General Information:
Area: 131,957 sq km (50,949 sq miles).
Population: 10,516,366 (1998).
Population Density: 79.7 per sq km.
Capital: Athens. Population: 772, 072 (1991).

Geography: Greece is situated in southeast Europe on the Mediterranean. The mainland consists of the following regions: Central Greece, Peloponnese, Thessaly (east/central), Epirus (west), Macedonia (north/northwest) and Thrace (northwest). Euboea, the second largest of the Greek islands, lying to the east of the central region, is also considered to be part of the mainland region.

The Peloponnese peninsula is separated from the northern mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth. The northern mainland is dissected by high mountains (such as the Pindus) that extend southwards towards a landscape of fertile plains, pine-forested uplands and craggy, scrub-covered foothills. The islands account for one-fifth of the land area of the country.The majority are thickly clustered in the Aegean between the Greek and Turkish coasts. The Ionian Islands are the exception; they are scattered along the west coast in the Ionian Sea.

The Aegean archipelago includes the Dodecanese, lying off the Turkish coast, of which Rhodes is the best known; the Northeast Aegean group, including Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria; the Sporades, off the central mainland; and the Cyclades, comprising 39 islands (of which only 24 are inhabited). Crete, the largest island, is not included in any formal grouping. For fuller descriptions of these regions and islands, see the Resorts & Excursions section.

. Language: Greek (Ellenika). Most people connected with tourism and those of a younger generation will speak some English, German, Italian or French.

Religion: 97 per cent Greek Orthodox, with Muslim, Roman Catholic and Jewish minorities.

Time: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin plugs are used.

Telephone: IDD is available throughout the mainland and islands. The Greek telecommunication network supplier is Organismos Telepikinonion Ellados (OTE). Country code: 30, followed by (10) for Athens, (310) for Thessaloniki and (810) for Heraklion. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900 and 1800 networks exist. Coverage is good around the major towns on the mainland and on many islands. Main operators include Cosmote (website: www.cosmote.gr), Stet Hellas (website: www.telestet.gr) and Vodafone (website: www.vodafone.gr).

Fax: Main post offices and large hotels have facilities.

Telegram: There are telegram facilities in main post offices and large hotels in all Greek cities and the major islands.

Internet: Internet cafes are available in the main cities, including Athens, Thessaloniki and the islands Crete, Kos, Mykonos, Rhodes and Skiathos. ISPs include Panafon, STET, Hellas Online (website: www.hol.gr) and Cosmote.

Post: All letters, postcards, newspapers and periodicals will automatically be sent by airmail. There are Poste Restante facilities at most post offices throughout the country. Advance notice is required at all Athens branches except for the central office at 180 Eolou Street. A passport must be shown on collection. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1400 and Sat 0800-1330.

Press: There are 18 daily newspapers in Athens including Ta Nea, Eleftherotypia and Eleftheros Typos. Athens News and Athens Daily Post are both published daily in English.

Money:
Single European currency (Euro): The Euro is now the official currency of 12 EU member states (including Greece). The first Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002; the Greek Drachma was still in circulation until 28 February 2002, when it was completely replaced by the Euro. Euro (€) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2, 1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Currency exchange: Foreign currency can be exchanged at all banks, savings banks and bureaux de change. Exchange rates can fluctuate from one bank to another. Many UK banks offer differing exchange rates depending on the denominations of currency being bought or sold. Check with banks for details and current rates.

Credit & debit cards: Diners Club, Visa, American Express, MasterCard and other major credit cards are widely accepted (although less so in petrol stations), as well as Eurocheque cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: All major currencies are widely accepted and can be exchanged easily at banks. Generally, banks in Greece charge a commission of two per cent with a minimum of €0.15 and a maximum of €13.21 on the encashment of travellers cheques. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Euros, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars.

Currency restrictions: The import of local and foreign currency is not restricted provided any amount exceeding €10,000 is declared on arrival. The export of local and foreign currency is allowed although amounts over €2000 require an Import Currency Declaration Form issued on arrival, and amounts over €10,000 require a Certificate of Tax Clearance or Currency Declaration Form (on import).

Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1400; Fri 0800-1330. Banks on the larger islands tend to stay open in the afternoon and some during the evening to offer currency exchange facilities during the tourist season. The GNTO bureau in Athens can give full details.

