovo with Serbian passport) need a visa. (3) Taiwanese nationals need their ID card number (a letter followed by nine digits) written in their passport to enjoy visa-free travel. |
Nationals of the following countries do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area: Albania(1), Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and herzegovina(1), Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, United States, Grenade, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, North Macedonia(1), Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova(1), Monaco, Montenegro(1), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. LUCIA, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia(1,2), Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan(3) (Republic of China), East Timor, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela as well as holders of a passport of Hong Kong SAR, of Macau SAR and all nationals British (including those who are not citizens of the European Union).
- The visa-free travelers mentioned above and not members of theEEE or from Swiss cannot stay more than 90 days in a period of 180 days in the Schengen area in general and, in general, cannot work during their stay (although some countries in the Schengen area allow certain nationalities to work). The counting of days begins once you enter one of the Schengen countries and does not return to zero when you leave one Schengen country for another.
- New Zealand citizens can stay longer than 90 days, but without working if they do not have a work permit, in some countries of the Schengen area, namely Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland
If you are not a national ofEEE or from Swiss, even if you are exempt from a visa, unless you are Andorran, Monegasque, San Marino or Vatican, make sure your passport is stamped both when entering and leaving the Schengen area. Without an entry stamp, you may be treated as having exceeded your stay when trying to leave the Schengen area. Without an exit stamp, you may be refused entry the next time you seek to enter the Schengen area as you may be assumed to have exceeded the time allowed on your previous visit. If you cannot get a stamp in the passport, keep documents like boarding passes, transportation tickets, etc. which can help convince border control personnel that you have stayed in the Schengen area legally.
By plane
Several airports serve Greece from most European airports. It should be noted that some small airports are mainly connected by special flights. Most of them have daily connections to Athens (seasonal).
The main airports:
- On the continent
- In the islands
By car
Greece has borders with Turkey and the Bulgaria, as well as withAlbania and the North Macedonia. Travelers from Western Europe have every interest, unless they are interested in the countries of the Balkans, to borrow a ferry. The journey will be faster, more relaxing and less expensive.
On a boat
Greece can be reached by boat from theItaly, leaving from the ports of Venice, Ancona, Bari or Brindisi, and arriving at the Greek ports of Corfu, Patras, Igoumenitsa, or even directly to Piraeus, the port ofAthens. You can also arrive by boat from Dubrovnik, in Croatia.
If pedestrians can secure seats at the last moment, travelers by car are advised to book. Website http://greekferries.gr/ offers the boats of several companies, but it seems that these keep some of them which they sell directly, because it is possible that greekferries indicates that a boat is full and that places are still available on the site of a company. Please note, the journey from Venice or Ancona may take not far from 24 h. In addition, you must arrive at the port two to three hours before departure to embark. Other website available http://greeceferries.com/ & http://www.ferriesingreece.com/french/
By train
The Greek national railway company, TRAINOSE, has indefinitely suspended all international train services to and from Greece due to economic conditions since February 13, 2011. [1]
International trains arrive at Thessaloniki since, among others, Sofia, Skopje and Istanbul.
Circulate
By plane
The national carrier Olympic Airways and a few private companies (including Aegean Airlines several times awarded by the ERA and operating brand new A320s) offer flights to Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete, Santorini, Rhodes and Cyprus.
On a boat
For those who love the islands and don't hate spending "traveling" vacations, the boat is a particularly pleasant means of transport. Since Piraeus, wearingAthens, it is possible to gain many islands. And then it is very easy to move between the islands themselves: departures are daily during the tourist season. Boats to the Ionian Islands, including Corfu, depart from the port ofIgoumenitsa.
Travelers without a vehicle can arrive at the port and leave within half an hour or hour of purchasing tickets. The more far-sighted, or those who have a car to embark, will reserve their places on the internet and will come to collect their tickets at the port a few hours before departure.
Timetable consultations, reservations:
- http://www.cemar.it/dest/ferries_grece.html
- http://greekferries.gr/
- International Charter group[2]. C / Lola Anglada nº 1, Tel: 34 936 759 108
By train
There are a few lines, managed by the national company Trainosis. The main cities served by the train are Athens, Patras, Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis and Larissa. Unfortunately, apart from the Athens-Thessaloniki line, it is often faster to take the inter-city bus.
