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Travelling tips Oh goody, time for Yoda-esque wisdom. There's lots of stuff foreigners and some Greeks don't know about Greece (...duh), so I thought I should ramble on about everything related to local vacation lifestyle. It's just tips that are common knowledge here but bear in mind that they are not universal laws, they're simply things one can expect to see happening (or simply me being paranoid). Sorted in categories of course: Telecommunications Local telephony network was a state monopoly until recently, something that explains the outrageous pricing of the local O.T.E. Apart from shoddy services (noisy lines and bad connectivity) OTE is to be blamed for the unacceptable delay of broadband access. They are still selling ISDN connections as the "newest technology" and stonewalling any attempts to spread DSL (believe it or not, there are only 3 small DSL providers and even these are operating only in selected areas in experimental/testing mode). In recent years, the monopoly had to cease and a privatization of the once state owned and managed OTE was initiated (thanks to EU regulations). As foreign and local telcos needed to come in this market there was a need to increase the telephone number capacity hence the following changes in dialling. If you're calling from abroad, the international telephone code for Greece is 0030 (+30) and be aware that a zero (0) was added between the area codes and phone numbers in 2001. For example, a phone number that was 0030 (0)1 6789123, became 0030 (0)1 0 6789123. As if that was not enough, in 2002, a two (2) replaced the zero (0) in the beginning of area codes while a six (6) replaced the zero in the beginning of mobile carriers' code. The number that was 0030 (0)1 6789123, became now 0030 210 6789123. See the following chart:
The phones I have in this site are already updated. Should you want to file a formal complaint to the tourism authorities, there's the official phone number 171 that works from July till October. Mobile telephony is widespread and even the remotest parts are covered. Local mobile telephony companies have set up GSM antennas everywhere (even in some questionable places ie. next to schools, on the terrace of residential buildings and best of all inside the Athens Underground). Greeks can't live without their mobiles anymore. If you're a group of friends spending some days in Greece it would be best to each buy a local GSM SIM card (at a kiosk) so you can communicate and save up on roaming costs. See the links above and check their prices before you come here, they have very good offers every month. Pre-paid international phonecards (called "chronokarta") are also a must if you plan calling home from public phones (don't buy the normal OTE phonecards - called "tilekarta"). Transport It's a shame that all these small islands are neglected by the ferry lines (the greek state forces them to make stops to these islands or gives bonuses) and usually the oldest and dirtiest boats are allocated to these routes. Be aware that when leaving from Athens, there are 2 more ports apart from Piraeus: Rafina and Lavrio. If you can't find a boat from Piraeus, try these as well although they serve only a few destinations. Have in mind that these two are situated on the east coast of Attica (Athens region) and you will have to take a bus (45'-1h 30') to get there. There are many different ferry companies but most travel agencies serve only some, so when looking for tickets ask many different agents as one might tell you that there are no boats that particular day and they actually mean that there are no boats from the ferry company they work with (the definition of a weasel). It's always best to check with different agencies and pick the boat and time that best suits you. Local ferry companies are a disgrace, using boats more than 30 years old (!), unserviced and dirty. Their monopoly in Greek seas would cease in November 2002 and foreign competition would force them to improve their services but the E.U. set January 2004 as the final date for this very important transition. There are already many new fast ships on popular routes, however this is not enough as anyone that has travelled on the 15th of August can remember the 8+ hour delays. Many islands are served by only one company that sends ships there whenever they please and at any state and age. There are agreements between competing companies that define who serves which island and in the end everyone keeps a monopolized share of the Aegean that leaves people no choice but to travel in uncomfortable old and dirty boats. If you go to Cyclades insist on getting tickets with F/B Ithaki (for Syros, Tinos, Mykonos) , F/B Paros or F/B Naxos (for Syros, Paros, Naxos, Santorini, Ios) (all from Blue Star Ferries (was Strintzis Lines)). They are brand new, F/B Ithaki and F/B Paros make a trip every day early in the morning while F/B Naxos makes a trip at 5.00 in the afternoon. They have the same price as the old crap ones and get to Paros in 4.5h while the same trip for most older conventional boats can go up to 7h (HighSpeed boats make that in 2h). Unfortunately, these boats rarely stop at smaller islands (but it's worth checking). F/B Paros was launched in May 2002 while F/B Naxos was launched in June 2002. There are also high speed ferries (Hellas Flying Dolphins) that are 2 times faster but also