-
Ferry Boats.
The "affordable" (nothing is cheap anymore) and
popular way to get around during the summer.
These boats usually take a long time to get
where they are going because they also ferry cars,
buses and trucks.
A quick solution is to take a hydrofoil (you
must book it in advance), but if the seas get rough
service is usually suspended, so be warned not to
book your schedule with a tight time line.
Most boats leave from the ancient port of
Pireaus.
However, there is good news for those departing from
Porto Rafti to go to the islands in that they can go
north to the port town of Rafina and take a ferry
(best is the Super Ferry) to the islands.
From Rafina you can travel to the islands of
Andros, Tinos, Paros and Mykonos.
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Food / Dining.
Eat your heart out in Greece.
The food is affordable and excellent.
There are many fish platters to choose from.
And the traditional dishes of mousaka or
pastichio are incredible. The pastries are out of
control.
Heck, since you are swimming and walking all day,
splurge! To
wash down all that food we highly recommend the
wines of Greece (stay away from the older styled
retsina wines).
Now for the shocker, do not book any dinner
engagements before 10pm.
Dinner during the summer is between 10pm and
1am. Now the
pleasant news: you will rarely find an indoor
restaurant during the summer in Greece!
Also do not be bashful, walk into the
kitchens to see what they have, in fact if you are
eating fish ask to go in to see their fish
collections they have on ice.
Select them yourself.
-
ask for English catalogue (in Greek a menu,
catalogue,
is pronounced "ca-ta-log-os")
-
Greeks eat lunch 2pm-4pm, nap 4pm-6pm, dinner 10pm-1am
-
It is not unusual to find Americans hunting for
food at 12 noon, the English wandering around in
deserted streets at siesta time and famished
Japanese at 7pm.
If you wish to enjoy your stay adapt the
Greek schedule!
-
Comfortable beach/walking shoes, baseball caps. sun
screen, beach towels, sunglasses, mosquito spray
-
Tipping.
Make
sure to look at the bottom of your menus for whether
the tip is included or not.
Tips are usually built into the prices.
Most Greeks leave a small tip, something on
the order of about 5%.
Do not leave the 15-20% tips usual in
America.
-
Taxis.
Now a
talk about taxicab rides in Greece.
First lets start with the only good news:
they are affordable.
Now all the bad news.
Because the cabs are cheap, they are allowed
to take on additional passengers, so don't be
offended if this happens.
Now this brings up the first major problem
tourists have in hailing a cab.
Tourists sit there waiting for an empty cab
-- good luck!
When a cab approaches you, raise your hand to flag
it and yell out where you want to go.
For example yell: "airport", or "Acropolis",
or "Hilton Hotel".
So assume you get lucky and you get a cab,
the next issue to contend with is with a cab driver
who tries to take advantage of you.
Make sure they put the meter on, many try to
keep it off and overcharge.
Secondly, during the day time hours make sure
the meter is set to the number one "1".
At night, usually between 12am and 5am, they
have the right to put it at "2", which basically
doubles your fare.
Tipping is usually very small, just enough to
round off.
There maybe a small surcharge to and from the ports
and airport, and a further charge per 10kg bag.
The Toilet Paper Mistake You Should Avoid at All Costs When
Visiting Greece
While bathroom etiquette might not be the most exciting subject,
it’s a crucial aspect of travelling, particularly in
Greece. Unlike many other countries, Greece has distinct
regulations about what should not be flushed down the
toilet. Knowing these rules is essential to prevent
embarrassing incidents.
In Greece, only human waste should be flushed. Toilet paper,
sanitary products, and other items must be disposed of
in the garbage can next to the toilet. Ignoring this
rule can lead to clogged pipes—something no traveller
wants to deal with!
The reason for this strict guideline lies in the plumbing. Greek
pipes are narrower than U.S. pipes, typically around 2
inches in diameter—about half the size of American
plumbing. Adjusting to this practice might take some
time, but it’s a necessary precaution.
You’ll likely encounter restroom signs reminding you not to
flush paper, but these may not always specify toilet
paper. For hygiene reasons, it’s advisable to wrap your
paper in clean sheets before discarding it. Don’t worry;
everyone follows this practice, so there’s no judgment.
While some newer buildings have upgraded plumbing capable of
handling toilet paper, these are the exception rather
than the rule.
Greece, along with Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, and Vietnam, advises
against flushing toilet paper. It’s wise to carry
additional tissues when travelling to be prepared in the
event that a public restroom is out of supplies.
Additionally, be prepared for squat toilets in some places,
which require a bit of practice. Knowing basic phrases
like “Where is the bathroom?” or “Can I have more toilet
paper?” can also help ease your travel experience.
