Medical

Tap water in Athens is considered safe to drink.

Medical facilities are adequate but expect long waits at surgeries and hospitals to receive treatment. A reciprocal agreement with all European Union member states means that emergency medical and dental treatment is free for all EU citizens and those from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland on presentation of a valid EHIC (European Health Insurance Card, which replaces form E111 as of January 1, 2006). If you do not already have a EHIC, applications can be made through the post office or department of health in your country. Greece also offers reciprocal healthcare agreements with other European countries. You should check before travelling as to whether any such agreement exisits between your country of origin and Greece. Full Story »

Telephone

Dialling Athens from outside Greece:
Your International Prefix + 30 + 21 + 0 + number

Dialling Athens from inside Greece:
21 + 0 + number

Since the telephone system changed in Nov, 2002, all domestic phone numbers in Greece are ten digits long. The full number must be dialled no matter where you are calling from. Full Story »

Currency

Currency: Euro (EUR). EUR1=100 cents. You will be able to change Greek Drachma notes at national banks for ten years.
Notes: EUR5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500
Coins: EUR1, 2 and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents
Credit cards: All major credit cards including, Access, American Express, Citicard, Diners Club, Eurocard/ MasterCard and Visa are widely recognised and accepted in most Athenian hotels, shops, travel and car hire agencies and restaurants. Don’t assume that cards to be accepted outside Athens and tourist areas. Full Story »

Athens is not a family-destination in itself although there is plenty to see and do for the youngsters:

Family Entertainment

Hellenic Children’s Museum
- child’s play
The most interactive museum in Athens. Entry is free, but parents must be on hand to keep an eye on their children. Open: Tue-Fri 10h00-14h00; Sat-Sun 10h00-15h00.
Kydathineon 14, Plaka
Tel: +30 210-331-2995
The National Garden
- space
The kids will love the small zoo and duck pond, and the tranquil, spacious grounds offer lots of room to run around.
Syntagma Square
Admission: free

Posidonos Avenue Beaches

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There is a lot more to Greece than its wonderfully hectic capital city. Try these excursions within easy reach of Athens:

Corfu

Corfu is one of the Ionian Islands off the West Coast of mainland Greece. It is best known as a beach destination, but it is also rich in history and culture.

It has museums, churches, archaeological sites and no less than seven music schools. The annual Corfu Festival in August and September features ballet and orchestral music from all over the world.

Corfu is a long day’s overland and sea travel from Athens - your best option is to fly. Olympic Airlines runs daily flights to the island at reasonable prices. Tel: +30 210-926-9111. Full Story »

Athens is a lively city, and entertainment on offer varies between the historic and the modern.

Traditional Greek nights are standard tourist fare but are still worthwhile to get a flavour of Greek culture, and are undeniably good fun. Look out for dedicated evenings involving Greek dancing and cuisine.

Most of the major organised entertainment events coincide with the high-peak tourist season over the summer months. The Athens Festival takes place from June to October, and amongst the attractions on offer are open-air events centred on Athens’ most famous landmarks. If you come out of season choice is more limited, although all the attractions of a modern city are on offer year round. Full Story »

Restaurants

Athens caters to most palates with a thriving culinary scene that offers everything from top-notch haute cuisine in five-star surroundings to tasty snacks from street vendors.

The historic Plaka district overflows with restaurants and bars, but watch out for those establishments geared towards tourism that often prize profit over quality.

PRICE GUIDE: (average cost of a main course): = under EUR10 = EUR10-15

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Downtown Athens has pedestrianised many of its central shopping streets, which makes shopping in the city a more pleasant experience than it could be. However, pedestrian congestion can be almost as bad as Athens’s famous traffic at times, or so it seems.

A curious feature of Athens is that stores with similar merchandise tend to cluster together, so you have no problem getting competitive prices no matter what you might be looking for. Full Story »

Athens’s combination of taxis, buses and trains will get you to where you want to go - although with traffic congestion a likelihood, leave plenty of time to get there. Full Story »

Although it is amongst the oldest cities in the world, there is no reason to assume Athens is out of touch with modern standards when it comes to accommodation. The city boasts a range of top quality hotels to suit any tourist’s needs.

It is easy to forget that Athens is a thriving European capital when walking around the Acropolis or exploring the Roman Agora but, as befits its status, the city can boast all the major hotel chains as well as more traditional accommodation. Those who want the very best that Athens can offer should head to the area of the city around Constitution Square, where you’ll find larger, more modern complexes.

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