Greece is a paradise for tourists with a variety of preferences: it is best suited for beach lovers, connoisseurs of antiquities and classics, and it is also a mandatory country to visit for everyone who is interested in where Western civilization originated. An amazing combination of architectural monuments and excellent beaches, ancient excavations and olive groves, the hospitality of locals and breathtaking views will make your stay in Greece unforgettable. Local landscapes painted with sunlight - blue sea bays, snow-white fishing villages - will seem unrealistically bright to you, as if they were paintings by a skillful artist.
Greece is the cradle of ancient civilization, the world cultural treasury, the birthplace of the Olympic Games and great heroes. In a few days of vacation, you will get used to the fact that you have come to an unusual place and stop distinguishing between reality and myths. On that mountain magnified by Parnassus, it turns out that the god Apollo was having fun with his muses, in this shady grove Hercules overcame a terrible monster, and in that spring at the foot of the mountain the soothsayers of fate - Pythia - were washed. Myths familiar from childhood acquire such real features here that you are not surprised by anything.
The gentle sun, which shines here 300 days a year, does not bypass any of the thousands of Greek islands. Among them are large as whole countries, and very small, uninhabited rocky islands that disappear at high tide.
Greek beaches, the length of which is as much as 13,676 km in the country, are considered the best in the world. 400 Greek beaches are marked with the honorary Blue Flag - a kind of quality mark, which is awarded only to the cleanest and most comfortable places of recreation.
In Greece, you need to enjoy everything at once: food and wine, sea and midday heat, communication with locals and nature, antiquities and silence, discos and fun.
Tours to Greece are a combination of warm azure sea, gentle sun, endless beaches, natural beauty and historical sights. Let's add comfortable hotels, developed tourist infrastructure, excellent roads. Let's not forget the boundless cordiality of local residents, colorful folk holidays with songs and dances, the most useful (and delicious!) I'm eating in the world with tart young wine...
Holidays in Greece are chosen by tourists who want to fully taste all the charms of a beach holiday "Mediterranean" and enjoy an impressive historical excursion program, while being among like-minded people, feeling their own among their own.
The island of Rhodes is famous for the best beaches on the Mediterranean coast and comfortable hotels with a high level of service. It was here that Hippocrates was born, Cicero and Julius Caesar learned the sciences. And the city of Rhodes is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. In the stone alleys of its old part, you can wander for hours, then wandering into quiet courtyards, then again joining the crowd of tourists.
The island of Crete is the largest island in Greece. The eastern tip of the island is the most civilized and equipped. Here are the main tourist areas - Chersonesos, Malia and Agios Nicholas. On the west bank there are picturesque "Venetian" cities such as Rethymno and Chania, which amaze with a fantastic combination of Venetian and Greek architecture. Heraklion is the capital of the island of Crete, a cultural center, world famous for its Archaeological Museum, which presents the treasures of the Palace of Knossos. According to legend, Zeus, the king of the gods, was born and fed in Crete. The Minos Palace and the Labyrinth were erected on the island, where the Minotaur lived - a monster that devours people. The ruins of this architectural ensemble are one of the most visited open-air archaeological museums by tourists. The climate of the island of Crete is considered one of the mildest and healthiest in Europe.
Kos Island is one of the greenest islands in Greece, and it is often called an ecological "reserve". Travelers love Kos for the blooming gardens and olive groves, pine forests and spruce forests, amazing golden beaches washed by the waters of the cleanest sea. Holidays on the island of Kos are ideal for family holidays.
The island of Corfu is able to surprise any connoisseur of beach holidays with its beauty and amazing conditions created by nature itself. Sandy and pebble beaches, sun-drenched, stunning fragrant air, clean blue sea, ideal for swimming, charming tiny bays with crystal water - this resort island is literally designed for relaxation.
Capital: Athens.
Climate: subtropical Mediterranean. Summers are dry and hot, the average daily temperature in July-August is +25-28 C. The hottest and driest month is August. Winter is mild, but rainy. The tourist season lasts from April to October.
Official language: Modern Greek. English, German, French and Italian are spoken in tourist areas. In hotels and shops you can often find Russian-speaking staff.