By bus
With trains serving very few cities, it is the main mode of inter-urban public transport in mainland Greece. A private company serves practically all the cities and number of villages: Ktel.
Some tips :
- Outside large cities, bus stations are often placed inside a tavern. Do not hesitate to inquire with the inhabitants where it is.
- When boarding, listen carefully to the place of your destination called out when storing the suitcases, to store your luggage in the hold at the right time.
- Remember to take a bottle of cold water, some rare buses are still without air conditioning.
- If you plan to get off between two cities to go to a village, do not hesitate to ask the driver. In fact, there are a number of informal stops outside the stations.
- For long journeys, it is not uncommon for the bus to stop for a quarter of an hour around noon near a tavern so that you can eat and relieve yourself.
By car
The vehicle fleet seems to have developed faster than the road network. And if the northwest of Greece is opened up thanks to the construction of a motorway, it is often nationals with a very wide shoulder that act as a motorway. Thus, it is customary to move onto the shoulder or the emergency lane when a car comes behind, in order to let it overtake.
Speed limits and white lines are poorly respected. Be careful when parking, the police are likely to remove the license plate from offending cars to ensure that the fine will be paid.
Car rental companies:
- CarRentalGreece – Car rental in Greece
- Budget Rent a Car – Greece Car Rentals
Accessibility for people with disabilities
Article on About.com: Challenging Travel in Greece (English site)
Speak
The official language is Greek. In the most touristic places, we speakEnglish and possibly other European languages such as French orGerman. In Thrace, in the northeast of the country, the Turkish is spoken by part of the population.
The Greek alphabet differs from the Latin alphabet, but most road signs on major highways and some store names are written in both Greek and English, with the English name of a destination usually being quite close to the French terminology.
Do not hesitate to learn a minimum of Greek before leaving. In very touristic places your efforts will likely be ignored and you will be answered in English to save time. But in less crowded places, or where people are less rushed, they will be appreciated. In addition, even minimal knowledge can help out to be understood by a passerby or a bus driver, for example.
Buy
Change
Greece uses theeuro. It is one of the many European countries that use this common currency. Euro banknotes and coins are legal tender throughout the country.
Countries which have the euro as official currency:
These countries are collectively referred to as the "euro area". |
One euro is divided into 100 eurocents or euro cents abbreviated cents or cents.
The official euro symbol is €, and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for Eurocents.
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- Tickets
- Euro banknotes are the same in all countries.
- Ordinary parts
- All euro area countries have issued coins with a distinctive national side on one side, and a common standard side on the other side. Coins can be used in all countries, regardless of the country of origin of the coin used, for example a one euro coin from Finland can be used in Portugal.
- Two euro commemorative coins
- They differ from normal two euro coins only on their "national" side and circulate freely as legal tender. Each country can produce a certain quantity of it as part of their normal parts production. There are also commemorative two euro coins "at European level". They are produced to commemorate special events, such as the anniversary of important treaties.
- Withdrawal of money
- Cash withdrawals from ATMs are billed at the same price as cash withdrawals in the country of origin for holders of a bank card from an account in a country in the euro zone. Money transfers between two accounts are also considered by banks as a transfer between two accounts in the same country.
Memories
Greece offers the possibility of bringing back souvenirs for all tastes. All over the country, visitors can find more or less faithful reproductions of ancient vases or sculptures. Some of them carry a label, proving that they are the reproduction of an existing work, but they are generally the most expensive.You can also bring back some food products like olive oil, sweeter than Italian or Spanish productions, olives, honey, pistachios (those from the island of Aegina are the best),ouzo (local "pastis") or the feta cheese, provided you can make it travel cool and not too long.
Be extremely careful when buying silver jewelry: the hallmark "925" must appear on the jewelry, but lately dishonest merchants apply the hallmark to the clip. The clip is indeed silver, but the jewel is often silver plated.
Eat
- Greek salad: tomato, pepper, cucumber, onion, some black olives, and a big feta steak.
- Mezedes (Μεζές): Small portions that are eaten as a starter, as a snack or as an aperitif. It is common to share them with several people.
- Olives (Ελιές)
- tzatziki (Τζατζίκι): Creamy yogurt with cucumber, garlic and mint.
- Stuffed grape leaves with rice, raisins and pîgnes, sometimes with meat.