For a smooth trip, consider using translation apps to
communicate effectively. By following these tips, you
can confidently navigate Greece’s restroom rules and
focus on enjoying your travels.
-
Maps: please use Google maps.
They show names in English and Greek
-
Distances.
For Americans, please remember it is the metric
system here! And use Google Maps to tell you true
drive times.
The reason is that Greece is mountainous, so
although on a map two points my look close, you
might be vomiting outside of your car window as you
zig-zag up and down mountains.
Plus, during the summer there is so much more
traffic as Greeks vacation, and so do all the
tourist who come here.
-
Metric system conversions.
Learn how to convert on the fly … for
example, use the following approximate rules to
convert:
1.6
kilometers per mile, 4 liters per gallon, 2.5 cms
per inch and about 1.1 yards per meter.
-
Island Transport.
We believe that for those that can handle it,
its best to travel on the islands using mopeds,
"Vespas" or motorcycles.
Bargain for a good rate, your passport will
be required.
This is the best way to truly discover the islands.
You will APPRECIATE this advice, trust us.
For those with children or those who prefer
not to be that adventurous, look to rent a small
open top jeep (but hot sun means hot driving so if
sun sensitive, get a closed top jeep).
We do however emphasize that you should be
cautious in driving on any island because the roads
are narrow, crowded and have steep drops.
ONE WORD OF CAUTION:
the leading reason for accidents to tourist
is traveling on the islands on these smaller non-car
devices.
Proceed with EXTREME CAUTION.
-
Driving.
When driving in Europe do note that gas is
expensive.
Usually 2.5 times USA gas prices.
Also note that Greek drivers are like
Manhattan taxicab drivers.
Do NOT be a defensive driver in Greece, you
must be OFFENSIVE.
Contact your rental agency ahead of time to
see if you will need an International Drivers permit
with you (in last few years most have now accepted
just a US driver's license). Almost all cars are
manual drive (stick-shift), therefore if you cannot
drive with such a car make sure when you rent to ask
if they have an automatic.
There is also one more important point for
those who decide to drive in Greece to consider.
On most older one-lane highways you will see
a white solid line on the right side of the lane you
are driving in that looks like a breakdown lane.
Well here is the surprise.
When you drive you usually stay IN the
"breakdown lane" or over it!
When someone is passing you, you should move
into the "breakdown lane".
When you want to pass someone then you turn
on your left turn signal, get into the regular lane
and pass them.
If the car you are trying to pass doesn't
move, high beam them.
WE RECOMMEND that everyone not speed or drive
wildly --
Greece has a very high road fatality rate and we do
not want any of our guests or friends injured.
-
VAT.
Most
non-Europeans will be in shock to see that the sales
tax is about 14% to 24% (it varies by service type).
Most items have the VAT built into their
sticker prices.
Before you commit, make sure to ask.
If you buy jewelry or other expensive items
and are from outside the Euro zone then you are
entitled to a refund on the VAT tax -- ask your
merchant for instructions.
-
Language.
If
you truly want to learn some Greek, learn how to
pronounce the Greek alphabet and when we say
pronounce we mean as the Greeks do.
For example B is in English "beta".
In Greek it is also "beta" but actually
pronounced
like "vita".
If you can't manage learning the whole alphabet,
just learn some key Greek words like:
ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ or ευχαριστω (pronouced efxaristo)
which means "thank you"
ΝΑΙ or ναι (pronounced nai) which means "yes"
ΟΧΙ or οχι (pronounced oxi) which means "no"
ΓΕΙΑ ΣΟΥ or γεια σου (pronounced yia sou) which
is used for hello, goodbye and to your health
ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΩ or παρακαλω (pronounced parakalo) which
means "please"
-
Greek men.
Ladies be warned: the men are aggressive.
Whether you are single or attached, the men
will not be embarrassed to woe you.
For women from societies not accustom to
this, it can be quite upsetting.
Best to just ignore them, any smile from you
will be interpreted as an invitation to continue the
"pursuit".
-
Telephone calls.
The country code for Greece is 30, so when
you call from the USA we use 011-30 but be aware
from other countries in the world they do not use
"011" but "001", so if you are in Italy and want to
call
Greece
the format is 001-30.
While in Greece, if you are trying to dial
the USA, do NOT use the same approach when calling
from the USA … instead call 00-1-(area
code)-(telephone number), so for example
00-1-973-895-9999
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Shopping.
At
any shop that looks like a tourist trap, haggle like
crazy.
Many
times the prices are doubled or tripled for the
suckers out there.
In fact, at any establishment that doesn't
look professional ask for a lower price.
No haggling at department stores or
restaurants.
-
Rooms for rent.
