According to educationvv, Greece hotels offer the highest level of service. If you plan to travel around Greece, we recommend that you choose hotels of 3 * and 4 * categories – they will provide you with the necessary level of comfort and relaxation; for a beach holiday, choose 4 * and 5 * hotels.
In Greece, the letter classification of hotels is officially adopted. The de luxe class hotel in most cases corresponds to 5 *, category “A” – 4 *, “B” – 3 *, “C” – 2 *, however, there may be deviations from the usual standards. For sightseeing tours to Greece, hotels of categories B and C are usually offered – simple, no frills, urban type, but there is almost always air conditioning and a TV. Hotels in Greece for a beach holiday (resort), B and C are always nicer than their urban counterparts due to the special, “home” comfort.
In Greece, hotels are not always tied to the tourist infrastructure, which is fully present in the resort towns. Some hotels are located quite secluded, so when choosing a region and a hotel, you need to pay attention to its compliance with the desired style of relaxation.
Tips. Bills almost always include a 10-15% service surcharge, but the busboy – usually a young man – relies on tips, which are often his only income. Tipping is usually left on the table. Taxi drivers and hotel employees also receive tips.
Shopping. Products of local craftsmen (ceramics, bags, sandals, carpets – all handmade) are traditional souvenirs. Greece specializes in olive oil, olives, cheeses, dried fruits, tea, Greek coffee. During seasonal sales (January-February and August-September) you can buy clothes at low prices. Prices for shoes and good quality leather goods are always low. Shop opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 08:30-14:30, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:30-14:00 and from 17:30-20:30.
Car rental. There are a lot of car rental companies in Greece. But for convenience, it would be more profitable for a foreign tourist to use the services of those that have a wide network of branches, then, under appropriate circumstances, you can always return the car anywhere in the country.
Greece: Money and currency of Greece
On January 1, 2002, a new European currency, EURO, was put into circulation throughout Greece. There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 EURO. EURO is better to buy before the trip, so as not to waste time and interest on vacation.
Banks are open from 08:00 to 14:00 (Monday – Thursday), on Friday – until 13:00 and are closed on Saturday and Sunday. All shops, restaurants and hotels in Greece accept credit cards.
Visa, MasterCard and EuroCard are the most common credit cards. Most banks have their own ATMs where you can access your account, withdraw money and check your balance.
Greece: Culture of Greece
The calendar year in Greece is full of festivals and festive events, some of which are religious, some of which are general cultural, and all the rest are just a good excuse to drink and dance.
Gynaikratia (January 8) is the day when men and women change roles and is celebrated in all the villages of northern Greece. Women usually spend the whole day in cafes and other places of entertainment where men usually gather; while the men stay at home to do all the housework.
The carnival season in Greece is February – March. During these three weeks, parades of masquerade costumes, banquets, folk dance competitions, etc. take place.
Easter – the most important religious holiday in Greece, during which there are mass processions of people carrying lighted candles. The emphasis is on the Resurrection, and not on the Crucifixion, thus this is the most joyful holiday.
Greece also hosts numerous summer festivals, the most famous of which is the Hellenic Festival (somewhere between mid-June and the end of September), during which time Greece welcomes guests from drama theaters and musicians from all over the world.
Holidays in Greece:
January 1 – New Year
January 6 – Epiphany
January 8 – Gynaikratia
March 25 – Independence Day
March / April – Easter
May 1 – International Workers’ Day
August 15 – Feast of the Assumption
October 28 – Ohi Day (No Day), in honor of the day when the entire Greek nation said “no” to the Italian occupation during World War II
December 25 – Christmas
