3. SETTLE YOURSELF IN GREECE

Find accommodation

Accommodations can be rather tricky in Greece - each possibility has benefits and drawbacks:

  • Hostels. As is the case with other European countries, many vacationers to Greece (especially students) prefer to stay in hostels. Although Greek hostels are relatively cheap and may have fewer restrictions than those in northern Europe, their rules are strictly enforced. Missing a curfew may leave you subject to a lockout leaving you to rush to an ATM and spend a lot of money for a last-minute hotel room. But hostelling is an easy way to get a room and meet other young people, so consider getting a Youth Hostel International Card. There is a catch: only ONE hostel in Greece (Athens, to be precise) is a member of the YHIF. But if you call in advance and try to get a room, they'll be able to tell you about other hostels in the area.

  • Hotels. Fortunately, Greece is not an expensive country in comparison to the North America or most of Europe. Although the major hotels may be a bit pricey - particularly in downtown Athens (Syntagma Square) - there are a number of pensions (small boarding houses, kinda between a hostel and a hotel) that offer more than adequate accommodations, usually with breakfast. If you think you can afford a hotel, then visit GreekHotel.com or the Yahoo listings. Bear in mind that prices fluctuate tremendously between the peak and off-peak seasons. During peak season, proprietors are permitted to charge 20% more, plus 10% extra for stays of under three days. While this may seem like nothing more than legalized extortion to the seasoned traveler… you'd be right.

    Many hotels and pensions may require your passport as a form of a security deposit, returnable to you upon vacating the premises on time with full payment. This, too, is legal. However, there are limits to the power that your host can exercise. Hotels are required by law to post a chart of room charges; if you are charged significantly more than the designated amount, the threat of being reported to the Bureau of Tourism or the tourist police will usually resolve the matter in short order.

  • Private rooms. You also have the option of looking for rooms-to-let in individual homes. This is a common and legal practice in Greece. Because hospitality is an ingrained way of life in Greece, you can usually count on your accommodations to be sufficiently clean. Of course, you may find yourself getting more than you bargained for - Greek is a language with no word for "privacy," and you may find yourself sharing space with others (one of many reasons to travel with a small group of friends or acquaintances). While you may not get your own room, you will have your own bed to sleep in, and breakfast often included. This can be an extremely cheap option.

  • Camping. Camping is, of course, the cheapest route to lodging, although certainly not an option in any of the major cities. Most campgrounds are maintained by the Greek National Tourist Organization and include bathrooms and drinking fountains, although a small fee is usually required (around 1,200 drachmas, which amounts to $3 - $6, depending on the exchange rate). Technically, camping outside of a designated GNTO campsite is illegal and subject to fine. Depending on the relative size of your wallet (and your cajones), you may or may not wish to risk illegal free camping.

Get around

Unless you are as adept in stiletto heels as Tina Turner, you absolutely must wear sensible shoes. Most of Greece's appeal to tourists is its walkability. God knows it sure ain't the public transportation! There are actually four main ways to get around:

  • Walking. Even in Athens (Greece's largest city with close to 1/3 of the nation's entire population), most main streets are walkable at almost all hours, provided you are not on your own in some of the racier districts (Ommonia Square and Syntagma Square). Streets are safe and usually clean. However, you will find that absolutely everything in Greece is built either on a hillside or hilltop (and on some islands, cliffs!), so be prepared for sore calves if you are not accustomed to a lot of walking up and down hills.

  • Rails. In Athens, there are two major subways. The older subway runs from Athens to Piraeus, the port town from which all of Athens's ferries and ships depart. The newer subway is the ultra-modern Metro line. There is also a rail line from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, and another rail line to the Peloponnese. While your Eurail pass (or possibly Europass) will work on the national rail, don't expect that kind of luxury or speed that exists in northern Eurorail - you will be setting yourself up for a major disappointment. If you're wondering what a Eurail pass is, then you should hop on over to our article "SoYouWanna backpack through Europe?", which gives a complete explanation.

  • Buses. Both city-to-city and within-city bus lines are extensive in Greece. If you intend to travel from one city to another in a bus, make sure to arrive sufficiently in advance, as buses often depart early. Also bear in mind that in Athens, neighborhood buses are typically overcrowded with pushy, touchy people, providing pickpocketers ample opportunities to take advantage of unwary tourists. So keep your belongings close and in view (but don't assume that everybody rubbing against you is a thief or pervert; bus closeness is simply another aspect of Greek culture).

  • Rentals (bikes, cars, etc.). Bicycles and mopeds are usually available for rent. So are automobiles. In fact, if you plan on seeing Greece beyond Athens, a car may afford you the greatest amount of freedom. Prices are slightly more expensive than rentals in the U.S., but a small group traveling together can easily split the cost. The largest and most affordable rental agencies in Greece are Just, InterRent and Retca (and Avis, Hertz, Europcar and Budget also exist if you are willing to pay extra for familiarity or if you wish to book your rental prior to departure). You will be required to have an International Driver's License and International Insurance Certificate. Luckily, AAA can help you get one. Here's a huge list of car agencies from which you can rent (in Athens, at least).

Know what to do in an emergency

We hate to tell you this, but bad things happen to good people (just look at what happened to Bambi's mom!). So you must always be prepared to handle an emergency. We've already warned you about pickpockets on buses and in several of the most popular districts within Athens. Traveling in small groups may deter some of this activity, as will doing your best to blend in rather than appearing like a tourist.

Always travel with a photocopy of your passport and keep it somewhere separate than your actual passport. If you find yourself a victim of a pickpocketing - especially if your actual passport is stolen - the American Embassy in Athens will be better able to help you if you at least have a photocopy. Here's the embassy's contact info:

  • Located at: 91 Vasilissis Sophias Blvd.
  • Tel: [30] (1) 721-2951
  • Fax: [30] (1) 729-4303 or (30) (1) 725-3025
  • Mailing address: Box 32, PSC 108, APO AE 09842.

Throughout most of Greece, a 911-like telephone system operates for various emergencies:

  • Police: 100
  • First aid: 166
  • Fire: 199
  • Hospitals: 106
  • Tourist police: 171 in Athens and 922-7777 in the rest of the nation
  • U.S. citizens can call (01) 722-3652 or 729-4301 in emergencies

And while we're on the subject of phone numbers, Greek pay phones require pre-purchased phone cards for just about all calls; in fact, to make an overseas call, you must use a Greek phone card before your own calling card will work. They are available at corner kiosks and most grocery stores.

Remember: you can do a lot to prevent anything serious from happening to you, and that includes following the laws and customs of any given country. Greece is very strict when drug enforcement is concerned, so if you honestly believe that "everybody must get stoned," then plan for some time up in Amsterdam, where many mind-altering substances are legal and safe… but don't try it in Greece!

One last note about the language barrier: the national language of Greece is so far from English that it might as well be Greek. Fortunately, many vendors in the tourist-heavy areas are proficient (if not fully fluent) in English. Unfortunately, you still have the daunting task of deciphering all of those storefront signs and newspaper headlines written in bizarre hieroglyphics that looks more like a rendering of all those place you used to love to party at in college. You will undoubtedly find a pocket dictionary of traveler's phrases and a refresher on your Greek alphabet a highly valuable.