Population: 5,000,000

Time Zone: Greece's clocks are 6 hours ahead of eastern standard time in the United States, and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich mean time.

Language: Greek is the native language. Many Greeks know some English, but will appreciate a two-way effort to learn and try basic phrases.

Telephones: The country code for Greece is 30; the city code for Athens is 01.

The Greek telephone company, the OTE pronounced "oh-tay", has card phones everywhere. Phone cards used for intercity and overseas calls can be purchased at kiosks or the local OTE office. You can also make calls from OTE offices, which have limited hours, and from kiosks . Avoid making calls from your hotel, where the surcharge can be high.

For any international call, you must first dial 00, then the country code 1 for the U.S. and Canada, 44 for England.

Operators and Information There are English-speaking operators on the International Exchange 161 and 162, and recorded instructions in English, French, and German for making direct international calls on tel. 169. .

The tourist police Dimitrakopoulou 77, tel. 171 can answer questions in English about transportation, direct you to an open pharmacy or doctor, and locate phone numbers of hotels and restaurants.

Average Temperatures

Month

High

Low

January

55F

43F

February

55F

43F

March

59F

45F

April

66F

52F

May

75F

59F

June

86F

68F

July

88F

72F

August

90F

72F

September

82F

66F

October

73F

59F

November

63F

52F

December

57F

46F

When to Go: The best time to visit Athens is late spring and early fall. In May and June the days are warm, even hot, but dry, and the sea water has been warmed by the sun. The evenings, are pleasant enough to dine alfresco. For sightseeing or visiting the beach, this is the time to visit. Athens is less crowded in April and early May. Carnavali, just before Lent, and Greek Easter, with its religious processions, lambs, and red eggs, are the highlights of the season.

September and October are an alternative to spring and early summer. Things begin to shut down in November, however, when the winter chill and rains begin. Winter in Greece is deceptive. Any given day may not be very cold. Snow is uncommon in Athens and to the south. The cold is persistent, and the level of heating is not what it is in the US.

Toward the end of July and through August the temperatures climb, pushing the 100°F mark. In the south a dry, hot wind may blow across the Mediterranean from the coast of Africa. The air quality in Athens, which is surrounded on all sides by mountains except in the direction of the harbor and oil refineries of Piraeus, can be unhealthy on especially hot days, and air-conditioning is rare

National Holidays

January 1                New Year's Day

January 6                Epiphany

February/March      Shrove Monday

March 25                 Independence Day

April/May (varies)    Good Friday (Greek Orthodox)

April/May (varies)    Easter Monday

May 1                      Labor Day

May/June                Pentecost Monday

August 15                Assumption of the Virgin

October 28              Ochi Day

December 25          Christmas Day

December 26          St. Stephen's Day

Emergencies: In an emergency, dial 100 for the police and 171 for the tourist police. Dial 199 to report a fire and 166 for an ambulance and the hospital. If you need an English-speaking doctor or dentist, call your embassy for advice or try SOS Doctor at 01/331-0310. The English-language daily Athens News lists some American and British trained doctors and hospitals offering emergency services.

Newspapers & Magazines: The Athens News is a daily newspaper published locally in English, with a weekend section "Scope" listing events of interest; it's available at kiosks everywhere for Dr250 80¢. Most central Athens newsstands also carry the International Herald Tribune, which has an English-language insert of highlights from the Greek daily Kathimerini, and USA Today. Local weeklies include the Hellenic Times, with its entertainment listings. The free magazine Athens Today, with information on restaurants, shopping, museums and galleries, is published about six times a year and is usually available in major hotels .

Pharmacies: Pharmakia, identified by green crosses, are scattered throughout Athens. Hours are usually Monday through Friday from 8am to 2pm. In the evening and on weekends most are closed, but usually post a notice listing the names and addresses of pharmacies that are open or will open in an emergency. Newspapers, including the Athens News, list the pharmacies open outside regular hours.