Public Holidays: Dec 25-26 Christmas. Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Jan 6 Epiphany. Mar 10 Orthodox Shrove Monday. Mar 25 Independence Day. Apr 25 Orthodox Good Friday. Apr 28 Orthodox Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. Jun 16 Day of the Holy Spirit. Aug 15 Assumption. Oct 28 Ochi Day. Dec 25-26 Christmas. Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Jan 6 Epiphany. Feb 23 Orthodox Shrove Monday. Mar 25 Independence Day. Apr 9 Orthodox Good Friday. Apr 12 Orthodox Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. May 31 Day of the Holy Spirit. Aug 15 Assumption. Oct 28 Ochi Day. Dec 25-26 Christmas.

Health:
Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No 1
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio No N/A
Malaria No N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from all travellers over six months of age coming from infected areas.

Food & drink: Water quality varies from area to area, depending on the source, but in most regions is excellent. Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are considered safe to eat.

Other risks: Visitors to forested areas should consider vaccination for tick-borne encephalitis.

Health care: There is a reciprocal health agreement with the United Kingdom, but it is poorly implemented and it is an essential precaution to take out holiday insurance. Refunds for medical treatment are theoretically available from the Greek Social Insurance Foundation on presentation of form E111.

Local chemists can diagnose and supply a wide selection of drugs. There are often long waits for treatment at public hospitals. Hospital facilities on outlying islands are sometimes sparse, although many ambulances without adequate facilities have air-ambulance backup. For emergencies, ring 166 (public ambulance).

Travel - Internal:
Air: The national airline, Olympic Airways flies from Athens to Alexandroupolis, Astypalaia, Chania (Crete), Chios, Heraklion, Ikaria, Ioannina, Kalamata, Karpathos, Kassos, Kastellorizo Kastoria, Kavala, Kefaloniá, Kerkira (Corfu), Kithira, Kos, Kozani, Lemnos, Leros, Milos, Mykonos, Mytilini, Paros, Preveza, Rhodes, Samos, Santorini (Thira), Siros, Sitia, Skiathos, Skiros, Thessaloniki, and Zakinthos; from Rhodes to Heraklion, Karpathos, Kassos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Mykonos, and Santorini (Thira); from Chios to Mykonos, Samos and Thessaloniki; from Heraklion to Santorini (Thira), Mykonos and Paros; from Karpathos to Kassos and Sitia; from Kefaloniá to Zakinthos; from Kos to Leros and Samos; from Mykonos to Mytilini; and from Thessaloniki to Chania, Heraklion, Ioannina, Kavala Kerkira, Kos, Larissa, Lemnos, Mykonos, Mytilini, Rhodes, Samos and Santorini. There are also regular services to the Greek Aegean Islands (including Cyclades, Dodecanissa, North Aegean Sea and the Sporades).
Departure tax: €8,51.

Sea: It is both cheap and easy to travel around the islands. There are ferry services on many routes, with sailings most frequent during the summer. The main ports are Attica, Piraeus and Rafina, although there are regular sailings to the islands from the smaller ports of Patras, Kyllini, Thessaloniki, Igoumenitsa, Alexandroupolis, Kavala and Volos. Tickets can be bought from the shipping lines’ offices located around the quaysides.

In major ports the larger lines have offices in the city centre. There are two classes of ticket (First Class and Economy Class) which offer varying degrees of comfort; couchette cabins can be booked for the longer voyages or those wishing to avoid the sun. Most ships have restaurant facilities. During high season it is wise to buy tickets in advance, as inter-island travel is very popular.

Routes from Piraeus: There are regular sailings to the following ports: Dodecanese: Astipalaia, Chalki, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kassos, Kastelorizo, Kos, Leros, Lipsi, Nissiros, Rhodes, Symi, Patmos, Rhodes and Tilos.

Cyclades: Aegiali and Katapola (both on Amorgos), Anafi, Donoussa, Folegandros, Heraklia, Ios, Kimolos, Kythnos, Koufonissia, Milos, Naxos, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Schinoussa, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Siros and Tinos.

Peloponnese: Gytheion, Hermioni, Kithira, Methana, Monemvassia and Porto Heli. Saronic Gulf Islands: Aegina, Hydra, Poros and Spetses. Crete: Agios Nikolaos, Chania, Heraklion, Kastelli, Rethymnon and Sitia.

Samos: Karlovassi and Vathi. North Eastern Aegean Islands: Agios Kirykos (Ikaria), Evdilos (Ikaria), Chios, Limnos, Mitilini (Lesvos) and Psara.

