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The Do's And Don'ts Of Visiting Greece
If you're planning to visit my home country, Greece, here are some things to be mindful
of.
Of course, you do not expect a whole country to be lawless even if we, the Greeks, don't
really like rules, and what seems ordinary to you might be considered rude or is disapproved
in Greece.
It's good to be prepared for a vacation, understanding the culture, customs, traditions, and people
of a place before visiting it.
To avoid finding yourself in any mess, as a Greek Citizen I put together a list of the
Do's and Don'ts that you can follow for an enjoyable vacation in Greece.
Let's Start
Please don't choose a restaurant on famous attractions sites like Plaka at the Acropolis.
Don't get lured in by the waiters standing outside the restaurants in touristy areas,
trying to convince you to sit down and eat here because they say to have the best-grilled
fish or Octopus or Moussaka.
No matter how hungry you might be, keep walking.
I can assure you the quality of food and pricing will be way off of the traditional greek Cousine
served in Non-touristy areas.
I suggest you do some research on the internet or search for places where the locals gather.
Don't get into taxis without asking the price for the fare to your location.
While most Greeks are honest people and try to help you, some will try to take advantage
of you, and the fact that you're a tourist and are not familiar with prices and distances,
here are some common Taxi scams.
The driver will use a negotiated flat rate to get you to your destination, mostly from
the Airport, and most will be overpriced; ask to use the Taxi Meter, and here comes
the next trick watch out that he uses the daily fare tariff and not the nightly fare
tariff in the Meter which is almost double more expensive than the daily rate tariff.
The next trick is that some will charge you per luggage to put in the trunk and take it
out, so be prepared.
And last but not least, the Scenic route drive, which will be 3x as much as your regular fare,
he will drive you around a longer route to get more money from the Meter.
Some taxis also have been caught using tempered Taxi meters; they are electronically manipulated
with a switch inside the Taxi; the driver can activate it and speed up the money rate
consumed.
In contrast, the distance driven remains the same or advances slowly.
Always look at your taxi meter to spot any anomalies.
Don't Show Too Much Skin: This is vital when sightseeing and need to go into a church,
especially for women.
Wearing casual clothes is generally recommended, and you are free to wear whatever you want,
but it is also good to respect the culture of whatever country you visit.
The monasteries and churches in Greece do not like women revealing their shoulders or
legs, especially monasteries; trust me, they do not want to see your legs.
Wear a long loose skirt if you wish to go to a church and carry along a shawl to cover
your shoulders, except you're wearing a long-sleeved shirt or top.
You don't have to feel bad, it's just our way of life in Greece, and you should respect
it as a good ambassador of your country.
Please do Not Complain About Smoking: Almost half of the population in Greece smokes.
People will be smoking inside bars, restaurants, government offices, and institutions.
Even if it is banned, nobody cares to enforce that law, so DON 'T make the mistake of trying
to enforce the law on your own.
Avoid coughing, raising your eyebrows, or showing disgust to stop the smoker.
If you can't stand it, just move away from it.
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Do Accept Unexpected Invites From The Locals: Do not be shocked when you get invitations
from the locals; we, the Greeks, are friendly and social people, and you might not realize
this until one of us strikes up a conversation with you out of the blue, we welcome foreign
guests and are always up for a small talk.
Don't worry, around half of the Greek population can speak English.
You will be perfectly fine using English when talking to the locals in Athens, although
you might need some basic Greek language in more remote areas like the Greek Islands or
smaller towns inland.
The locals love to mingle, and they always want to talk about the different parts of
the world.
Feel free to tell them about your country and culture when they want to know and be
ready to get unexpected invites from the residents to treat you to dinner.
It is considered VERY RUDE to Decline an Invitation, be polite and accept the invitation.
You will be treated to a delicious homemade meal, usually 5-10 different dishes with a
lot of wine drinking and a lot of talking on the table.
Still, it would be best if you also took a gift when visiting your hosts; more to this
later in this video.
Do Tip in Greece, everyone who provides a good service 10-15% is a good rate; although
there is no official norm or guidelines for tipping in Greece, unlike in other countries,
it is still a good practice to tip and rewards good service.
