Athens

Currency

Euro. Cash is still common in tavernas and markets despite card rules — carry €50 or so. Skip the Plaka exchange shops.

ATMs & cards

Use Alpha Bank, Piraeus, Eurobank or National Bank of Greece. Greek ATMs commonly charge €2-3 for foreign cards, so take out larger sums. Always decline conversion.

Greek banks charge foreign cards €2-3 themselves, so withdraw larger sums.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Low violent crime, but persistent pickpocketing — the metro line from the airport and the crowd at Monastiraki are where it happens. Omonia and parts of Exarchia feel rough after dark and are worth avoiding rather than exploring. Keep bags in front of you on the metro.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment. Island clinics handle basics; anything serious means a transfer to Athens or Crete, which is quick but not instant.

Summer heat is the most common reason tourists need help — heatstroke and dehydration, not accidents.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Skip Plaka’s tourist tavernas. Eat in Psyrri or Koukaki, order mezedes to share, and finish with a shot of tsipouro. Souvlaki should cost €3-4, not €10.

Getting around

• Metro — 3 lines, clean and cheap, line 3 goes straight to the airport
• Walking — the archaeological promenade links most major sites car-free
• Tram — runs down to the coastal suburbs and beaches at Glyfada
• Bus and trolley — dense network, €1.20 for 90 minutes
• Airport: Metro line 3 to Syntagma (40 min, €9) or X95 express bus (€5.50)

Must-see

Things to do

• Visit the Acropolis at opening time
• See the Parthenon marbles context at the Acropolis Museum
• Walk the Ancient Agora
• Climb Lycabettus for sunset
• Eat your way through the Varvakios market
• Day trip to Cape Sounion

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Greek

• HelloΓεια σας — Yia sasyah sas
• PleaseΠαρακαλώ — Parakalópa-ra-ka-LO
• Thank youΕυχαριστώ — Efharistóef-ha-ri-STO
• Yes / NoΝαι / Όχι — Ne / Óhineh / O-hee
• Excuse meΣυγγνώμη — Signómisig-NO-mee
• How much is it?Πόσο κάνει; — Póso káni?PO-so KA-nee
• The bill, pleaseΤον λογαριασμό — Ton logariasmóton lo-gar-yaz-MO
• Cheers!Γεια μας — Yia masyah mas

The trap: "ne" means yes, not no. No is "óhi".

Religion

Greek Orthodox

Orthodoxy is written into the constitution and is closely tied to national identity. Do not enter a church in shorts, and do not photograph during a service.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Accept offered food or drink — refusing outright reads as a rejection of the host
• Share plates; ordering individually is not how a Greek table works
• Learn efharistó, it goes a long way
• Put toilet paper in the bin, not the bowl — the plumbing genuinely cannot take it

Don't

• Do not show an open palm towards someone — the moutza is a serious insult
• Do not nod up for yes; a single upward head tilt means no
• Do not rush a meal or ask for the bill early; the table is yours for the evening
• Do not photograph inside monasteries without checking, and dress modestly at them