Northern Greece: Kavala and Thessaloniki. Check sailing times either with individual lines, the Greek/Hellenic National Tourist Organisation, or in Piraeus upon arrival in Greece.

Routes from Rafina: There are local services from Rafina (near Athens) to: Agios Efstratios, Amorgos, Andros, Chalkida (summer only) Chios, Donoussa, Heraklia, Karistos (Evia), Kavala, Koufonissi, Kythnos, Limnos, Marmari (Evia), Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Schinoussa, Serifos, Sifnos, Syros, Thessaloniki and Tinos.

Other routes: These include Agia Marina–Nea Styra; Perama–Salamis; Rio–Antirio; Aedipsos–Arkitsa; Eretria–Oropos; Glifa–Agiokambos; Patras–Ithaca; Patras–Kefalonia (Sami); Patras–Corfu; Patras–Paxi; Preveza–Aktion; Igoumenitsa–Corfu; Corfu–Paxi; Kyllini–Zante; Kyllini–Cephalonia (Poros); Kavala–Thassos (Limenas); Kavala–Thassos (Prinos); Keramoti–Thassos; Alexandroupolis–Samothrace and Lavrion–Kea.

Hydrofoil: A hydrofoil service (also called the Flying Dolphins) offers a fast and efficient service from Piraeus, travelling to many of the nearby islands. Although this is somewhat more expensive than travelling by ferry, journey times are cut drastically. There are also fast hydrofoil services from Zea Marina (Piraeus), Lavrion, Agios Konstandinos, Volos, Kimi (Evia), Thessaloniki and Gytheion. For further information on various ferry and hydrofoil timetables, contact Hellas Flying Dolphins: Two Aetolikou Street, 185 45 Piraeus (tel: (10) 422 5100; fax: (10) 413 1111; website: www.dolphins.gr).

Yachts: Numerous types of yachts and sailing vessels can be chartered or hired with or without crews. ‘Flotilla holidays’ are popular, and the Greek/Hellenic National Tourism Organisation has a full list of companies running this type of holiday.

Rail: The two main railway stations in Athens are Larissa (with trains to northern Greece, Evia and Europe) and Peloponnissos (with trains to the Peloponnese). Train information and tickets are available from the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) in Athens (tel: (10) 529 8739) or in Thessaloniki (tel: (310) 538 367; website: www.osenet.gr).

Travelling north, there are regular daily trains from Athens to Thessaloniki, Livadia, Paleofarsala, Larissa, Plati, Edessa, Florina, Seres, Drama, Komotini and Alexandroupolis (connections from Thessaloniki and Larissa). Travelling south, there are regular daily trains from Athens to Kiato, Xylokastra, Diakofto, Patras, Olympia, Argos, Tripoli, Megalopolis and Kalamata.

Cheap fares: Mini-group tickets (two to five adults and one or more child) offer 25-40 per cent off the normal fare.

Hellenic Tourpass: valid for ten, 20 and 30 days and issued to single, group and family travellers. They entitle the holder to unlimited travel on trains (second class) for a reduced cost. Prices depend on the number of passengers and duration of validity. Other reductions available for passengers residing outside Europe, include Eurail and Eurail Youthpass cards.

Senior Citizen Travel Cards: Entitle passengers over 60 years of age to a 50 per cent reduction on rail travel and five free trips. The cards are valid for one year.

Group Tickets: Entitle passengers to a 50 per cent reduction for groups of at least ten persons.

Family Travel Card: Entitles families to 25-50 per cent reduction on rail travel. For further information on the above schemes, contact the the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE).

Road: Greece has a good road network on the whole, totalling approximately 116,150km (72,174 miles), mostly paved. Traffic drives on the right. Examples of some distances from Athens: to Thessaloniki, 511km (318 miles); to Corinth, 85km (53 miles); to Igoumenitsa, 587km (365 miles); and to Delphi, 165km (103 miles).

Bus: Buses link Athens and all main towns in Attica, northern Greece and the Peloponnese. Service on the islands depends on demand, and timetables should be checked carefully. Some islands do not allow any kind of motorised transport, in which case islanders use boats, or donkeys and carts to travel around. Fares are low. The Greek/Hellenic Railways Organisation Ltd (OSE) runs bus services to northern Greece from the Karolou Street terminus and to the Peloponnese from the Sina Street station.

