“Greece – The feeling of being lost in time and geography with months and years hazily sparkling ahead in a prospect of unconjecturable magic.”
This quote by Sir Fermor may be one of the most accurate and the closest descriptions of how Greece makes a traveler feel like. While enjoying today’s version of her magical beauty, you can still feel the weight of all that legacy of the past nebulously wrapping around you.
Ahh… I miss you, γείτονα!
Currency & Payment Methods: The currency used in Greece is Euro (€).
Cash is king in Greece. But many hotels, stores and restaurants accept payment with debit/credit cards (Mostly Visa & Master Card. Due to high commission rates, AmEx is used rarely.) It is still advised to keep some cash available (especially in the Islands where you encounter connection problems). Also, some shops accept digital payment only above a certain amount.
The banks are open between 08:00 – 14:00 and most of the time they mostly the best conversion rates. The main providers are the National Bank of Greece, Alphabank,
Eurobank and Piraeus Bank. Better to avoid Euronet cash machines due to their extortionate withdrawal fees.
To avoid high exchange rates you can select “withdraw in local currency” instead of ATM’s rate.
You can also use digital wallets. Paypal is the most widely used method but GooglePay and Apple Pay also function.
Official Language: The official language is Greek. But especially the younger generations speak fluent English.
Time Zone: Eastern European Standard Time (GMT+2)
Communication: The international dialing code is +30. You need to use this code to call Greece from abroad. Those who reside and has a phone line already in EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland can “roam like at home” in Greece.
If you are coming from another countries, you may explore other options such as pre-paid lines offered by Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova (three major mobile operators in Greece).
Visa: Greece is a party to Schengen Agreement. So citizens of E.U. and EFTA member countries (i.e. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) can enter Greece without the need of visa, only with a passport or ID.
Citizens of the U.S.A., South American countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and some certain Asian countries can visit Portugal without a visa for up to 90 days. However they need a passport.
Citizens to other countries can get recent information on whether they need a visa from the page “Who Needs a Visa” on the website of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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