Finding a Greek phone number is free online, and there are several free residential and business phone directories in English. The country calling code of Greece is 30, and every regular Greek telephone number (area code + subscriber number) has ten digits. There are currently two-, three-, and four-digit geographical area codes, so the length of the subscriber’s number varies. The only two-digit Greek phone code is 21 for the Athens. To make an international call from Greece dial 00 + country code and number.

Free telephone number search

The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A., usually known by its Greek initials OTE, is the former monopoly and still the biggest telecommunications player in Greece. They’re the best way to find a listed residential or business phone number.

The OTE White Pages
(http://www.whitepages.gr/en/) is the free official OTE “11.888″ white pages for people and businesses in Greece. You can do a reverse search with the full ten digit telephone number.

The Greek Yellow Pages
(http://www.xo.gr/default.aspx?la=2) are the Greek yellow pages in English (or just choose language link on top right of the search page). The site has been “beta” for ages. but it’s still effective at finding phone numbers!

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The Parthenon, Acropolis

The city of gods and legends will soon have a fashion first.  McArthurGlen is opening its Athens Designer Outlet in early 2010, with plans for 125 designer and high-street brands at their usual permanently discounted rates. 

Athens is already a shopping mecca and the Athens Designer Outlet will take shopping to a new level in this spectacular ancient city.

Local Attractions

Nearby in Yalou is Athens Zoo.  The Perama Caves is west of the Outlet.

Practical Information

Athens Designer Outlet is 25 km east of Athens city centre and is 15 minutes from the new Athens Airport at Yalou Spata. 

By Train:

There will be excellent rail (Proastiakos suburban rail) and metro connections.

By Car:

It’s a 35 minutes drive from downtown Athens and is 3 km north of Pallini exit 16, off Athens Ring Road (attiki Odos).  There will be 2,000 car parking spaces available.

**Stay tuned for further Updates**

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Changing of the Guards Ceremony, Athens

Syntagma Square, in front of the Parliament House, is the main square in Athens.  It’s also known as Constitution Square and around this area you’ll find the banks, airline offices, shopping centres and malls, restaurants and hotels.

This is a good starting point for a walking tour of the city, something that you can easily do on your own with the help of a street map.

We came here in search of the American Express exchange office, which we recalled as being a little office in Ermou Street off the main square. However, as the area had been totally overhauled for the Olympics, what we recollected was outdated information.  The moral of the story is if you need to get to an American Express office, or any other place in particular, always check the latest address before you leave.  We asked quite a few of the locals before someone was able to point us to the new location.

Catch the changing of the Guards Ceremony

In front of the Parliament House is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  It is watched over by two special guards called evzones and each hour on the hour, a changing of the guards ceremony takes place.  This is quite an impressive ceremony and a great photo-opportunity.

The guards in their traditional uniforms (apparently there are some 400 pleats in the kilt-like skirt) and pom-pom shoes look extremely smart.  In the heat of the midday sun, it must be unbearably hot in the heavy outfit, and yet these guys look very together.  When taking your snaps, be careful not to get in the way of the guards as they high-kick their way away from the tomb at the end of the changeover.  They will not veer from their path and you won’t want to risk a nasty kick!

Across from Syntagma is the Grande Bretagne Hotel. This grand and luxurious hotel was established in 1862 and its guests usually include foreign dignataries and the more upmarket travellers.

Behind the Parliament House is the National Gardens which we didn’t call into as we wanted to complete our walk circuit. Walking down El. Venizelou Street, you’ll see some magnificent and grand neoclassical buildings like the Academy of Arts, University and National Library. The university students are very fortunately to have their university smack in the middle of town and surrounded by other historic institutions.

Finish off your walk in the maze of shops at Monastiraki

At the end of Venizelou Street is Omonia Square and if you head southwards, you’ll be walking in the direction of Monastiraki. This is the most picturesque area of Athens with its flea market and streets that are packed with all kinds of shops.  Once you hit this area, you’ll probably lose yourself in the maze of shops.

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Flag of Greece flying over the Acropolis

Greece travel need not be an Olympic marathon. Given Greek history, the most interesting tourist sights naturally tend to be in the more southern areas of mainland Greece rather than the north.

After Athens, most tours concentrate on the major historical sites like Olympia and Delphi and a few other places of interest such as the monasteries at Meteora and the Perama Caves. Unless you have special reasons for spending longer, two weeks is really quite sufficient to cover Athens and the main areas.