cost twice the price (and once again, don't stop on all islands). This last company also has conventional boats called Hellas Ferries, all built in the 70's (stay away)! As a general rule prefer any Blue Star boats, they are expanding and most of their boats are brand new. Have a look here for more ferry info. There's a detailed list of all boat connections leaving from Piraeus at the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine (but it's in Greek... duh). Maybe this page can help deciphering greek. Most islands have a bus network (the bigger the island, the better) and taxis, usually in light grey or dark red colour, which have set fares for each destination so you can ask how much it costs to x beach or y town. There are also small boats that take you to remote beaches or you can even make a private agreement with some boatsmen to take you to specific beaches and come back to pick you up later at a set time. Renting cars is a good and relatively cheap way to move around, but if you plan on visiting busy islands during peak season do contact the rentals office and book a car 1-2 weeks before getting there. A small car costs between 25-35 Euro / day with unlimited mileage while a taxi might cost you 15-20 Euro just to take you to a beach and back. You can also ask them to pick the car up at the port as you leave, or have someone drive you there and take the car back - at no extra cost. Have a quick look at any bumps, dents or other visible damages (cracked windows, broken locks), and do point them out to the rental office people to avoid any possible charges. It would also be a good idea to bring 4-5 cassette tapes with you (remember them?) because most have a radio/cassette player and you don't want to get stuck with 4-5 local radio stations -if any. Look at it as a good chance to listen again to those endless acid house DJ sets or, even worse, groove to the sound of those obscure rock/pop artists you worshipped 10-20 years ago. There's also a tape connector that you can use to plug your CD Discman to a car cassette player. If you plan on renting a scooter and don't know how to drive it please don't rent it at all. It's not "just like a bicycle, only faster", and you'll soon be driving at 50 km/h tops, in the middle of the road, wearing a funny plastic helmet -> in other words: a driving hazard. Just count the ladies with the token exhaust burn on the inside of their ankles or scratches and bruises from falls. Some are not that lucky and, driving drunk in the dark, fall from cliffs (ouch). One thing you should pay attention to is the quality of your maps. There are many editions that print maps of different qualities and a bad map can be very frustrating if you're in the middle of nowhere without GPS. I highly recommend Road Editions or Anavasi Editions maps. Avoid some cheap editions where you'll save 1 Euro more or less but will get easily lost if you drive around. On many islands you can only find those crappy cheap ones with tacky clipart and oversaturated colours, so if you plan to drive around an island it would be better to stock up from a bookshop in Athens or directly from the above editions' own stores or reseller points. When we were in Astypalaia, we compared our cheap map to a decorative map printed on a paper tablecloth in a taverna and the tablecloth had more routes and points of interest! There are some pleasant exceptions of course, like the very good 3D map of Amorgos by Agoni Grammi Editions. As a final note, don't rely on the maps I show on this site, they are oversimplified and I put them only so you can have a quick view of what's where on each island. Many people from abroad ask me about driving in Greece. What can I say... Local drivers are very careless and overconfident while the road network is badly constructed and even worse maintained. If I had a cent for every hole in the road I see every day I would be so rich I would buy me an island instead of talking about them. With the recent rise in rainfall rate and volume most asphalt layers gave in and even newly paved roads look like mortar practice areas. Add to that the complete lack of communication between public services that digs the roads to put cables then patches it, then redigs the same road to add sewage drains and then repatches et etc. In my street in Athens there have been 4 major digs and patches just after the road was repaved -and all that within 2 years! We throw money in Athens' preparation for the Olympic Games in 2004 while there is no drinking water in some remote areas and the population of a small town is lost every year in car accidents. Expect things here getting a lot worse after the Olympics... Accomodation So, what do we do about finding accomodation? A good advice is to avoid those that stalk the port, or at least check with many different ones before choosing. Most of the times, they are either bad quality, remote, or expensive rooms that wouldn't get rented otherwise. Every time we got quotes on the port, we would get cheaper and better rooms just by strolling along the town and asking. Another thing to consider (especially in touristic islands or during high season) is that many of those people lie about what their rooms offer just to get you there, and then they hope that you won't bother going out to look for other rooms or be shy about refusing. I've had many nasty surprises with them and I'm always having a walk around