Travel Tips
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| Official Name of Greece | Hellenic Republic |
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| Geographical Location | Southeastern Europe |
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| Capital of Greece | Athens |
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| Official Language | Greek |
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| The Currency | Euro(€) |
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| Climate | Mediterranean |
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| Population | 10,955,000 (2015 estimate) |
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| Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic |
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| Calling Code | +30 |
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| Time Zone & Local Holidays | GMT +2 |
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| Religion | Eastern Orthodoxy / Greek Orthodoxy |
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| Greece is a Member-State of the European Union | ||
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| National Celebrations and Holidays: |
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| New Year’s Day | 1st of January |
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| Epiphany | 6th of January |
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| Ash Monday | 41 days before Easter |
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| Easter | From Holy Friday until Easter Monday |
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| Night of the Resurrection | It is celebrated in midnight before Easter Sunday |
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| Easter Sunday | On Easter Sunday Greeks eat barbecue lamb |
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| Labor Day | 1st of May |
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| Pentecost | It is celebrated 50 days after Easter |
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| Assumption of the Virgin Mary | 15th of August |
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| Ohi Day National Celebration | 28th of October |
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| Christmas | 25th-26th of December |
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| Independence Day | 25th of March |
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| Currency: |
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| The banknotes | 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros | |
| Coins | 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents (lepta in Greek) and 1 and 2 Euros | |
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| Banks: |
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| Greek banks are open for the public from 8:00 to 14:30 Mondays to Thursdays and from 8:00 to 13:30 on Fridays. They are closed on Public Holidays. | ||
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| Transportation: |
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| You can travel to Greece in many different ways: by road, plane, train or sea. Also major roads link Greece with Europe and Asia. | ||
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Ports on main land such as Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Volos, Patras, Igoumenitsa, and island ports serve travellers who choose to travel by sea. There are direct connections with several ports in Italy and Turkey with Greece. |
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Climate: |
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| Greece has a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and a limited amount of rainfall. In summer, the dry hot days are cooled by seasonal winds called the meltemi, while mountainous regions have generally lower temperatures. The winters are mild in lowland areas, with a minimum amount of snow and ice, yet, mountains are usually snow-covered. |
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You can find detailed information in the below link of Hellenic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on visas for Greeks travelling abroad (visa requirements by country of destination, Authority responsible for issuing visas to Greeks) and for foreigners wishing to visit Greece and, by extension, the Schengen Area (visa requirements by country of origin, Greek or foreign Authorities that issue visas for Greece abroad). With regard to Schengen visas, you will find a description of the types of Schengen visa issued, the Schengen institutional framework (in particular, the Schengen Borders Code), as well as procedural issues concerning the issuing of Schengen visas. http://www.mfa.gr/en/visas/visas-for-foreigners-traveling-to-greece/ |
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Health and Medical care: |
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Tourists from member states of the European Union (EU) should be holders of the European Health Card (EHIC) or any other legal Community document issued by their competent social security agency to be able to reach necessary health care during their stay in Greece. The offices providing treatment are:
On the other hand tourists from countries other than the member states of the European Union should consult their social security agency for information before travelling to be able to reach necessary health care during their stay in Greece. |
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In case of emergency call: |
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| Ambulance Service | 166 | |
| SOS Doctors | 1016 | |
| Duty Hospitals and Clinics | 1434 | |
| Pharmacies | 1434 | |
| Police | 100 | |
| Tourist Police | 1571 | |