Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BANKING AND COMMUNICATION
1. CURRENCY
Greece uses the euro (€). The currency is available in denominations of €10, €20,
€50 and €100 notes, while coins come in 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 50-cent (
lepta
in Greek)
pieces, as well as €1 and €2.
2. BANKS, ATMS, CARDS AND CASH
Banks are normally open 8am-2pm Mon-Thu and 8am-1:30pm Fri. ATMs are plen-
tiful in Athens. Credit cards are accepted in large hotels, shops and restaurants, but
smaller businesses, such as tavernas, accept cash only.
3. POST
Airmail letters and postcards take about three days to reach other EU countries, and
around six days to the US, Australia and New Zealand. The most central post office
is on Mitropoleos, close to Plateia Syntagma, and is open 7:30am-8pm Mon-Fri,
7:30am-2pm Sat, 9am-1:30pm Sun. The post office on Aiolou keeps the same hours
except for Sunday, when it is closed. Other post offices around town are open
8am-2pm Mon-Fri. Post boxes are yellow and have separate slots for national and
international mail.
4. TELEPHONES
You can make international calls from the Greek Telecommunications (OTE) offices
at Patission 85 (open 24 hours) and Stadiou 15 (7am-midnight Mon-Fri,
8am-midnight Sat & Sun). It is also possible to call from telephone booths around
town - for these you will need a phone card worth 100 units (€4), which can easily be
bought at any street kiosk.
5. CALLING GREECE
If you are calling from outside the country, the international code for Greece is 0030,
while the area code for Athens is 210.
