Greek time is GΜΤ +2 hours

Euro (€)

1 January: New Year's Day
6 January: Epiphany
10 March: Orthodox Shrove Monday.
25 March: Independence Day.
25 April: Orthodox Good Friday.
28 April: Orthodox Easter Monday.
1 May: Labour Day
16 June: Day of the Holy Spirit
15 August: Dormition (Assumption) of The Virgin
28 October: National Holiday, Ochi Day.
25 December: Christmas Day
26 December: Boxing Day

The Tourist Police is a Service of the Greek Police Force staffed with specially trained, foreign-language speaking personnel. Within the framework of its duties and functions, it provides the following services:

• It provides information to Greek and foreign visitors and offers them assistance in settling any issues arising with tourist businesses.
• It cooperates with locally competent Directorates of Tourism and local authorities in order to deal with tourism issues.
• It ensures that the tourist legislation in force is applied in all tourist areas, businesses and media, such as hotels, apartments and rooms to let, tourist shops, tourist agencies and coaches, car and motorcycle rental agencies, archaeological sites, tourist guides, ski resorts, spa towns, mass arrival/departure stations, sanitary facilities operating in tourist businesses and sites of free camping, etc.
• It carries out inspections of tourist businesses with the aim to provide better services and higher protection to visitors.

The distinctive insignia of the Greek Tourist Police officers are the following:

• White band on the cap
• White belt
• White gloves
• The distinctive insignia “TOURIST POLICE” worn on the front of the shirt.

The Greek Tourist Police can be reached around-the-clock by dialling “171”. This line provides all kind of information and instructions in Greek, English, French and German, thus helping tourists to deal directly with any arising problem.

In case you need any help, do not hesitate to contact the staff members of the Greek Tourist Police by dialling “171”.

In order to have access to necessary health care, tourists from member states of the European Union (EU) wishing to visit Greece must be holders of the European Health Card (EHIC) or any other legal Community document issued by their competent social security agency.

In these cases, the necessary treatment in Greece is provided by:

- the IKA (Social Security Institute) Health Units (polyclinics) or doctor’s offices in the region;
- Regional clinics (former rural clinics) or the Health Centres of the National Health System; and
- the outpatients’ departments of the hospitals on contract

In order to have access to necessary health care, tourists from countries other than the member states of the European Union wishing to visit Greece must consult their social security agency for information before travelling.

In case of emergency call:

Ambulance Service: 166
SOS Doctors : 1016 (Athens area only)
Duty Hospitals and Clinics: 1434
Poisoning First Aid: 210 7793777
Pharmacies: 1434
Open Line for alcohol drug Addiction: 210 3617089

The standard in Greece is 230V AC (50Hz). Appliances from North America require a transformer and British ones an adaptor.