Blue Sun a Travel Agent in Greece provides you with honest answers to your honest questions!
Introduction
This guide is meant to offer an honest picture of what life is like in Greece right now for a tourist, and to reassure you that there is no need to be alarmed when travelling to Athens, mainland Greece, or any of the many Greek Islands.
Greece has been under the spotlight lately, but what does that really mean, and how does it affect you if you are travelling or thinking of travelling to Greece?
This article is intended purely as an informational guide that can help tourists understand what to expect when travelling to Greece. It is not intended as a comprehensive guide, nor can we accept responsibility for information found herein that may differ or not apply in your case. All information was accurate, to the best of our knowledge, when this guide was written (9 July 2015).
Safety
Q: How safe is Greece generally?
A: Greece as a country is considered safe. Based on a recent mid-2015 Crime/Safety index, compared to other countries, it is considered safer than Sweden and Belgium, and on the same level with Canada. “Safer” means lower crime and higher safety overall. The same holds true even during the Greek crisis.
Q: What type of crime is most common in Greece?
A: Generally speaking, the “worst” that can happen is if you run into a pickpocket. Crowded areas including trains and popular tourist spots are where you should keep your belongings close to you, and within your field of vision.
Apart from that, just follow your instinct and use common sense. Walking through a back alley, in a shady looking area at 2 am, without any people around, is not recommended in any country.
Problems with my itinerary
Q: Are there any problems with flights?
A: There have been no disruptions of flights in/out of Greek airports, apart from the occasional delay that may be due to high airport traffic, and there is no reason to think that they will be affected.
Q: Are there many strikes/demonstrations in Greece?
A: This is a good question that has an element of truth to it. Strikes/demonstrations are more common in Greece than in many other European countries. The “worst” thing that can probably happen in a strike is having to change your itinerary, or having to find alternate means to travel. A train strike might mean that you cannot go to the airport by train, and you might have to take a bus/taxi. A ferry strike might mean that you cannot travel to the island where you’ve booked your hotel, and must make other travel arrangements.
Also, please note that many strikes and demonstrations are highly localized—even if hundreds or thousands of people gather for a demonstration, they tend to concentrate on a very small area in Athens (usually Syntagma square) and their presence is hardly felt once one moves away from that area.
In any case, we recommend booking with a local agent who is reliable, flexible and available to help you in case something comes up that you cannot handle on your own. It doesn’t have to be us, but it must be someone that makes you feel comfortable and answers all your questions truthfully.
Money
Q: Do I need to bring cash with me?
A: Generally speaking, most shops will accept credit cards (mainly VISA and MASTERCARD). If you think that some place might not accept cards, you can just ask before you buy something. As a general rule, the smaller the “shop” the less likely it is they will accept cards, but ask anyway, you might be surprised!
Q: Is there a limit to how much money I can withdraw from an ATM?
A: Currently there is a daily limit of 60 euro per card, for Greek cardholders. This limit does not apply to cards issued abroad–the only limit is the one imposed by your bank.
Q: Do I only need to carry Euros?
A: In some tourist areas that are popular with certain nationalities, you might find businesses accepting other currency as well like British Pounds, Turkish Lira, Russian Ruble etc. Don’t base your cash needs solely on non-euro currency, but it good to know that you may be able to use other currency as well.
Q: Can someone refuse to accept my credit card and require only cash?
A: First off, businesses that accept credit cards in general, are required by law to accept your credit card, and they cannot refuse it. So if you want to buy something and want to pay with your card, ask if you can use your card first. In any case, if you don’t feel comfortable with the way someone treats you, they do not deserve your business.
Q: How much money do I need per day?
A: Considering that you have prepaid your “big” expenses before hand–like airfare, hotels, rent-a-car etc., you can enjoy Greece very comfortably with around 50 euros per person per day. Let’s break down this amount.
Food: eating at a Greek Taverna you can expect to pay anywhere from €15 – €20 per person for a full meal, including a few beers/some house wine.
Greece has many options when it comes to “fast food”. From the famous Souvlaki/Gyros to sandwich shops, most of which will prepare your sandwich on the spot, and to your liking. For a nice baguette sandwich you can expect to pay around 3 – 5 euros from the major chains. Of course, the more ingredients you pile up the more you will pay, but anything more than 5 – 6 euros for a sandwich usually gets you into organic-food territory, so you do pay extra for that.
If you’re looking at a good restaurant (e.g. with sushi) you might want to calculate around 30 – 40 euros per person. If you’re looking at gourmet restaurants there are many good ones, but of course you are expected to pay extra.
Coffee: generally speaking, coffee in Greece is considered “expensive”. The main reason for this is cultural. Greeks can sit at a cafe for hours, and only drink one coffee. In recent years prices have gone down, especially in big cities like Athens. If you want a rough guideline, you can consider Starbucks’ prices as the most expensive coffee that you would pay, in most cases. Of course, if you are planning on sipping your coffee at the trendiest cafes in Mykonos, expect prices to start from 4 euros for a small cappuccino.
Public Restrooms / Toilets: although it might not seem like a cost-related question, in most places in Greece you do not need to pay to use a restroom. For example if you’re out somewhere and need to use the bathroom at a restaurant, you simply ask nicely, and in most cases you will be allowed to use the bathroom.
Water: Greece is probably the only European country where bottled water is so cheap. A half-liter bottle of water costs anywhere from 30 – 50 cents, while a 1.5 liter costs around 80 cents – 1 euro.
Above costs are meant as guidelines. There is something to fit every budget in Greece, but you must be prepared beforehand to know what you are expected to spend in every case.
Transportation
Q: How expensive is transportation in Athens?
A: Generally speaking Athens is not expensive to travel around in, using public transportation. A 5-day card that can be used for almost any means of public transport (except going to/from the airport) only costs 10 euro per person.
Q: How about taxis?
A: To give you a very rough idea, most taxi rides in Athens cost about half of what they would cost in other European cities like Paris/London etc.
Emergency
Q: What happens if ATM’s run out of money
A: It is a good idea to bring some cash with you on your trip, more as a safety precaution. Withdrawing money from an ATM should generally be for extra expenses and not for your daily expenses. Also, it is not advisable to carry too much cash with you when you go out of your hotel, and don’t take out large amounts of cash to pay for something small.
Q: How much cash can I bring into the country? If I bring too much, will I be unable to take it out again?
A: There is no limit to the amount of cash you can bring with you. Also, there is no limit to the amount of cash you can take out of the country. Keep in mind that if the amount is more than 10,000 euro you have to declare it.
Q: How safe are tourists in Greece?
A: Tourism is Greece’s main industry, and even in periods of social unrest, tourism was always a major part of our economy. For example, even during a period of great social change in the early 70’s, tourism tripled in numbers. Bottom line, tourism is probably the last thing that will be disrupted in Greece.
Q: What happens if riots of other social unrest breaks out?
A: Although this is extremely unlikely, even in extreme cases of social unrest, remember that Greece is a very centrally located country, connected by land, sea, and air to many European and other destinations. It is not in any way isolated from the rest of the world. If at any point you feel uncomfortable and decide to go back home or change your travel plans, you can very easily do so, and travel to another destination.
In Conclusion Blue Sun Travel in Athens says…
The important thing to note is that Greece has always been a country where we do things a little “differently” and we are always very flexible and adaptable. If you are interested in Greece and want to find out more, you can always contact BlueSun and we will be happy to assist you!