the town picking the ones I like. A friend of mine that operates rooms to let in Paros has a great percentage of people each year that come to him after having rented lousy rooms by these guys in the port. The stories we have heard from them... Things to take in consideration when looking for the ideal room: If you plan on chilling out indoors the view is a must, but something not many people check is how hot the room is during the day. I've seen rooms that were in a great setting, with bathroom, kitchen etc. but they were so hot (bad or inexistent insulation) that one feels their tooth fillings popping as soon as they enter. Higher rooms that are closer to the roof are more susceptible to heat (but have a better view - damn!). Always check for windows/balcony doors that are on two opposite walls, so there's a breeze flowing in (you won't need air conditioning). Although many rooms have installed air conditioning, there's a chance you won't be able to find any in some islands. I can't remember ever staying in a room with A/C but then again, I check if it has the windows / doors properly situated and I never needed it. Basements are always cooler, but are easier for cockroaches or field rats to infest (brrrr). In most islands, tap water is not fit for drinking and bottled water is a must. Although it's been raining really heavy for the last two years, every now and then there is a drought problem and water reserves are limited (especially in smaller islands) so please try not to waste water and use it sensibly. That doesn't mean you won't wash for a month, just avoid taps running for 40min. just because you like the sound of running water (based on a true story). Although hotels are more or less labelled according to the facilities they provide, rooms to let are still not under strict and clear regulation and it's not easy to see if they're good quality or not. The Greek Tourism Organisation (E.O.T.) has issued a guide that describes in detail all the facilities and offers points that sum up and give a final grade (measured in keys as opposed to stars for hotels). It's not official yet and it's still under consideration. There are also some things one should always ask and make clear when booking by agency for a package tour:
You might tell me that "no one goes without checking all that" but a 2002 survey by the Greek Consumer Organisation (E.KAT.O.) showed that only one in ten ask details about the services offered in package tours. Camping As far as camping is concerned, there are some very nice camping sites, but usually the problem with them is sometimes a lack of natural shade. If there isn't even a straw roof over your tent, then expect to be roasted alive. Crowded campings are also a mess. I still remember the days I spent in Ios in a tent for two (which they supplied) which was actually a tent for one dwarf without luggage. In a row of 4 tents, stacked side by side, with a narrow walkway between the opposite row and backed by an other row in the back. A friend that was taking part in army training while doing his military service admitted it was more comfortable in Limnos on a military mountain expedition than in Far Out camping in Ios... Free camping is technically not allowed anywhere, but this law is now becoming enforced in more and more islands every year for two reasons: a) free campers don't pay money to the local organised camping sites or rooms to let b) free campers sometimes occupy beaches and leave no room for swimmers or litter the surrounding areas. Usually, the locals tip off the coast patrol officers about any campers they see, or the coast patrol make a tour of the island themselves every day, looking for tents. Should you manage to succesfully set up a tent somewhere, beware of snakes, red hornets, wild wasps and don't trust any wells you might find nearby as the water could be stagnant and might have even leeches (yuck). Make sure you spread that special rope that keeps snakes away around your tents and have a stick or gel against insect bites (these are effective also against jellyfish stings). Don't rely on mosquito repellent incense spirals or citronella candles and do apply an anti-mosquito body lotion or spray or you'll get no sleep. There's the Autan brand from Bayer and lots more from smaller brands (some have eucalyptus smell for those that don't like citronella). Oh, and please do take your garbage to the nearest trashcan and when you have to "go to the toilet" bury it with a small spade -it's more hygienic for your tent area as well. I've seen many turdheaps around beaches with free campers and it's not a pretty sight (clouds of flies as well). It's always a good idea not to camp under steep slopes or cliffs because large rocks might fall off and crush your tent (and maybe you). This is not a good idea (the huge rock next to the campers obviously fell off from the cliff sometime in the past). I'm not being paranoid here. In a country with earthquakes and with strong winds blowing in the islands during summer, it is very possible that a big rock detaches from the top and hits someone camping underneath. Unfortunately, it has already happened with tragic consequences. Swimming Am I overdoing it here? Are there things you don't know about swimming? Ok, here goes: When going to the islands (especially in Cyclades) be aware that during late summer there are some strong winds (called "meltemia") that are caused