Greek island travel however can take as long as you want, and the time you allot usually tends to be too short! There are seven main groups of islands, each island with a slightly different feel. The individual Greek islands all have their own unique beauty and allure, and to no two islands are the same.

Choose the classical Greek style of the Cyclades Islands, or the  Venetian influence on the Ionian Islands, or a quiet and relaxing vacation amid the green scenery of the more laid-back Sporades Islands. Whatever your taste, there’s an island to match…

Of course, ignoring expatriate Greeks visiting relatives, the majority of tourists visiting Greece come on package tours to a single island destination. However, this need not be a disaster, as in many if not most cases these package tourists are isolated in resort hotels and areas. Careful choice of island and hotel (and season) can still give you the Greek holiday you dream of!

A Cruise Alternative

Another alternative is to take a cruise around the Greek Islands, and these ships often slot in a visit to the Turkish coast as well. There are some interesting cruises that take in a few Greek islands and also some Italian destinations which you may find interesting.

Although tending towards the expensive end of the market, a cruise is certainly a relaxed way of seeing the various island destinations, and can often be combined with a land tour for a more comprehensive experience. You may also get to cover a greater selection of islands in a limited time if you’re on a tight schedule.

Of course, it’s best to allow yourself as many lazy days as possible when you’re in the islands, but the main drawback of a cruise option for me is that you usually don’t get to spend the evenings there, so it’s not possible to enjoy a lazy late night dinner in the tavernas.

Book European Cruises : Choose “Greek Isles” when you search.

Our other Greece pages:

Tour Routes in Greece and the Greek islands

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Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Greece

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TRAVEL TO GREECE WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

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Map of Greece

Greece travel can really be split into two: mainland travel and island travel.

The only tours to visit the islands, as far as I know, are day-tours and cruises. As the latter always leave at sundown or so as far as I’m concerned they actually miss the best part of the day, eating out in the evening, so I wouldn’t really recommend them. On the other hand, if you’ve a really tight schedule and want to see as many islands as you can, a cruise may be a good option.

Travel between islands is not too difficult and it’s quite easy to get around once you’re there, so why not do it yourself?

But first, let’s deal with the mainland.

A few tours enter Greece from Italy (we did one of these and found it quite enjoyable). However, most begin in Athens so we’ll start there. The suggested route below pretty much covers the major tourist destinations on the mainland.

Obviously you may want to spend longer in different places depending on your interests; it would be easy to spend several days wandering around the Meteora monasteries area if you were so inclined.

The Route

(Note: links to the towns go to photo albums on the Travel Signposts website)

Athens – Corinth – Mycenae – Epidaurus – Nafplion – Arcadia – Olympia – Patras – Nafpatkos – Delphi – Lamla – Trikala (Thessaly) – Metsovo – Perama Caves – Kalambaka (Meteora) – Larisa – Thermopylae – Thebes – Marathon – Athens (Sounion)

The Greek Islands

As far as the islands go, they can be roughly divided into seven groups from the travel aspect:

• The Saronic Gulf islands (Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Spetses);
• The Cyclades (Naxos, Santorini, Mykonos, Delos, Paros/Antiparos, and Ios are the best known)
• The Dodecanese (Rhodes, Karpathos, Kos, Patmos, etc)
• Northeast Aegean islands (Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Samothraki etc)
• The Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonnisos, Skyros)
• The Ionian islands (Corfu, Paxi/Antipaxi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Sami)
• and of course, Crete.

There are other smaller islands, but these are really the main ones.

According to one classification (Greek Island Postcards), the islands can be put into the following categories:

• Popular: Corfu, Crete, Kefalonia, Kos, Lefkas, Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos, Zante;
• Peaceful: Aegina, Andros, Ios, Kalymnos, Lesvos, Naxos, Paros, Samos, Thassos;
• Sleepy: Alonissos, Leros, Lipsi, Patmos, Paxos, Skopelos, Symi;
• Offbeat: Angistri, Hydra, Ikaria, Ithaca, Skyros.

Well, you might agree or disagree, but that may give you a few clues to encourage further investigation!

GREECE TRAVEL WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

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• Festivals
• Public Holidays
• Visas
• Health
• Time
• Electricity
• Weights & Measures
• Money, Banks etc.
• Useful Telephone Numbers

Festivals

The most significant festival in Greece is of course, Easter (Greek Easter traditions). The Greek Orthodox Church traditionally stresses Christ’s Resurrection rather than the Crucifixion, so it is regarded as a happy celebration, with candle-lit processions, feasting and displays of fireworks. There
are also numerous summer festivals across the country, the most famous being the Hellenic Festival (mid-June to late September), which hosts drama and music in ancient theatres across the country.