- Tarama salad (Ταραμοσαλάτα): Mousse of carp eggs, seasoned with onion, garlic, and olive oil.
- Octopus (Χταπόδι) grilled or boiled.
- Dishes
- Pisces (Ψάρια), fresh or frozen. We can invite you into the kitchen to see them before preparation.
- Dried cod (μπακαλιάρος με σκορδαλιά): served with garlic mashed potatoes.
- in case: filled turnovers: with cheese: "tiropita" (τυρόπιτα), with spinach: "spanakopita" (σπανακόπιτα), with meat "kreatopita" (κρεατόπιτα).
- soupa avgholemono (egg and lemon soup), psarosoupa: fish soup, kotosoupa (chicken broth)
- arni yiouvetsi (baked mutton stew)
- bamia or bamies: okras, most often in tomato sauce
- kefthedes or kefthedakia (= small) grilled or hash brown meatballs
- kotopoulo lemonato: lemon chicken
- moussaka (eggplant) everyone knows, in principle.
- pasticcio: macaroni gratin with tomato sauce and bechamel sauce
- domates, kolokithakia, melitzanes, piperies..yemistes: tomatoes (Nτομάτα), zucchini, eggplant, peppers ... stuffed
- soutzoukakia: meatballs in tomato sauce
- souvlakia: skewers (often pork, sometimes mutton)
- Pisces (Ψάρια), fresh or frozen. We can invite you into the kitchen to see them before preparation.
- Cheese
- Feta cheese (Φἐτα), curd cheese, made from goat's or sheep's milk
- Graviera, crumbly, to eat as is or in gratins
- Manouri (Μανούρι), sweet and fresh, goat or sheep
- Kefalotiri (Κεφαλοτύρι), salty, very hard, made from goat's or sheep's milk. As is, fried or in a cooked dish.
- Desserts (They are generally quite sweet, honey (flowers, thyme, pine) is a Greek specialty.)
- baklava (Μπακλαβάς): fillo dough stuffed with nuts, almonds and flavored with spices (cinnamon, cloves), honey sauce.
- Gaddafi: "angel hair" paste stuffed with nuts, almonds, honey sauce.
- Halva: there are several local recipes but the main ones are made either with sesame paste (ταχίνι) or based on semolina.
- Greek yogurt (γιαούρτι) (thick), possibly embellished with honey (Μέλι) and nuts (Καρύδι).
- Fruits (Φρούτα), depending on the season
- Orange (Πορτοκάλι), Lemons (Λεμόνι)
- Apples (Μήλο), Pears (Αχλάδι)
- Watermelons (Καρπούζι), Melons (Πεπόνι)
- Figs (Σύκα), Grapes (Σταφύλι)
NB. in Greece, you can walk into a restaurant and eat only a salad and drink a lemonade, for example, no one will hold it against you. Spotting the places where Greeks eat is better and cheaper.
The abbreviation "Κατ." appearing on the menus means that the product is frozen. This abbreviation is mandatory.
Drinks
- Tap water is not very good but it is generally drinkable, with the exception of some places, such as on the island of Santorini and that of Chios
- TheOuzo is the local anisette.
- The Greek coffee: In a small container (briki), we boil the very fine ground coffee with water, then pour it into the cup, let the grounds fall to the bottom before drinking. It can be ordered in various ways: "sketos" (strong and unsweetened), "métrios" (mild and not very sweet), "glykos" (sweet).
- The Ice coffee. With or without milk. With or without sugar.
- The most common local beer is Mythos. We also find, but much more rarely, Alpha, Fix as well as Heineken and Amstel produced in Greece.
- Some good red, white and rosé wines. Retsina is a white wine that has aged in barrels coated with pine resin.
- Local coffee pushers: tsipouro, souma ... (depending on the location).
- The "metaxa" is the Greek "cognac".
- The Kitron is a liqueur of Cyclades.
Housing
Small detail, wherever you are, in Greece we throw toilet paper in a trash can next to the toilet, it is a country of drought where the flush is not very powerful ... never in the toilet!
- There are many hotels to accommodate the flow of tourists who have come to explore the country. For those wishing to circumvent the beaten track, it is always possible to rent a villa in Greece. More economical, the solution also offers more authenticity to the holidays.
- In many islands, especially the Cyclades, one can find guesthouses or "homestay" rooms.
