Time in Greece

 
The local time is two hours ahead of Greenwich so if its 8 AM in London it is 10 AM in Athens.
 
Daylight Saving Time (DST) works the same way as it does in the rest of Europe. A simple rule is: SPRING ahead, FALL back. The dates vary every year. For 2008 it's March 30 and October 26.

 
Language

 
Greek is anything but easy. It is useful to learn at least the Greek alphabet. Most Greeks speak English and you will be surprised how good their English is. Most road signs, bus schedules, menus are bi-lingual. You shouldn't have any problems getting around. In remote areas you may need some Greek generally the Greeks are already impressed when you know a few phrases.
 

Laundry

In touristy areas you shouldn't have any problems finding a launderette or a laundry service. With prices between 6 and 12 Euros it isn't cheap though.

Public toilets

Public toilets are rare. Larger bus stations generally have one but don't expect too much. They tend to be disgusting. The best option is to use the toilets in bars and restaurants. At this stage they should be OK and meet western standards.
 
There is one big difference. Don't throw the toilet paper in to the toilet. It goes into the bin. Believe it or not but if you throw the paper in the toilet they get blocked.

Post

 
The Greek post has a reputation of being quite slow. A postcard or letter can take anything between 3 days and 3 or even 4 weeks. There are no post men in rural areas. You pick up your mail from the local post office.
 
 

Measures and units
 

Greece uses the metric system. There is one exception. Some drinks - wine and water for example - are measured in kilo. You get used to it quickly. Instead of half a litre you order a half kilo. Beer is slightly different again. It is measured in litres. Bad news is, in most places they only sell bottles. And even in places where they do have draught beer they don't serve it in pints. Simply order a large beer. In most cases a "large" beer has 0.5 litres. You get used to the small glasses.

 
Photo and film

 
Photographic equipment is not particularly cheap in Greece. That applies to cameras as well as film, batteries and prints. I don't know the latest prices in the UK so it still might be cheaper here. Most people these days use digital cameras anyways so it won't affect you.

 
Crime

Greece is one of the safest places I know. Petty theft exists but is rare. Theft is considered dishonourable and therefore Greeks don't steal. Ripping tourists off is a different story. Be aware that Greece has quite a few immigrants and they might have a different code of honour.
 
Be very careful when it come to drugs. They are illegal and even a single joint can get you into big trouble. If someone tries to sell you drugs just say no and if possible contact the local authorities. In touristy places you can find a special tourist police. They have their own offices and generally speak at least some English.
 
 

Bank holidays
 

Bank holidays are different from the UK and Ireland. They are generally on a specific date. If that date happens to be on a Saturday or Sunday that's just bad luck. They don't get an extra day off. Easter is different as well. It’s the Orthodox Easter which in most years is different from the Roman Catholic Easter.
 
January 1st – New Year
January 6th – Orthodox Holiday
March 25th – Independence day
Easter (Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday)
May 1st – May Day
August 15th – Assumption Day
October 28th – Oichi Day (the day the Greeks said no to the Italian invasion during World War II)
December 25th/26th – Christmas

 
Opening hours

 
Shops: Opening hours vary. In a touristy area the shops are open 8 AM to midnight, 7 days a week. In cities shops often close around noon and only reopen after 5 pm. On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday most of these shops will remain closed in the evening. Supermarkets should be open all day but not on Sunday.
 
Banks: A nightmare. They are open Monday to Friday 8 AM to 2 PM. At least they have quite a few ATMs and most of the times they even work. Never wait until you are down to nothing. If one ATM breaks all the others in town tend to follow and you never know how long it will take to get them fixed.
 
Post office: In more rural areas from 8 AM to 2 PM, in bigger cities a bit longer.
 
Museums: Most museums are closed on Mondays. Some of them are free of charge on Sundays. The really important museums like the Archaeological Museum in Athens also open on Mondays. EU students with an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) get a discount in museums. Non-EU students get a discount in archaeological museum if they study archaeology.

 
Automobile Association

 
The Greek version is called ELPA. Their address is: Odós Messógion 2, Athens

 
Shopping

 
Popular things to buy are leather goods, pottery, jewellery, olive oil and back gammon games. Leather goods are quite cheap. A popular place to shop would be Hania on Crete. In the old town there you'll find a large number of specialised shops. Pottery is often in blue and white, the national colours of Greece. If you consider buying silver and gold jewellery it's a good idea to check prices beforehand. Many places sell jewellery so take your time and look around.
 
Hand made doesn't mean much in Greece. Check things before you buy them. Olive oil you best buy in small local shops. In souvenir shops it is more expensive but not necessarily better.
 
Backgammon (Tavli) is very popular in Greece. You can buy games in all sizes and from rather cheap to very pricy.
 
Careful: It is not permitted to export any antiquities. If they catch you and let it be with only a piece of pottery that you found in an abandoned excavation you are in big trouble. You could end up in jail. Be very careful. Don't buy anything and do not pick up anything in excavations even if there is no fence around. As rule: Better be safe than sorry.

Grocery

 
It sounds weird but if you want to safe money don't buy your groceries in a super market. Bread is cheaper in a bakery, meat cheaper when you go to a butcher. Even in a supermarket the fresh meat, cheese and olives are cheaper at the counter than the boxed stuff in the fridges.
 
Greek supermarkets are expensive. Foreign chains like LIDL are a lot cheaper than the local ones. Especially ready made meals are extremely expensive. It's probably cheaper to go out for dinner not to mention that the latter is a lot nicer.
 
Greece by Greeka - a good website about Greece and a specialist for holidays on Greek Islands