For those that will wing it and come with no
reservations (and even for those who do have
reservations, here is an explanation of what you
will encounter), expect when you arrive on an island
to be greeted by tens of people looking to give you
housing. Shop
around among these people and ask them to take you
to their rooms so you may inspect them.
On average, you get excellent rooms at dirt
cheap prices.
-
WORD OF CAUTION:
forget trying this during peak summer
travels and to highly visited tourist attraction
islands like Mykonos and Santorini
-
The actual word "Greek" is a derogatory term.
A decade ago there was a large effort by the
"Greeks" to change the term but given that most of
the international community is engrained with this
term, nothing has come of this movement.
However, where ever you go in "Greece" you
will see the real terms.
"Greece" is written as "Hellas" or "Ellada".
"Greeks" is "Hellenes" and "Greek" is
Elliniko.
Throughout Hellas, on official notices and stamps
you will see these terms used.
-
Water.
Safe
all over Greece,
However, many islands do not have natural
water sources and must tanker their supplies in.
We recommend on the islands that you only
drink bottled water.
Bottled water is cheap.
WE EMPHASIΖΕ TO EVERYONE: DRINK PLENTY OF
WATER ALL DAY.
The dry weather means your body loses its
water content fast.
-
Sun.
The sun
is hot and because during the summer time there are
rarely any clouds around it means sun all day
(particularly in July).
Please make sure to bring a covering for your
head like a
baseball cap.
Also bring several sunglasses, sun screen and beach
towels.
-
Mosquitoes and flies. On the islands very few flies,
but on the mainland just get use to them!
As for mosquitoes, we recommend that once you
arrive you immediately go and buy an electrical
mosquito propellant device.
They usually look like small tennis balls
that fit into an outlet.
Make sure to get one per room that you will
be using and to buy enough of a supply of mosquito
pads to put in these devices. All of these should be
pretty cheap.
Porto Rafti, which is a bit greener than the
islands, does have mosquitoes during the evening.
Buy yourself a mosquito propellant like
Johnson Wax's OFF! Skintastic Unscented -- we have
found this product to be the best as it doesn't
smell.
Obviously while at our house you can use what we
have.
-
Worry Beads.
Whether its old men sitting at cafes playing cards
or young kids trying to be hip, you will see in the
hands of many worry beads.
These are not Rosemary beads and they have no
religious significance.
In this part of the world they are nothing
more than a relaxing habit.
Buy one and try them out, they are available
everywhere!
-
Body language.
Be careful how you say yes and no with your
head. Shaking your head in the Western expression of
yes is usually a "no" in Greek.
A Greek "yes" is actually a sudden lifting of
the eyebrows and sometimes a nod of the head to the
side, that incorrectly seems like a Western "no". So
as you can tell its much better to just SAY no or
yes, or in Greek respectfully "oxi" or "nai".
-
Churches.
Whether you are of the Christian faith or not, the
Churches in side are absolutely breath taking and
worthy of your exploration.
However,
when entering any Church men must wear long
pants and women are not permitted in if wearing
pants, so go with a skirt.
Obviously if no priest or caretaker there,
you can try to "skirt" the rules.
-
Swimming. The
water is very salty.
This means you float easy and it will be a
comfort to parents with kids along.
The salty condition also means you have to
take a shower afterwards.
The water warms up starting in June and by
September is heavenly.
Some visitors are surprised the water is not
warmer. This
is NOT Florida, Greece is on same latitude as
northern Virginia.
But fear not, after a minute in the water you
will get acclimated quickly to it.
Just do not try to get in slowly like walking
in slowly … instead just plunge head first in -
trust us, you will be ok!
-
Some good news: there are not many dangerous
sharks to contend with. The only thing to be
careful about are jellyfish, usually found in
cave areas in July.
In August they venture further out and
wide, so you might see some at the beach.
-
The seas surrounding Greece are some of the
cleanest in
Europe, but we have those that litter.
Please try to avoid littering,
particularly plastic items which do not
decompose for 800 years!
-
Snorkel.
Bring your gear along.
To avoid fogging of your mask, we highly
recommend to bring a small travel size bottle of
Johnson & Johnson Tear-Free baby shampoo.
Before you get into water, apply it to both
sides of your mask, rinse once in the water and put
it on (nothing to fear to your eyes)
-
Diving.
Restricted due to all the antiquities that exist
underwater.
You can dive but only in designated areas.
Please consult your travel book or search the
web for more info.
-
Beaches.
Vary.
Some
are soft as powder, some all rocks, others all black
or red or white.
Each island is different.
If you have never experienced rocky beaches,
(space permitting) bring sandals and better yet
swimming shoes.
If you end up on a rocky beach, at least you
will be prepared.
There is also another adjustment for those
from the conservative American society.
