Useful info about Greece

After booking your transfer or private tour with The Greek Taxi, do not hesitate to take a look in these brief useful practical info we have combined for you.

Useful Links

Emergency Phone Numbers in Greece

  • European SOS Tel: 112
  • Ambulance service Tel: 166
  • Police Tel: 100
  • Fire Department Tel: 199
  • Tourist Police Tel: 1571
  • Coast Guard Tel: 108
  • Pharmacies: 1434
  • Emergency Hospitals: 1434

List of Embassies in Athens

  • UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Embassy & Consulate:
    91, Vas. Sofias Ave, 101 60, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 7212 951-9, (+30) 210 7294 301
  • UNITED KINGDOM Embassy & Consulate:
    1, Ploutarhou Street, 106 75, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 7236 211
  • NEW ZEALAND Consulate:
    268, Kifissias Ave., 152 32, Halandri
    Tel:  (+30) 210 6874 701
  • IRELAND Embassy & Consulate:
    7, Vas. Konstantinou Ave., 106 74, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 7232 771-2, (+30) 210 7238 645, (+30) 210 7232 405
  • CANADA Embassy & Consulate:
    4, Genadiou Street, 115 21, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 7273 400
  • AUSTRALIA Embassy & Consulate:
    37, D. Soutsou & 24, An. Tsocha Sts, 115 21, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 6450 404, (+30) 210 6450 079
  • FRANCE Embassy in Athens:
    7, Vas. Sofias Ave., 106 71, Athens
    Tel: 2103391000
    Fax: 2103391009FRANCE Consulate in Athens:
    5-7, Vas. Konstantinou Ave.,106 74, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 7297 700
  • ISRAEL Embassy & Consulate:
    1, Marathonodromon St., 154 52, N. Psychico
    Tel: (+30) 210 6719 530-1, (+30) 210 6719 773
  • ITALY Embassy:
    2, Sekeri Street, 106 74, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 3617 260, (+30) 210 3617 263, (+30) 210 3617 273-4ITALY Consulate:
    19, Meandrou Street, 115 28, Ilissia
    Tel: (+30) 210 7249 117, (+30) 210 7240 688
  • GERMANY Embassy & Consulate:
    3, Karaoli Dimitriou Street, 106 75, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 7285 111
  • RUSSIAN FEDERATION Embassy:
    28, Í. Litra Street, 154 52, Paleo Psychico
    Tel: (+30) 210 6725 235 & (+30) 210 672 6130
  • SPAIN Embassy & Consulate:
    21, D. Areopagitou St., 117 42, Athens
    Tel: (+30) 210 9213 237, (+30) 210 9213 123

Shop Opening Hours

Although the opening hours of shops vary from region to region, in large cities they are usually as follows: 

  • Downtown shops, department stores and supermarkets: 9am-9pm, except on Saturdays, when they close at 8pm.
  • Local shops: 9am-2.30pm & 5.30-8.30pm (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and 9am-3pm (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday) 

Shops & shopping malls are closed on Sundays, except for local mini-markets, tobacco shops and street kiosks, some of which operate almost 24 hours a day, including Sundays, especially in tourist areas.

Public Holidays

National celebrations and holidays

  • New Year’s Day: January 1 
  • Theophania/Epiphany: January 6 
  • Ash Monday, the 41st day before Orthodox Easter (not a fixed date)
  • Independence Day: March 25  
  • Orthodox Easter Sunday and Monday (not a fixed date)
  • Labor Day: May 1 
  • Assumption of the Virgin Mary: August 15
  • National Holiday: October 28 
  • Christmas holidays: December 25 & 26

Smoking

Legislation in Greece prohibits smoking in workplaces, transport stations, taxis and ferries, as well as in all enclosed public spaces. Smoking is also prohibited in large entertainment venues, such as restaurants, bars, cafes and nightclubs. Many, however, have smoking areas.

Time Zone

Greece belongs to the Eastern Europe Time Zone and local time is identified as GMT +2.

Daylight Savings (DST) occurs on the last Sunday of March, when clocks move one hour ahead. They move one our back on the last Sunday of October.

Tipping in Greece

There is not a strong tradition of tipping in Greece, particularly among the locals, but it’s become expected that tourists leave a small tip while travelling through the country. It is more like a matter of appreciation of having a great service rather than a mandatory thing.

In all cases, you are not obligated to tip nor will you be asked for a tip.

What is customary is to tip anyway, as a ‘good job’ and ‘thank you’ gesture to your server. Don’t bother calculating any percentages, as tipping in Greece only requires leaving a couple of coins on your table with your bill as you leave.

Another way to tip is to tell your server to keep the change from the bill if you don’t want to leave coins on the table (everyone does it though, don’t worry! Nobody but your server will touch them).

A small tip is 1-2 euro. A better, more substantial tip is a 5 euro. Anything above that is considered a big tip. On average, Greeks leave a couple of euros as a tip, regardless of the size of the bill they pay. If they are especially pleased, they may sometimes tip as high as ten or twenty euros, but that is considered extraordinary and rare.

Before you tip, check your bill. If there is a 5-10% service charge there, this is instead of a tip so you don’t need to tip anyone (you still can though).

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