by the heated rocks who in turn warm the air forcing it to rise higher. When the wind is blowing from the direction of the sea, it usually brings all sort of flotsam and jetsam on the beach (seaweed, leaves, twigs, plastic bags and bottles etc.) making it a murky mess. Most islands have beaches all along their periphery, so if it's windy on one side try the opposite. These winds appear especially in Mykonos, Amorgos, Folegandros and Ikaria. Creatures that might spoil your holiday: Sea urchins (achini) and jelly fish (medouses or tsouchtres) are the most common enemy in the sea (after humans of course). Sea urchins are these black or dark red spiky creatures that hang on to rocks. You'll never find them in sand, move dreadfully slow and are very easy to spot, so it's no big deal. If you do step on them don't worry, they're not poisonous but their spikes' ends might break and stay in your foot. You should apply vaseline or olive oil in the area with the broken spikes so the skin soothes and becomes slippery in order to take them out one by one with a needle (ouch!). However, they indicate clean waters and when they're dead they leave behind a beautiful round shell riddled with holes (called a "test"). Jelly fish (here's a picture) appear in late August and there are many varieties that are completely harmless, though I wouldn't risk touching them. Usually the ones with long tentacles sting and you should always carry something to soothe the sting (ask for this in any drugstore, it comes in gel or stick). They are far from being lethal or even dangerous, however sometimes their sting can be very painful if not immediately treated. Apart from that, there are absolutely no sharks, killer whales, barracudas, piranhas or alligators. In real deep waters around volcanic Santorini or Folegandros there are swordfish but you'll never go that far in the open sea unless you're shipwrecked -and then, you have other more pressing worries. There are dolphins that are very friendly, although I'm sure if you see one next to you you'll run (swim) for it. In all these years I've never seen fish bigger than 30cm in swimming waters, then again maybe they see me better than I do. The only shallow water fish that can be dangerous are:
Plastic or glass bottles + their caps, paper napkins, cigarette butts, sun lotion containers, refreshment cans, read newspapers and magazines constitute the wide array of trash people leave behind. Please don't be lazy and put all your trash in a bag and take them to the nearest trashcan. This is not a pretty sight and says much about one's education, although the local communities are partly responsible by not emptying the overflowing trashcans. What's more, many drink their beer on the beach and afterwards break the bottles there for fun and the next morning it looks like a minefield of glass shards. Great... One last thing that really ticks me off are the umbrellas and deck chairs that occupy many beaches. True, not everyone can lie under the sun for hours (and it wouldn't be healthy anyway) but I hate the sight of all those stacked advertising umbrellas with plastic deck chairs. Some at least use straw umbrellas and / or wooden deck chairs, or no deck chairs at all. By doing this, all the beach is already prearranged and one can't lie down in the sand between deck chairs - you have to pay even for that. In the past, the people renting them were obliged to take deck chairs out of a stack they had aside as soon as someone asked for one, so it didn't look like a Beverly Hills swimming pool. But then, everyone would just lie down on the sand and there goes their profit. Now they're all already laid out and there's no place to lay a towel. If you have to rent one do ask for a receipt, they are obliged by law to give one. In Paros, in Santa Maria beach near Naoussa, they added 12 umbrellas overnight sometime in August, restricting the free space even more (I guess next year they will have covered the whole beach). In some popular beaches the deck chairs are so tightly packed that there's no space between yours and your neighbours', while the umbrellas are practically touching each other (Monastiri, Pounda Beach in Paros). Add to that the numerous beach bars with loud "hip" music, the "watersports", the bungee jumping crane, and there you are: you've taken a weekend out of Athens and you feel like you're still on the busiest coast of Attica. As more and more "theme parks" and "waterlands" are built everywhere it seems that no outdoor experience is worth venturing unless someone organises it, advertises it and charges admission. Will the next step be ancient temples built out of polyurethane where teenagers go for a Hercules-go-round sipping Cola? Do we need a Las Vegas in the Mediterranean Sea? Some might argue we already have many... Out of principle, I never leave one cent to all these. Eating out and nightlife So, you want to have a snack (or feast) but have no idea which taverna to pick? That's a tricky part as there are no clear rules and we all rely on instinct and referrals. A good general rule is to avoid any restaurants on the port as they usually have badly cooked food. I usually drive to remote tavernas, or to the tavernas where the locals eat. Then it comes to clubbing and nightlife in Greece. Something you should take for granted is that the more crowded (ie. popular) an island is, the drinks they serve are of lower quality.
