LANGUAGE

Greek

CURRENCY

Euro

BEST TIME TO VISIT

March to May and September to November

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION

Athens Railway Station or Larissa Station

NEAREST AIRPORT

Athens International Airport (ATH)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

112

INTERNET ACCESS

Most hotels have internet access and wi-fi. Free wireless hot spots are at Syntagma, Thisio, Gazi and the port of Piraeus. Cosmote (Greece’s main telecommunications company) maintains data hot spots; to log in, buy prepaid cards at Cosmote or Germanos stores.

VISA

Generally, not required for stays of up to 90 days; however, travellers from some nations may require a visa, so double-check with the Greek embassy.

The list of countries whose nationals can stay in Greece for up to three months without a visa includes Australia, Canada, all EU countries, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the USA. Other countries included are the European principalities of Monaco and San Marino and most South American countries. The list changes though – contact Greek embassies for the latest. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes an updated list of countries requiring visas (www.mfa.gr/en/visas). If you wish to stay in Greece for longer than three months within a six-month period, you will probably require a national visa (type-D) from the Greek embassy in your country of residence. You are unable to apply for this in Greece.

HOTEL

The best place to stay in Athens is near the Acropolis in the Plaka or Anafiotika neighborhoods. This will put you in the center of the action and within walking distance of the Acropolis, Roman Agora, Library of Hadrian, and Syntagma Square. Both neighborhoods are picturesque and quaint, with narrow pedestrian-only streets, many restaurants, and interesting shops.

LUXURY

AVA Hotel Athens

Grande Bretagne Hotel

MIDRANGE

Plaka Hotel

Hermes Hotel

BUDGET

Hotel Acropolis House

Hotel Metropolis

COST OF LIVING

Athens is certainly not cheap, but it is not very expensive either. In comparison to other European capitals, we would say that Athens is somewhere in the middle. All depends on what type of traveler you are and how much budget you wish to spend during your visit. Cost is about $25 per day, fuel is cheap and it’s a great option to be able to go and explore small beaches and villages at your leisure. Alternatively, a scooter costs about $15-20 per day. If you’re exploring Athens for a few days, a visit to the Acropolis is a must, with the entrance fee of $24. Clubs charge around €20 entrance fees. Budget travelers should plan on $50 a day, while mid-range to luxury travelers can expect to pay between $150 to $350 a day, or higher if you plan to visit more than one of its 200 islands. While there is no limit to the amount of cash you can bring into Greece, you must declare anything over 10,000 euros.