Greek Public Holidays

Visas:

Nationals of Australia, Canada, Cyprus, EU countries, the European principalities of Monaco and San Marino, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the USA and most South American countries are allowed to stay in Greece for up to three months without a visa; most others can enter Greece for up to two months without a visa; Greece will refuse entry to anyone whose passport indicates that, since November 1983, they have visited North Cyprus.

Health risks:

sunburn, Typhus (rural areas from April to September), Lyme disease, Rabies; codeine, which is commonly found in headache preparations, is banned in Greece and you may face prosecution if you bring it into the country.

Time:

GMT/UTC +2; +3 during daylight saving time

Current Greek time

Electricity:

220V, 50Hz, 2-pin (round) plug

Weights & measures:

Metric (same as France)

Metric Weights and Measures and their equivalents

Clothing and shoe sizes conversion: US, UK, Europe

Money:

The Euro (€)

• As of January 1, 2002, the euro (€) replaced the national currency of 12 countries within the European Union, including Greece. You can exchange currency at any bank branch (hours are listed below). Automatic cash machines can be found in most commercial centres.
• Bank Opening Hours Each bank in Greece fixes its own opening hours, but usually Mon-Thu from 0800 – 1400 and Fri from 0800-1330, although there are some banks in central locations in Athens (Omonia, Syntagma) open in the afternoon. If you do your banking in the mornings, all of them are certain to be open.
• Bureaux de change There are many Bureaus de Change throughout the country open from morning until late evening. You can also exchange money at banks (commission varies).

Check out the current Euro exchange rate with your currency here (close the new window to return): TRAVEL SIGNPOSTS CURRENCY CONVERTER

Useful telephone numbers :

• Police 100
• Tourist Police 171 (Athens: 210 922 7777)
• Fire Brigade 199
• Hospitals 106
• 24 Hr Pharmacies 107
• National Directory Enquiries 11888
• International Directory Enquiries 139
• For KTEL Bus schedules 14505
• Rail information (+30) 210 529 7777, 1110 (recorded messages)
• Greek National Tourist Organisation 210 331 0437

Public telephones Most public telephones do not coins. You need a telephone card. In some cases you may be able to use your credit card.

Lost Credit Cards/Travellers’ Cheques

• American Express: Mon-Fri.:08:30-16:00, Sat.: 08:30-13:30 3244975-9
  24 hour service: (00-441273) 526840.
• Diner’s Club 01-9290200
• Euro/Mastercard 01-9503673
• VISA 01-9503673

Other Greece pages:

Travel to Greece for a Europe Tour that’s a Gold Medal Experience!

Tour Routes in Greece

When to travel to Greece: weather and seasons

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Greece online

Book your hotel in Greece online

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Dining at a Plaka taverna

Greek food is well known the world over and many visitors to Greece arrive already equipped with some knowledge of common dishes like mezes, souvlaki, moussaka, Greek salad, etc.  Some of the names may not be familiar, but we most probably have had some tyropitakia (small cheese pies), soutzoukakia (meatballs in red sauce) or britzoles arnisies (grilled lamb).

Seafood is plentiful here as Greece is surrounded by sea and fishing is part of the mainstream agriculture.  Fish like sea bream (Tsipoura), mackerels (kolioi), whitebait (marida or maridaki) and swordfish (xifias) are easily available, as are calamari and octopus (htapodi) – if you know how to ask for your preferred fish. I must say that the Greeks cook calamari very well – the batter is really light and not greasy.  Whitebait is a favourite with Greeks as it goes well with Retsina wine.

Greek cuisine is not complicated and very much based on fresh meat, vegetables, seasoning and cooked in olive oil. Tavernas are the traditional Greek dining establishments where food is prepared fresh each morning and served throughout the day.

If you tire of Greek food and want a choice of international cuisines, then you may need to go to a restaurant (estiatória) which incidentally is more expensive than tavernas.  Alternatively, there are popular ethnic restaurants like Chinese, Italian, Mexican as well as sushi bars.

Greek eating habits

Typical of Mediterranean cultures, the Greeks have their lunch quite late and dinner can be anything from 9pm onwards.  Meals are eaten at a leisurely pace so dinner can end quite late by some Western standards.  They generally don’t eat breakfast and it’s common to grab a mid-morning snack (kolatsio) like a cheese or spinach pie from a nearby bakery. Weekends might be different.  I recall walking through the Plaka one Sunday morning and the locals were already digging into their grilled meats at the market stalls.  Their ability to eat meaty food in the middle of the morning made an impression on me.