Bus information: There are two long-distance bus terminals in Athens: Terminal A and Terminal B. For information on long-distance buses, run by KTEL, from Athens to the provinces, enquire at Terminal A, 100 Kifissou Street, Athens (tel: (10) 512 4910) or Terminal B, 260 Liossion Street, Athens. Further information can be obtained from KTEL offices (website: www.ktel.org).

Taxi: Rates are per km and are very reasonable, with extra charge for fares to/from stations, ports and airports. Taxis run on a share basis, so do not be surprised if the taxi picks up other passengers for the journey. There is an additional charge from 0100-0600, with double fare from 0200-0400.

Car hire: Most car hire firms operate throughout Greece. For details, contact the Greek/Hellenic National Tourism Organisation (see Contact Addresses section). Reservations can be made by writing or telephoning the car hire agency direct.

Regulations: The minimum age for driving is l8. Children under ten must sit in the back seat. Seat belts must be worn. There are fines for breaking traffic regulations. The maximum speed limit is 120kph (70mph) on motorways, 110kph (60mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. There are slightly different speed limits for motorbikes. It is illegal to carry spare petrol in the vehicle. EU nationals may import a foreign-registered car, caravan, motorcycle, boat or trailer for a maximum of six months. This period may be extended to 15 months for a fee and further paperwork.

Documentation: A national driving licence is acceptable for EU nationals. EU nationals taking their own cars to Greece must obtain a Green Card, to top up the insurance cover to that provided by the car owner’s domestic policy. It is no longer a legal requirement for visits of less than three months, but without it insurance cover is limited to the minimum legal cover in Greece. The car registration documents have to be carried at all times. Nationals of non-EU countries may need an International Driving Permit and should contact ELPA (Automobile and Touring Club of Greece).

Road assistance: A breakdown service is available on main roads, conditions of which have vastly improved. For details, contact ELPA, 395 Messogion Street, 153 43 Athens (tel: (10) 606 8800; fax: (10) 606 8981; e-mail: elpa@techlink.gr). Emergency breakdown services can be contacted toll free by dialing 104. There are good repair shops in big towns and petrol is easily obtainable.

URBAN: Buses: There are several services around Athens and Attica. The terminal at Mauromateon Street, Areos Park, Athens has regular services to Amfiaraio, Marathonas, Nea Makri, Porto Rafti, Ramnous and Sounio. Trolley buses (ILPAP) and regular buses (ETHEL) have frequent links to tourist attractions and places of interest. Tickets for buses and trolley buses can be purchased from the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA) at various booths and kiosks situated around the city. For further information contact OASA at 15 Metsovou Street, 10682 Athens (tel: (10) 883 6076; fax: (10) 821 2219; e-mail: oasa@oatenet.gr; website: www.oasa.gr).

Metro: Athens has a reliable subway system (ISAP) that consists of three major lines. The old line runs north–south between Athens (suburb of Kifissia) and Piraeus daily 0500-0015. Since 2000, the long-awaited projects for a further two lines have been completed. Line 2 runs between Sepolia and Dafnia and line 3 runs between Ethiniki Amyna and Syntagma. Tickets can be purchased at every Metro and ISAP station. Information on timetables and schedules can be found from Athens Metro (website: www.ametro.gr) or OASA (see address details above).

Travel times: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Athens to other major cities/islands in Greece.

Air/Road/Sea
Corfu 0.50* 11.00 -
Crete 0.50 - 12.00
Mykonos 0.45 - 5.50
Rhodes 0.55 - 14.00
Thessaloniki 0.50 8.00 14.00
Thira 0.40 - 12.00

NOTE: *The journey time by road to Corfu includes a sea crossing from Patras.

Travel - International:
Air: Greece’s national airline is Olympic Airways (OA) (website: www.olympic-airways.gr). British Airways make scheduled flights to Greece. Delta Airlines operate daily flights from New York to Athens.

Approximate flight times: From Athens to London is five hours; from Rhodes is five hours 15 minutes; from Corfu is four hours; from Heraklion is seven hours 50 minutes; and from Skiathos is six hours ten minutes (all flight times include a stop-over). From Athens to Los Angeles is 15 hours ten minutes; to New York is 12 hours 45 minutes; to Singapore is 13 hours; to Sydney is 24 hours 30 minutes.