In most restaurants, bars, and cafes, they will bring some free stuff before they bring
the bill.
Usually, the dessert is served on the house, be it watermelon or Honeydew melon, or any
other sweet; leaving a tip is just fair in this situation.
Do Accept a greeting with two kisses on the cheek.
It is normal when Meeting Someone on formal and informal occasions.
You do not have to be worried about knowing the cultural greetings before you can say
a hi (Yia) or hello (Yiasas); you can also extend your hand and introduce yourself by
stating your first name for informal situations or your full name in a formal setting.
Do Not Drink Heavily and get waisted: As much as you want to have fun as you enjoy your
time in Greece, do not binge-drink.
If you are lucky enough to get invited into some local home or local party
You wouldn't find the locals drinking to the point of vomiting or losing self-control,
so why should you?.
Remember that there's a thin line between moderate and binge drinking; do not cross
that line.
You do not want to vomit all over the place and embarrass yourself and your host or not
know your way back to your hotel because you've had a drink too much.
Visit With Presents: When invited to visit a Greek home or for lunch or dinner by a local,
please get them a gift.
It doesn't have to be something extravagant.
In Greek culture, it is a tradition to bring a small present.
This present can be a bottle of wine, fruits or pastries.
The host will appreciate it.
I would suggest stopping at a Sweetshop(zaxaroplasteio) and getting a big box of assorted greek sweets
that is the most common present used in Greece.
Do Not Throw Your Paper In The Toilet: This might sound funny or weird, but you can't
throw your toilet paper into the toilet in Greece.
There is always a separate trash can to dispose of the used toilet paper.
The toilet will be clogged, which might be an issue if you have to pay for an emergency
plumber to show up and clean up the mess you caused in your hotel or Airbnb.
Remember that Greece is an ancient old country, and the sewage pipes are still old and might
clog if you throw your toilet paper in the toilet.
Avoid that!
Don't make the mistake of visiting the Greek Islands by Ferry, and cut your return trip
to Athens too close to catch your flight back to your home country.
Your ferry could be delayed due to the weather or suffer some mechanical problems; always
be prepared for this.
I suggest going two days earlier to your departure flight.
It's less risky if you're flying back to Athens from your Greek island trip, but delays are
always possible with flying as well.
So plan accordingly, or you might lose your flight.
Don't make the mistake of repeating the bad words you hear in Greek; you will encounter
many Greeks playing backgammon or just having a coffee, and the conversation gets heated,
and suddenly you hear bad words thrown around and each other calling each other "Malaka"
that is something normal for friends.
Still, you cannot say that to somebody you don't know, or you are in deep trouble, Don't
repeat these "bad words" without knowing exactly what they mean in the first place; avoid this
at all cost, please, also Don't thrust the palm of your hand in front of Someone's face
that is called (Moutza).The moutza is a Greek hand cursing the palm extended, fingers spread
out, the hand thrusting forward, usually accompanied by the words "Na parta!" which means, "Here,
take it!"It is considered a very rude gesture unless the other person is your friend, so
don't attempt to try this, not even as a joke, or again you could be in deep trouble!
You Can Drink Tap Water In Athens: You should know that you can safely drink tap water in
Athens.
The tap water quality in Athens is one of the highest in Greece, so you can get comfortable
with drinking from the tap.
Let it be noted that tap water is not potable throughout the country.
Although it is perfectly safe to drink water from the tap in Athens and Thessaloniki, buying
bottled water in other places like the Greek islands or smaller Greek towns is better.
Bottled water in Greece is cheap.
Don't flash your valuables in public places, and Beware of Pickpockets, especially in busy
tourist sites.
Be careful with your belongings.
Greece is a wonderful country; it is filled with lots of fun things to do for tourists,
and it is a safe place for everyone, but it is necessary to be aware of little things
like this one to ensure your safety.
You might want to be conscious of what you keep in your pockets as you walk around exploring
the tourist sites.
I suggest keeping things that are very important like your Passport, Money, and Cards in your
hotel safe; just take what you will spend for the day in small bills.
Feel relaxed and free; enjoy every moment
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