Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Travel essentials
SHHHH! SIESTA TIME
The hours
between 3 and 5pm
, the
midday
siesta
(
mikró ýpno
), are sacrosanct
- it's not acceptable to visit people, make
phone calls to strangers or cause any sort
of loud noise (especially with
motorcycles) at this time. Quiet is also
legally mandated
between midnight
and 8am
in residential areas.
Costs
The
cost of living
in Greece has increased astronom-
ically since it joined the EU, particularly after the
adoption of the euro and further increases in the VAT
rate in 2011. Prices in shops and cafés now match or
exceed those of many other EU member countries
(including the UK). However, outside the chintzier
resorts, travel remains affordable, with the aggregate
cost of restaurant meals, short-term accommodation
and public transport falling somewhere in between
that of cheaper Spain or France and pricier Italy.
Prices
depend on where and when you go.
Larger cities and the trendier tourist resorts and
small islands (such as Sými, Íýdhra, Mýkonos, Paxí
and Pátmos) are more expensive and costs every-
where increase sharply during July-August,
Christmas, New Year and Easter.
On most islands a daily per-person
budget
of
€50/£44/US$72 will get you basic accommodation
and meals, plus a short ferry or bus ride, as one of a
couple. Camping would cut costs marginally. On
€100/£88/US$144 a day you could be living quite
well, plus sharing the cost of renting a large
motorbike or small car. See p.36 for accommoda-
tion costs.
A basic taverna
meal
with bulk wine or a beer
costs around €12-20 per person. Add a better bottle
of wine, pricier fish or fancier decor and it could be
up to €20-30 a head; you'll rarely pay more than
that. Even in the most developed of resorts, with
inflated “international” menus, there is often a basic
but decent taverna where the locals eat.
to be aggressive about it; ask if they have a cheaper
room, for example, rather than demanding a lower
price.
Tipping
is not essential anywhere, though
taxi drivers generally expect it from tourists and
most service staff are very poorly paid. Restaurant
bills incorporate a service charge; if you want to tip,
rounding up the bill is usually su
cient.
Smoking
also deserves a mention. Greeks are the
heaviest smokers in Europe, and although legally
you're not allowed to smoke indoors in restaurants,
bars or public o
ces, in practice the law is almost
universally disregarded. Effective no-smoking areas
are very rare indeed.
Women and lone travellers
Thousands of
women
travel independently in
Greece without being harassed or feeling intimi-
dated. With the westernization of relationships
between unmarried Greek men and women, almost
all of the traditional Mediterranean macho impetus
for trying one's luck with foreign girls has faded.
Foreign women are more at risk of
sexual assault
at
certain notorious resorts (including Kávos in Corfu;
Laganás in Zákynthos; Faliráki in Rhodes) by
northern European men than by ill-intentioned
locals. It is sensible not to bar-crawl alone or to
accept late-night rides from strangers (
hitching
at
any time is not advisable for lone female travellers).
In more remote areas intensely traditional villagers
may wonder why women travelling alone are
unaccompanied, and may not welcome their
presence in exclusively male
kafenía
. Travelling with
a man, you're more likely to be treated as a
xéni
.
Lone men
need to be wary of being invited into
bars in the largest mainland towns and island ports,
in particular near Sýndagma in Athens; these bars
are invariably staffed with hostesses (who may also
be prostitutes) persuading you to treat them to
drinks. At the end of the night you'll be landed with
an outrageous bill, some of which goes towards the
hostess's commission; physical threats are brought
to bear on reluctant payers.
Crime and personal safety
Greece is one of Europe's safest countries, with a
low crime rate and a deserved reputation for
honesty. Most of the time if you leave a bag or
wallet at a café, you'll probably find it scrupulously
looked after, pending your return. Nonetheless
theft and muggings are becoming increasingly
common, a trend only likely to be increased by the
economic crisis. With this in mind, it's best to lock
rooms and cars securely, and to keep your
valuables hidden, especially in cities. Civil unrest,
in the form of strikes and demonstrations, is also
on the increase, but while this might inconven-
ience you, you'd be very unlucky to get caught up
in any trouble as a visitor.
Though the chances are you'll never meet a
member of the national
police force
, the Elliniki