- The "top": discover the Greek islands by boat, from coves to ports and from island to island. There are several formulas "by the cabin". This is not the most economical formula, but it allows you to discover the best places and avoid all ferry transfers. There are some possibilities on traditional wooden boats. In July and August, prefer the Ionian Islands or the Sporades to the Cyclades which are to be favored in May, June or October (because of the famous "Meltemi" wind).
Learn
Information on national museums (location, description, opening hours and prices) can be found on the official website of the Greek Ministry of Culture, in Greek and English.
To work
Few places are to be filled in Greece within the framework of expatriation. The tourism industry remains the most important source of jobs, especially during the summer of April and October. Students can thus find a seasonal job in animation and hotel-catering. See in particular with associations such as Club TELI which will guide you: http://www.teli.asso.fr
Communicate
Post
The stamps (0,65 €) can only be bought at the post office, closed on weekends, except in Athens, where the central post office is open 7 days a week, but different hours of the week, and sometimes also in postcard shops or kiosks. Merchants are limited in stamps, so they usually only sell cards with cards, and they often run out of stock.
Phone
To make a call, you can buy classic prepaid "OTE" phone cards, or even international phone cards with access code allowing you to chat longer. These cards are on sale in kiosks and small stores.
Since June 15, 2017, "European roaming" has been introduced. It allows all SIM card holders belonging to one of the European member countries to maintain the same pricing conditions as in the country of origin.
Telephone calls and Internet browsing are valid at no additional cost in all European countries, unless authorized by national authorities (generally minor operators) or when a data Gbit threshold is exceeded, which increases year by year. To use this service, simply activate the roaming option on your mobile phone.
The participating countries are those ofEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, UK, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and some Oversea territories (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
Manage the day-to-day
Health
European citizens
Citizens ofEuropean Union (EU), who fall unexpectedly ill during a temporary stay, studies or a professional stay, are entitled to the same medical care as in their country of residence. It is always useful to take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which constitutes physical proof of your insurance in an EU country. However, if you do not have the card with you or if you cannot use it (as in the case of private assistance), you are still entitled to treatment, but you are obliged to pay the costs on the spot. , then you will ask for a refund on your return.
The countries in which health coverage is provided are all those that are members of theEuropean Union (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary , Ireland , Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden), those ofEuropean Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the Swiss, the UK and the Oversea territories member of the European Union (Azores, Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte, The meeting, Saint-Martin).
security
 | Emergency telephone number: Police :100 Ambulance:166 Firefighter :199 Tourist police:171 Coast Guard:108 |
Greece is a safe country. Little risk of delinquency, except in very touristy areas, where minimal caution is required (as in any other busy place). Do not walk in the evening Omonia Square and the surrounding area or in Monastiraki at Athens.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Respect
Never point to someone with your hand and 5 fingers apart, you would curse that person for 5 generations and risk your life by the chance! If you want to say hello to someone, keep your fingers tight ...
Do not enter churches in shorts or miniskirt / dress, cover your shoulders, in monasteries and holy places, the entrance is closely guarded, you will be loaned a large cloth to cover you.
When you are invited to a Greek house, the hostess brings a very sweet treat, with a teaspoon and a glass of water. In the respect of traditions, we eat the sweetness with the spoon, we drink the glass of water, then we put the spoon in the empty glass.
The Greeks are very concerned with their historical heritage, both a pride and the basis of their tourist activity. In Delphi, crossing a cordon to take a closer picture of a temple or even a seemingly banal fragment of a column can cost you dearly, in fact, a police watch in different bases scattered in the heights and immediately reappear at the slightest offense. They do not hesitate to take you to the station, even when the offense is committed by a child!
Small constructions, kinds of miniature Orthodox churches high up on a small column flourish along the roads, they are small altars dedicated to a person who died in an accident. They often contain a photo of that person and offerings.
In some areas where there is little water, you should not throw the toilet paper in the bowl but in a small bin next to it, because the flow of the flush does not allow the paper to be carried away.
Gays and lesbians
If homosexuality is tolerated in Greece, it is not yet accepted by the population, even if there are LGBT bars and clubs in the big cities (especially in Athens). It is best not to show signs of affection in public, and also be careful not to misunderstand: Greek men tend to look strangers (especially men) very pointedly, straight in the eye. We must not give this look the meaning that we can give it in France, there is a risk of misunderstanding!