Radio & Television: There are 11 major Greek TV stations in Athens and at least two local stations. In addition, foreign-language channels from Italy, Spain, and Germany can be seen, as well as CNN around the clock. Most foreign-language films shown on Greek TV are not dubbed, but have the original soundtracks with Greek subtitles. All current-release foreign-language films shown in Greek cinemas have the original soundtracks with Greek subtitles.

Safety: Athens is among the safest capitals in Europe, and there are few reports of violent crimes.

Taxes: A VAT value-added tax of between 4% and 18% is added to everything you buy. Some shops will attempt to cheat you by quoting you one price and then, when you hand over your credit card, adding on a hefty VAT charge. Be wary. In theory, if you are not a member of a Common Market/EU country, you can get a refund on major purchases at Hellenikon airport when you leave Greece.

Tipping: Athenian restaurants include a service charge in the bill, but many visitors add a 10% tip. Most Greeks do not give a percentage tip to taxi drivers, but often round out the fare.

Equivalent Weights And Measures 1 cm - 0.39 inches 1 meter - 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards 1 km - 0.62 miles 1 liter - 0.26 gallons 1 inch - 2.54 cm 1 foot - 0.39 meters 1 yard - 0.91 meters 1 mile - 1.60 km 1 gal - 3.78 liters

Electricity: To use your U.S.-purchased electric-powered equipment, bring a converter and an adapter. The electrical current in Greece is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current AC; wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two round prongs.

Packing: In the summer bring lightweight, casual clothing and good walking shoes. A light sweater or jacket is a must for cool evenings. There's no need for rain gear in summer, but don't forget sunglasses and a sun hat. Be prepared for cooler weather and some rain in spring and fall, and in winter, add a warm coat.

Casual attire is acceptable everywhere except in the most expensive restaurants in large cities, but you should dress conservatively when visiting churches or monasteries. Some stricter monasteries and churches will not admit men or women men wearing shorts and women in pants, though they often provide long skirts or some sort of draping at the entrance.

For dimly lit icons in churches, a small flashlight comes in handy. A pair of binoculars can greatly enhance the appreciation of an archaeological site or give the tourist a better view of wall paintings in a church, for example.

ATMs: Automatic teller machines are common at banks throughout Athens, and the National Bank of Greece operates a 24-hour ATM in Syntagma Square. A Warning about ATMs: It is not a good idea to rely on using ATMs exclusively in Athens, since the machines are often out of service when you need them most: on holidays or during bank strikes.

Banks: Banks are generally open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 2pm and Friday from 8am to 1:30pm. All banks are closed on Greek holidays. Most banks exchange currency at the rate set daily by the government.

Business Hours: In winter, Athens's shops are generally open Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 5pm; Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am to 7pm; and Saturday from 8:30am to 3:30pm. In summer, shops are usually open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 8am to 3pm; and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8am to 2pm and 5:30 to 10pm.

Most food stores are open Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 4:30pm, Tuesday from 9am to 6pm, Thursday from 9:30am to 6:30pm, Friday from 9:30am to 7pm, and Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Many shops geared to visitors stay open late into the night-but often only if the shop owner thinks that business will be good. In other words, the shop that was open late yesterday may close early today.

Credit Cards: Many Athenian restaurants do not accept credit cards. Each year, some restaurants that formerly accepted credit cards stop accepting them. Be prepared to pay with cash or traveler's checks at even the finest establishments. If you want to pay with a credit card, double-check to make sure the restaurant will accept your credit card before going.

Currency: Currency is the Euro (EUR). The notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro. The denominations of coins are 2 euro, 1 euro, 50 euro cent, 20 euro cent, 10 euro cent, 5 euro cent, 2 euro cent, and 1 euro cent.

Tipping: How much to tip in Greece, especially at restaurants, is confusing. By law a 15% service charge is figured into the price of a meal menus sometimes list entrées with and without service, to let you know their net cost. If the service was good, it's customary to reward it by leaving 10% more. For taxis, round up the fare.