In Greece, as elsewhere in Europe, topless
sun bathers are common and don't be surprised to see
some nudity (particularly Mykonos).
At traditional "Greek" beaches you will
usually not see this, but on the whole be prepared
for this -- especially those with children (please
explain to your children that this is normal and
nothing to be ashamed of).
If this offends you don't worry.
Trust us, there are plenty of other beaches
for you to go to.
-
Greek walks.
Voltes means walks in Greek.
In the evening you will find throughout
Greece, the number one pastime is to take strolls
around the town or the beach or the mountains.
Do not be surprised to find dozens if not
hundreds of people loosely following the same path.
-
Safety.
Greece used to be extremely safe but recent influxes
of illegal immigrants, there are more risks.
However, definitely safer than being in
Manhattan.
Be
on guard against characters that are not consistent
with the rest of the local population.
For example, it is not hard to recognize
gypsies - avoid them at all costs.
They are unfortunately terrific
pick-pocketers.
For the islands it is the safest you will
ever feel in all your life but you should still
remain cautious. The most sought after items are
passports and money.
Always hide your passports or leave them at
the front desk (most hotel will require anyway for
you to leave your passport when you check in).
-
Credit cards and currency exchange rates.
Please verify before coming that your credit
card has NO international fees.
For example, Capital One does not.
Try to carry 2 different cards, so if one has
an issue, you can use the other.
Most institutions that do not charge
international fees do however charge a slight amount
over the actual exchange rate in the financial
markets.
Usually less than 1%.
Given the amount is small, I will not include
it in the next part of this discussion
Please go to the WSJ site
https://www.wsj.com/market-data
and in the left column look for "Euro" … find the
rate … for example it says 1.0916. So this means for
1 euro it costs 1.0916 dollars.
What this means is that when you see prices
in euros, just multiply by 9% (or rounding up), 10%
to get the dollar equivalent.
So if a meal costs 50 euros it means it is 55
dollars
-
Terrain.
Rocky, mountainous and olive trees in every possible
corner.
-
Blue is the Greek national color.
It is also the color of the Aegean and Ionian
Seas.
Blue is
also the favorite color of Christina and Nick.
We hope we have not overwhelmed your eyes
with this color but once you have visited Greece you
will understand our passion for it.
-
Earthquakes.
Until September, 1999's deadly earthquake in Athens
(the worse in 85 years), Greece had been untouched
by a major quake since 1981. No guarantees can be
made that you won't feel a tremor, the seismic
activity is similar to California. So don't be
surprised to see cracks in the wall.
On average Greece has 24,000 earthquakes -
most you can hardly feel.
-
Apartment Buildings.
Greece is plagued with seismic activity,
therefore you will not find many skyscrapers here.
You will however find many flat top apartment
buildings in the cities.
There are two reasons why many of these homes
lack traditional slanted roofs.
The first being that snow is rare in the low
altitudes.
The second is that families tend to live together,
so the parents will build one floor for themselves
and then two to three additional floors for their
children.
Because it is expensive to go build the whole
apartment structure at once the parents build just
the skeletal structures and leave the rest for when
their children get married -- this will explain why
you will see so many unfinished buildings in Greece.
In many other instances, people will just
build up all the cemented floors to avoid the risk
that zoning or building codes will change when they
are ready to finish their homes.
-
Balconies.
Rich or poor, all Greeks must have a huge balcony in
their apartments or homes.
The balcony during the summer effectively
becomes the home's living room.
You will find many Greeks eating dinners,
playing cards or backgammon, watching TV or even
sleeping on their balconies.
-
Summer Fires.
With very hot temperatures during the summer and a
DRY climate, forest fires are common place.
Whether you are on the islands or in the
mountains, we ask that you be very careful.
Do not be surprised if you see these fires,
but try to stay clear of them.
Be situationally aware of where you can go if
a fire breaks out.
At our home we have two different directions
to run into the sea for safety.
Knock on wood we never have to do it.
-
Wood / Marble.
In America having marble in your home is a
luxury, therefore US houses are mostly wooden.
In Greece the reverse is true.
Wood is scarce so it is a luxury in a home.
You will find mostly marble, stone and cement
in most homes.
-
Karpenisi.
Unlike the rest of Greece, very little English is
spoken there. Expect to use sign language quite a
bit or try to talk to the younger generation who
know English best.
-
Next to our home in Porto Rafti,
is a road that has had many incidents of water
main breaks.
Seems when all the Athenians come rushing to Porto
Rafti, they drive the water pressure up and the
pipes burst.
So do not be surprised if you wake up one morning
and we have no water.
Usually lasts half a day as the township is
responsive. (This is applicable to many parts of
Porto Rafti)
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