There’s no shortage of food places in Athens, especially around the Plaka area. The universal rule of thumb when selecting a taverna is to check out the diners – if the majority are Greeks, then you’re on the right path to good food.  Places that advertise Moussakas for 5 Euros in 15 languages are not likely to serve you quality, authentic food. To dine the way that Greeks do, you’ll start with mezes or mezedakia. These are small dishes with various delicacies. For mains, order whatever you’re craving or ask the waiter to suggest whatever’s good.

Dining under the Stars

In summer, it’s great to dine outdoors, under the stars.  Our favourite dinner places are around the fringe of the Acropolis.  The view of the Acropolis is breathtaking at night as the floodlights beaming from the Acropolis give a divine aura to the place.  Yes, the gods are with us!

A “service charge” is included on your bill in Greece and this represents the tip.  The amount is set and controlled by the government.  If you feel that the food or service is particularly good, then it is common to leave an additional small amount.  In the touristy areas waiters have come to expect additional tips.

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The Parthenon built for the goddess Athena

A highlight of any holiday in Athens is a visit to the Acropolis.  One of the earliest religious complexes in ancient Greece, this awe-inspiring heritage from its the Golden Age still dominates the skyline of modern Athens.

The Acropolis is an extremely popular tourist attraction and each day bus loads of tourists of different nationalities descend upon the site.  Shuffling in the queue as you wind your way to reach the top can be a test of patience as sometimes the less public spirited group tourists may jostle and push their way through causing others to lose their cool.  If you’re able to get there early in the morning or in the late afternoon when there are less tour groups, you may have a more pleasant experience of this impressive site.  The complex is open from 8am to 7pm in summer and from 8am to sunset in winter.

To reach the plateau, you enter through an large portal, and at the top are the ruins of three of the most important temples built in the 5th century BC.  The Acropolis is under various stages of restoration and photographers may be a little frustrated by the scaffoldings.

Temples of the Acropolis

The Parthenon is the largest building on the Acropolis and one of the world’s most legendary man-made structures. It was built by Perikles to honor the virgin goddess Athena.  Except for the wooden roof, the whole building was constructed entirely out of marble. The Parthenon’s architecture and illusion of perfect symmetry has been the study of many architects and historians and thousands of buildings around the world have been modeled on it. Most of the artifacts from the temple are housed in the Acropolis Museum nearby.

The Temple of Athena Nike, also called the Temple of the Wingless Victory, is a small temple that once contained a sanctuary and an altar for animal sacrifices. The temple was restored to its former splendor in time for the 2004 Olympics.

The Erechtheion can be recognized by the six maidens, or caryatids, holding up the roof of the porch. Five of the original caryatids are stored in the old Acropolis Museum with the sixth in the British Museum in London.

The Acropolis Museum lies hidden behind the Parthenon and contains all of the portable objects removed from the Acropolis since 1834.  It displays antiquities including three of the original sculptures from the Parthenon’s pediment and sculptures of humans and animals dating back to the 6th century BC. Due to its limited size, a new and much larger Acropolis Museum is currently under construction a few hundred yards to the south (scheduled for opening in June 2009).  The old museum has been closed since 2007 to prepare for the move of its treasures to their new home.

From the top of the Acropolis, you also get a sweeping view of Athens and the Saronic Gulf.  Crowds and scaffolding notwithstanding, this ancient sacred site never fails to impress its visitors.

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Sandals from a famous sandal maker

On my first visit to Athens many many moons ago, I stumbled upon Pandrossou Street and recall my heart rate spiking up as for me this was like discovering an Aladdin’s cave of shops.  Pandrossou Street is a pedestrian walkway jammed  with shops on both sides, many selling souvenirs, local handicraft, jewelry, scarves, t-shirts as well as leather goods.

I didn’t come here with a specific shopping list, but ended up buying a nicely hand-made and very functional black leather briefcase from one of the shops.  It was quite cheap and lasted forever, in spite of my none too delicate treatment of it! I needed to bring back little souvenirs for work colleagues and found some nice ceramic coasters with images of Greek gods on them. My colleagues loved them as I had paired them off with a god each and they were chuffed with the association.