Arriving by Plane:  

Getting To Athens:

Eleftherios Venizelos International Athens's International airport, Eleftherios Venizelos International, is located at Spata, 17 miles outside Athens. 01 353 0000. Since buses run on erratic schedules, the easiest way into town is to take a taxi from immediately outside the terminal. Three 24-hour express bus lines serve the airport and connect with the Metro. 

Getting Between The Airport and Piraeus: Take a taxi from the airport to Piraeus. It is important to know that island boats leave from several different Piraeus harbors. Most ferryboats and hydrofoils Flying Dolphins for Aegina leave from the Main Harbor. Hydrofoils for other islands leave from Marina Zea, a half-hour walk from the Main Harbor. All this makes Piraeus a good place to take a taxi to and from the airport. If you do not know which harbor your boat is leaving from, tell your taxi driver your destination and he can probably find out the harbor and even the pier.

Bus no. 19 runs from the East to the West Terminal and then to Piraeus every hour from 5am to midnight, and every 2 hours from midnight to 5am. The bus will leave you in Karaiskaki Square, several blocks from the harbor.

When making air connections after an island trip: It is unwise to allow anything less than 24 hours between your return to Piraeus by island boat and your departure by air, as rough seas can cause significant delays.

Getting Around: The Metro subway is designed to allow travel in much of central Athens and beyond. The existing tram line runs from Piraeus to Kifissia, covering only the western part of the city. Most visitors encounter the subway when they take it from Omonia or Monastiraki to Piraeus to catch a boat to the islands. Don't miss the spectacular view of the Acropolis as the subway comes above ground by the Agora. Buy your tickets at the station, validate them in the machines as you enter, and hang on to the ticket. If you're not carrying much luggage, the harbor in Piraeus is a 5-minute walk left from the station.

In Athens there are two principal bus terminals. Coming into Athens from Northern Greece or the Peloponnese, you arrive at Kifissou 100, a ten-minute bus ride from the center. Routes from Central Greece arrive at a terminal at Liossion 260, north of the train stations. From the Piraeus port you can go in almost every inhabited island in the Aegean Sea, as well as to other Mediterranean ports. In Piraeus port is a very large number of regular ferries, hydrofoils and "flying dolphins" which connect the capital with the maritime Greece. From here you can catch ferries to Cyprus, Turkey, Israel and Egypt as well as and cruisers for the same destinations. Attica has two smaller ports, the port of Rafina which connect some Cycladic islands to mainland Greece and the port of Lavrio. Athens public transport networks operate from 5 am to midnight. The public transportation is operated by the buses, the metro, the yellow trolley buses, the blue city buses and the taxis. All these can bring you to the most of the city's sight-seeing with a low fare.

By Car:  The highways are very slick when wet, and there are many fatal accidents. Avoid driving in rain and on days preceding or following major holidays.

By Train Greek trains have a well-earned reputation for being slow and having a limited network. The main line runs north from Athens to the former Yugoslavia, dividing into three lines at Thessaloniki. The main line continues on to Belgrade, a second line goes east to the Turkish border and Istanbul, and a third line heads northeast to Bulgaria. The Peloponnese in the south is served by a narrow-gauge line dividing at Corinth into the Mycenae-Argos route and Patras-Olympia-Kalamata.

Churches and Monasteries: There is no set schedule when churches and monasteries are open to the public. The best time to find churches unlocked is during mass, especially on Sunday; otherwise try from about 8 AM to noon and 5:30 to 7:30 on any day, unless where noted. The hours for monasteries are dependent upon their keepers, but they are more likely to be open in the morning to early afternoon.

Museums and Sites: The days and hours for museums and sites vary; they are usually open daily 8-3 except one weekday usually Monday, although in summer, depending on personnel available that year, the hours are extended to as late as 7 PM. The Acropolis is open summer evenings when there is a full moon. On major holidays, most sites and museums are closed; on minor holidays they may have Sunday hours or close at 12:30. The Byzantine Museum, Kerameikos cemetery, and Agora Museum are closed Monday; the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art is closed Tuesday and Sunday. Admission to most museums and archaeological sites is free on Sunday November through mid-March.