International airports: Athens (ATH) (Elfetherios Veniselos) has been newly constructed, replacing all air traffic from the old airport. Located 27km (17 miles) northeast of the city, there is a six-lane motorway linking the two, and regular airport buses running 24 hours from the centre and the port of Piraeus. Airport facilities include duty-free shops, car hire (Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and Sixt), 24-hour banks, cash machines, bureaux de change, bar and restaurant facilities, post office, business centre and hotel.

Heraklion (HER) (Crete) is 5km (3 miles) from the city. Bus and taxi services are available. Airport facilities include a cafeteria and a duty-free shop.

Thessaloniki (SKG) (Macedonia) is 16km (10 miles) from the city. Regular coach and taxi services are available. There are duty-free shops, restuarants, bars, banks/bureaux de change, car hire (Alamo, Avis and Hertz) and a post office.

Corfu (CFU) (Kerkira) is 3km (2 miles) from the city. Regular coach and taxi services are available. There is a duty-free shop, cafeteria and bar.

Rhodes (RHO) (Paradisi) is 16km (10 miles) from the city. Coach and taxi services are available. Airport facilities include a duty-free shop, car hire (Avis, Rent-a-car), bank and bureau de change, cafe and a 24-hour bar.

There are also international airports at Chania (CHQ), Kalamata (KLX), Karpathos (AOK), Kavala (KVA), Kefalonia (EFL), Kos (KGS), Lesbos (Mytilini) (MJT), Mykonos (JMK), Preveza (Lefkos) (PVK), Thessaloniki (SKG), Samos (SMI), Skiathos (JSI), Thira (Santorini) (JTR) and Zakynthos (ZTH), most of which serve predominantly summer traffic.
Departure tax: €12,15.

Sea: The major Greek ports are Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Volos, Igoumenitsa, Heraklion, Corfu, Patras and Rhodes. Shipping and ferryboat lines link these ports with Italy, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Russia. Greek ports are used by a number of cruise lines including Epirotiki, K Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Princess Cruises, Silversea, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises, Festival Cruises, Med Sun Cruises and Swan Hellenic. The Greek/Hellenic National Tourism Organisation can give full details.

A car ferry links the Italian ports of Brindisi, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Venice, Trieste and Ancona with Patras and Piraeus. There are also services from Heraklion to Ancona and Brindisi; from Corfu to Bari, Brindisi and Trieste; and from Rhodes to Ancona. During the summer months there are also services from Ithaca and from Cephalonia to Brindisi. Ferries also run from Piraeus to Haifa in Israel and to Istanbul in Turkey.

Rail: The national railway company is Hellenic Railways Organisation Ltd (OSE) (website: www.osenet.gr).

The following continental rail services run from London to Athens: Acropolis Express: London–Paris–Milan–Trieste–Belgrade–Athens. Hellas Express: London–Amsterdam–Cologne– Bonn–Stuttgart–Munich–Salzburg–Zagreb–Belgrade–Nis–Athens. Another way to travel from the UK is to take the Eurostar through the channel tunnel, from London to either Brussels or Paris, both of which have onward connections to Greece. For further information and reservations contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 6000 792 (travel agents) or 08705 186 186 (public; within the UK) or +44 1233 617 575 (public; outside the UK); website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: 08705 848 848).

Travel agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar Trade Refunds, Second Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1 8SE. General enquiries and information requests must be made by telephone.

Rail passes: Inter-Rail tickets, for those aged 26 and under, include rail travel within Greece, but a supplement will be added for couchettes; the ticket does not include the cost of ferries between the mainland, other countries or islands, but certain shipping lines offer a discount to ticket holders. Prices for those aged over 26 are approximately 40 per cent higher. For passengers wishing to make multiple train journeys within Europe, the EuroDomino travel card offers reduced prices on various journeys to the destination of their choice.

Road: It is possible to ferry cars across to one of the major ports of entry or to enter overland. Points of overland entry are from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia via Evzoni, and Niki; from Bulgaria via Promahonas or Kastanies and Kipi. From Yugoslavia the route is via Italy (Trieste), Austria (Graz) and Belgrade. The journey from northern France to Athens is over 3200km (2000 miles). For car-ferry information, see details under Sea above.

Bus: There are routes from Athens via Thessaloniki to Sofia, Paris, Dortmund and Istanbul. Information and bookings are available from terminals in Athens at Six Sina Street (tel: (10) 362 4402; One Karolou Street (tel: (10) 529 7777) and 17 Filellinon Street (tel: (10) 323 6747); also at Thessaloniki rail station.