It was in Pandrossou Street as well that we first met Stavros Melissinos. We went into his shop to admire (and buy) his Greek sandals and then discovered that Stavros was more than a sandal maker.  This very friendly old man was famous as a poet and philosopher and his celebrity clientele included Sophia Loren, the Beatles, Jacqueline Onassis, Gary Cooper, Rudolph Nureyev and many others.  The sandals were a means to earn a living, but Stavros was more interested in his writing and philosophy.  He was pleased that he could discuss his philosophy with Tony and the two of them got on like wild fire. For all his fame, Stavros’ shop was very modest and it appears that he was more interested in meeting the people that came into his shop, rather than selling his wares.  So each time when we returned to Athens, a visit to Stravros was one of our first stops.

Where to find Melissinos’ sandals

The Melissinos sandal shop moved from Pandrossou Street as the Olympics brought with it increased rentals in the main tourist areas.  The sandal shop is now located at 2 Aghias Theklas Street, still within walking distance of the Plaka area.  The business is now run by Pantelis Melissinos, Stavros’s son.  Pantelis has carried on the family tradition of sandal making and like his dad, he is also a talented playwright, composer and set and costume designer.  He is a spitting image of his father both in looks and personality.  Coincidentally, the new shop at No. 2 Aghias Theklas Street is just a few doors away from where Lord Byron used to live at No. 11.  Pantelis must feel that he is in good company in this street.

Sandals fit for gods and goddesses

We bought more sandals and Pantelis was able to quickly pulled apart a pair that Tony was keen on and he personally fitted them to Tony’s feet, making sure that the edges were all smooth – what great service!  Pantelis told us that the priestesses at the Olympia Flame Ceremony have been wearing Melissinos’ sandals for over 40 years, something that Stavros never mentioned to us.

If you’re going to Athens, it would be worthwhile making your way to Melissinos’ and getting an authentic pair of Greek sandals from this famous sandalmaker.  You can choose from about 28 different styles, each one named after an ancient Greek god, goddess or one of his celebrity clients.  They are very affordable and make good gifts for friends and family.  You can also order these online and the website shows what all the different styles are and gives indicative shipping costs to the U.S.

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A treasure trove of shops

Athens is a shopping mecca which caters for all types of shoppers.  From the souvenir collectors to the bargain hunters and to the more serious buyers of artwork, jewellery or sculptures, there is an abundance of choice here.

When Athens was awarded the 2004 Olympic Games, the city centre was spruced up immeasurably in preparation for the Games.  Ermou Street, for example, was converted into a pedestrian walkway and a bigger range of more upmarket shops sprung up.  Both sides of the street are lined with stores selling brand named clothing, shoes, cosmetic, etc. getting ready for the big tourist spend.

Shopping Streets

If you wear comfortable walking shoes, it’s easy to cover the shopping triangle marked by Syntagma, Monastiraki and Omonoia.  Then there is the Plaka area with shops selling herbs and spices, icons, candlesticks, books, etc.  Even if you’re not looking for anything in particular, it’s interesting to just stroll around and check out the variety of shops and see what each one of them is selling.

Ladies looking for jewellery will want to head for Mitropoleos Street which has a great variety of fabulous shops offering copies of ancient Greek designs to more modern and elegant creations.

For the chicest place to shop in Athens, make your way to Kolonaki, the fashionable neighborhood at the foot of Lykavittos Hill.  This is where you’ll find the big names like Bulgari, Gucci, Vuitton, Lanvin and Lancel. Tsakalof Street is Kolonaki’s most famous thoroughfare with a reputation of being the sixth most expensive street in the world. When you need a bit of rejuvenation, there are plenty of trendy coffee shops and restaurants around Kolonaki Square.

Flea Markets

At the opposite end of the scale, if you like checking out flea markets, then you’re in luck here.  Athens is noted for its flea markets and at Monastiraki, you’ll find a huge one.  Dealers set out their wares very early on Sunday mornings along Adrianou and nearby streets and you’ll find all kinds of bric-a-brac here.  As in many European cities, you’ll also find African vendors selling their fake designer goods.  The police frequently come around to chase them away, but one wonders how these guys manage to bring their fake goods into the country in the first place.

The commercial tourist shops and antique sellers of Pandrosou and Ifaistou streets also regard themselves as part of the Monastiraki Flea Market.  These shops open everyday however weekend mornings are the best times to visit.

In front of the Monastiraki station there are stalls selling fruit and food as well.  Its always enjoyable walking around market places as it gives you an idea of what’s in season and the types of food that locals buy.   There is a Central Market each Friday at Xenokratous in Kolonaki, so if you decide to pay a visit to ‘chic city‘, you’ll be able to call in at the market as well.

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