Greece Tourist Inforamtion Holiday Hotels Weather Car Hire

The diversity of the landscape in Greece makes it place where every time you come back you will discover something new.
On the one side high-rising mountains and mountain massifs, like the Pindus ( Greece “backbone”), where the Pantheon  2.917 m is the highest mountain in the country with  valleys of  interrupted mountain ranges Thrakiens and Macedonia, where numerous small rivers rise.
This surprising jaggedness of the coast into thousands of individual bays many secluded and relativley untouched making an ideal romantic holiday destination, the country has a  special beauty making it unique attraction.

The Greek peninsula in the extreme southeast of Europe extends over a surface of 131.944 sq km and consists of the mainland (Attika, Peloponnes, central Greece, Thessalien, Epirus, Macedonia, Thrakien) and the islands in the Agean and Ionian sea. From the geographic structure it belongs to Europe, is it nevertheless the southernmost foothills of the Balkan Peninsula.

Sporades,  scattered islands - These islands are in the northern and the eastern Agean, which lie outside of the circle of the Kykladen, making them more typical in character and more traditional.
The months of April and May are warm with a temperature around 20-25ºC. June, July and August are the warmest months with a temperatures up to 35ºC, but  September and October are pleasantly warm with a clear skies and temperatures up to 25ºC. In the summer the Meltemi, the north wind of the Agean, encourages the islands with its freshness.

Cyclades, which ring islands - there is the islands in the southern Agean and from the 39 cyclades islands is 24 inhabited. The climate is very healthy and drying with mild winters and, owing to do good-ends Meltemi hoist, cool summers   
Dodecanese Islands, the twelve islands - which form the southeast part of the Agean of the  Greek territory and cover 12 large and a lot of of smaller islands, everyone with their own character and characteristics The mild winters and cool summers lend the Dodecanese Islands heallthiest climates of the whole of the Mediterraneanand each island is more beautiful than the previous one.

Crete in the extreme south. - Crete is the border barrier of the Agean island against the Libyan sea, the southern most Outpost in Europe. The climate in the north side resembles the Mediterranean, continentally it is African hot in the centre of mountainous island and with mild winters in the south coast.

The islands in the Saroni gulf - in the sea between Attika and Peleponnes is this group of small islands.

Coastal length:
The coastal length of Greece amounts to approx. 15,000 km
Highest summit:
Pantheon stands at  2.917 m the highest mountain in Greece
Population:
Approx. 10.7 million, of  which is 1 million registered foreigners, approx. 500,000 illegal ones (conditions: 2007) Population growth: 0,16 %
Religions:
Greek-orthodox national church as well as Muslim (approx. 130,000), Protestant, catholic (together approx. 50,000) and Jewish (6.500) faith member
National language:
NewGreek
System of government:
Since 1974 parliamentary democracy, single-chamber system with 300 delegates
Head of state:
President Karolos Papoulias (since 12.03.2005, term of office 5 years, re-election possible)
Head of government:
Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis (re-elected since 10.03.2004, 16.09.2007, Nea Dimokratia)
Foreign Minister:
Dora Bakoyannis (since 14.02.2006)
Capital:
Athens, region Athens/jetty from approx. 4.5 millions inhabitants
Time:
The local time amounts to GMT + 2 hours (MEZ +1 hour).
Climate:
In Greece prevails Mediterranean climate with strong seasonal fluctuations, (+45° summers, -5,5° winters in Athens)
Money:
The currency in Greece is the euro. Cash can be gained at the  many ATM machines. The bank opening times are Mo-Fr 8:00-14:00
Travel documents:
British citizens can enter with a passport into Greece.

Tip:
In the restaurant approx. 10 per cent of the total bill is usual.
In the Bars however a maximum is 1 euro.
A small tip should be handed over to the chambermaid on departure day.
During trips with the taxi the end price is simply rounded up.


Electric current:
Standard in Greece are 230 V AC (50 cycles per second). For devices from North America you need a transformer, for devices from Great Britain an adapter
Health:
For the medical supply tourists from member states of the European union (EU), need a health card (EHIC) or another official document from your health insurance
Important telephone numbers:
EKAB (outpatient clinic ambulance) emergency surgeon: 166
Doctors and hospitals with on-call service: 106
Poison emergency call center: 210 7793777
Pharmacies: 1434
Consultation for alcohol and drug craze: 210 3617089
Emergencies police: 100
Tourist police: 171
Fire-brigade: 199

Holidays:
1 January: New Year
6 January: Benediction of waters (Theophania)
10 March: Rose Monday
25 March: National holiday (beginning of the freedom fight against the Ottoman realm to 25.03.1821)
27 and 28 April: Easter
1 May: the May holiday
16 June: WhitSunday
15 August: Maria Ascension
28 October: National holiday („Ochi day “for memory of unsuccessful Italian Ioannis Metaxas attempt)
25 and 26 December: Christmas
Opening times (business and public offices):
The business are open 14:30  Monday - Friday 09:00 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday also 17:30 - 20:30. On Saturdays  09.00 - 15:00 and remain closed on Sunday. Supermarkets and kiosk are opened to 22:00
In the centers of the larger cities as well as the tourist regions the business is frequently opened at all weekdays around the clock. The bank opening times are Mo-Fr 8:00-14:00