Greeks are very particular when it comes to drinking. Most ask for certain brands and even serving them in wrong glasses is unacceptable (not to mention plastic cups). Even the smallest bar should carry a choice of 4-5 vodkas, 5-6 whiskeys and an assortment of liqueurs and brandys while most barmen are well educated on cocktails. Beer is not that popular and they only carry 4-5 brands (unlike UK, Belgium, Germany). It is a generally good idea not to order from the waitresses, no matter how pretty they are, and order your drinks straight from the bar. That way you see what and how much goes into your glass. Sometimes, a club bouncer (those thugs in white shirts and trousers) might deny your entrance to the club because they don't like your clothes or whatever. This is illegal in Greece and you can call the police (tourist police phone number = 171) to come over and have the bouncers explain them why they're not letting you in. It is illegal for a company to selectively deny offering its services (discrimination) and they will have to let you in. There is also a different partying culture here. The Greeks will eat late at night (9-10 pm is ok to go to a taverna) and will start their bar hopping after 1 am. We will drink a lot, but not at once as opposed to Scandinavians, English and Germans. I still remember how much more foreigners were wasted at 11.30 in Ios or Kos, while the Greeks were not even out yet. A Swedish friend once gave me a theory about their drinking behaviour: In old times Scandinavia, the local brew was an alcoholic drink that would go bad if left, so it became a habit of emptying it real fast as opposed to wine in the Mediterranean. Maybe it's true, I don't know. Any ideas out there? Pricing Now comes the hard part. What's going on here with the prices? What is cheap, and what isn't? There's a big difference in pricing according to area and season. As most Greeks take their holidays between 25th July and 15th August expect huge crowds, crappy service and high prices during that period. In summer 2002 Greeks saw extreme price increases everywhere for three reasons mainly:
I will stress the fact that less Greeks go on a vacation every year, and for a shorter period as well. When the minimum net salary is 350 euro and it's a safe estimate that many young employees make about 550 - 650 euro net then how is it possible to go on a holiday when one needs: 30 euro for accomodation + 10 euro for 2 coffees + 20 euro for food + 16 euro for 2 alcoholic drinks per day = 76 euro not counting transport, small shopping etc. For one week of holiday one needs a month's salary (532 euro). That is a calculation that I make according to what I see and is rather conservative compared to what young clubbers spend. The local Consumer Institute (IN.KA.) calculates the cost of a 2 week holiday (that covers food and lodging only) for a 4 member family to more than 2000 euro. Add to that all the money everyone owes to credit cards and bank loans (the latest fads here) to the greedy and unscrupulous local banks and you see why many Greeks either stay at home or go for 4 days on an island and then go to the family house in the countryside for 1-2 weeks. Have a look at the following items and the variating prices. This is not a formal study, just a personal observation during high season of summer 2002. In the same area prices may vary, so this is just a chart of highs and lows.
Bottled water and refreshments had a suggested price printed on them for some years, however, in 2002 it was not put into effect resulting in outrageous prices. The government promised they will bring it back again but it's not much use when people buy stuff at these prices instead of boycotting expensive shops and bars. There's a stupid mentality that when someone complains about the prices they're offending the vendor or they're being stingy... Generally, it's cheaper to buy from supermarket chains (when available). The local Ministry of Development gave some statistics that show a 33% rise in the prices of different products, while detergents reach a dizzying 75% price increase. The specialized branch checking for tax evasion and pricing (S.D.O.E.) checked 5.800 businesses from 15/06/2002 until 31/7/2002 and fined 2.000 of them for high prices. A local consumer board had 8.023 formal complaints about pricing until 31/07/2002. According to an article by newspaper Eleftherotypia, more than half of the businesses in Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes were found to be pricing illegally high. In Cyclades, the most greedy were found in Mykonos and Paros while the most honest ones were in Andros. It is clear that the best time to visit the islands is low season unless you're after clubbing and even then there are some islands that are quite busy all year long.
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Copyright © 2001-2008 - Elias Mitropoulos
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