About Greece

Sunrise/Sunset and Time Zone

This time of year the sun will rise at 6:15am and set at 8:15pm. Greece is in Eastern European Time Zone (EET) and does observe daylight savings time during the summer months, so during this trip, you will be 7 hours ahead of EDT; 8 hours ahead of CDT; 9 hours ahead of MDT; and 10 hours ahead of PDT.

Health & Covid-19

Please use this link to view the latest Covid-19 regulations and restrictions in Greece: https://greecehealthfirst.gr/

Please be sure you are up to date on routine vaccinations and practice usual precautions while traveling (i.e. sunscreen, bug repellent, etc.) Greece's healthcare system is ranked number 14 in overall performance by the World Health Organization. If you regularly take a prescription drug, be sure to get that re-filled and bring it with you on your trip.

Driving

Vehicles drive on the right, overtake on the left in Greece. Overtaking is prohibited when approaching an unguarded level crossing and if the vehicle has stopped for safety reason.

Outside towns, traffic moving along a main road has priority at intersections. In towns, vehicles coming from the right have priority. Vehicles approaching roundabouts must give way to vehicles coming from the right. It is compulsory to wear seat belts on all seats equipped with a belt.

Compulsory papers:

• Personal ID
• Driving license
• Motor insurance certificate
• Vehicle registration or equivalent
• International Driving Permit (IDP)

The Greek police are authorized to impose fines in cases of violation of traffic regulations, but fines may not be collected on the spot by the police. Motorists must pay the fines within 10 days otherwise legal proceedings will be started.

Alcohol, drinking and driving

There is no legal drinking age in Greece if you are drinking in private. If you want to purchase alcohol and drink in public, you must be 18 years of age.

Legal limit: 0.05% (equivalent to 0.25mg per litre of breath). If the amount of blood alcohol is 0.05% or over, this constitutes a criminal offence and penalties are imposed.

A lower limit of 0.02% (0.10 mg per litre of breath) applies to novice drivers who have held a driving license for less than 2 years, to motorcyclists and to drivers of commercial or business vehicles.

Car rentals

There are car rental services at airports, international rail terminals and in the main towns and cities.
Drivers with mobility difficulties, or anyone who prefers to, can rent automatic or adapted vehicles.

To rent a car you must:

• be at least between 18 years old, drivers under age 25 may incur a young driver surcharge
• show identification (identity card for EU citizens or a valid passport for other nationalities)
• valid driving license and proof of insurance
• Greek law requires an IDP (International Driving Permit); you should obtain an IDP before leaving the U.S. (AAA and American Automobile Touring Alliance are authorized organizations to issue international permits)

*Note: You will not need a car for the Allied portion of your trip. If you decide to extend your stay and are thinking about renting a car, please be aware that driving in Greece is a lot different than driving in the United States with a lot of unwritten rules and motor-bikes cutting through traffic.

Cell Phones

Your cell phone should work in Greece without problems. You will want to upgrade to an international plan during your visit to Greece. For more information, please check with your cell phone provider or if you are on the Allied plan, reach out to Larry Hinds for international access.

Interesting Facts

• Greek's capital, Athens, has been standing for over 7,000 years, making it one of Europe's oldest cities.
• Tourism comprises approximately 15% of Greece's total nominal GDP. Over 16 million people visit the country each year.
• Greece follows a unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, and they elect a President and a Prime Minister every five years.
• Greece's official name is the Hellenic Republic.
• The Olympics originated in Greece, and were first held in Olympia to honor the Greek God of Zeus.
• Every man in Greece over the age of 18 must serve in the Greek National Forces for at least one year.
• The national anthem of Greece has 158 different verses.
• Feta cheese is the national cheese of the country, and Greeks will eat it on almost anything. It is eaten so much, that Greeks eat more feta cheese than any other country.
• When a couple gets engaged, it is custom that the future groom asks the bride's father for her hand in marriage. Once the couple is engaged, they both wear wedding rings on their left hands, and once they are married, they switch the rings to their right hands.
• Many Greeks believe that spitting can shoo the devil and evil spirits away. Whenever someone brings bad news to the family, members of the family will often spit three times in order to make the misfortune go away.
• Many doors, window frames and furniture are painted a turquoise blue. This is because ancient Greeks believed that turquoise would keep evil spirits and bad news away.
• In 500 B.C. the first city dump was organized in Greece. It was the first city-wide trash collection in the world.
• The Greek language has been spoken for over 3,000 years. It is one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe.
• After someone gives a compliment to another person in Greece, they will blow a small puff of air on them in order to ward off any evil spirits.
• Greece has one of the longest coastlines in Europe.
• One of the deepest gorges in the world, Vikos Gorge, is located in Greece. It is 3,600 feet deep.
• Approximately, four-fifths of Greece is mountainous.
• According to mythology, Mt. Olympus in Greece was home to ancient gods.
• Even though there are over 2,000 Greek islands, less than 200 are inhabited.
• Approximately 7% of the world's marble comes from Greece.
• Greece produces over 300,000 tons of olive oil per year.
• Waving with an open palm is considered an insult in this country.
• While Americans believe that Friday the 13th is bad luck, Greeks believe Tuesday the 13th is an unlucky day.
• Ancient Greeks invented theater, and the comedy and drama genres were first seen in this country.