Currency: euro. It is most profitable to change currency in exchange offices. This can be done right at the airport, where the rate is lower than in many banks, but higher than in hotels. Visa, Dinners, MasterCard and American Express credit cards are accepted at almost all hotels, shops, car rental points. Traveler's checks are exchanged in banks and representative offices of the relevant companies, but the commission is quite high. Banks are open from 8.00 to 14.00, on Fridays they close at 13:30. Moreover, some central banks are also open on Saturdays, but only for currency exchange.
Customs: the import of foreign currency is not limited, to enter the country you must have a currency at the rate of 50 EUR per person on the day of stay. Cash can be checked at Greek customs. Duty-free import of up to 10 kg of food and beverages, up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, up to a liter of strong alcoholic beverages or 2 liters of wine, as well as gifts in the amount of no more than 150 euros is allowed. It is forbidden to import drugs and narcotic drugs, weapons and ammunition without special permission, poisonous substances and plants in the ground. It is forbidden to export antiquities from the country, including stones from archaeological excavations, as well as objects found at the bottom of the sea.
Transport: for long-distance trips, you can use buses that stop in almost every locality. Tickets and schedules will be found at any kiosk and bus stations. We recommend a taxi to move around the city, as city buses are often crowded. Taxis are usually paid by the meter (on average 1 km = 1 euro), but sometimes contractual prices are also practiced (the price should be agreed before the start of the trip). There is a double rate at night.
Shops, shopping: shops are open from 9:00 to 14:00 (summer - from 8:30) and from 17:30 to 20:30 (summer - until 21:00). In tourist centers, shops can be open until late in the evening and seven days a week. Shopping tours to Greece are especially popular. In Greece, they make high-quality and diverse jewelry made of gold and silver. As cheaper souvenirs, they usually buy statuettes made of marble and alabaster, "red-figure" and "black-figure" vases, as well as other ceramics, lace and embroidery. One of the main products that tourists buy in Greece is olive oil. You can buy it both in supermarkets and directly at the airport in the Duty-free store. It is also worth paying attention to such products: honey, olives, ouzo. Very often these products replace tourists with souvenirs and gifts for friends and acquaintances. When buying fur products in Greece, it is necessary to take a check from the store and keep it for presentation at customs.
Cuisine, restaurants: a feature of Greek cuisine is its "naturalness" and "usefulness". A large number of dishes made of vegetables, seafood, fish and natural meat, the process of cooking which is simplified as much as possible. This makes it possible to make food healthy. If you doubt the veracity of what has been said, just look at what the Greeks look like in old age and think about why they can only be given sixty at the age of eighty. Fish and seafood are the main trump card of local cooks. "See food" - octopuses, squid, shrimps, lobsters, cuttlefish - are served in a wide variety of options - hot and cold, fried and stuffed, dried and smoked, salted and pickled. As an independent dish or as a filling. It is difficult to imagine a Greek meal without the meat of a young lamb, the favorite dish of the Greeks is a juicy baked lamb leg. From meat dishes, you should definitely try "musaka" - a casserole of thin slices of eggplant and tomato, minced lamb with the addition of kefalotiri cheese, sheep cheese and herbs, shish kebab "suvlaki", veal with garlic sauce and white wine "sofrito".
Wine and coffee can be considered national drinks. Greek wines are famous for their unsurpassed qualities.
Among other strong drinks, the most famous are kumquat liqueur, "metax" cognac, grape vodka "crai" and anise vodka "uzo".
Making coffee is a real ritual that is a matter of national pride. It is always prepared from freshly ground grains - thick, strong with tart foam on the surface. Greek desserts 2000 years ago were sung by Sophocles himself in his plays. Candied fruits, products made of thin puff pastry, sprinkled with syrup, almond pastille "mandolato" and "lukum", yogurt with honey, cakes with almonds and chocolate, huge pies and, of course, baklava with nuts... This is not a complete list of local delicacies.
The average bill in restaurants for lunch or dinner with wine will be 10-15 euros per person. And, as a rule, it already includes 10% of the tip. However, if desired, you can add a little more if you are satisfied with the service.
Rent a car in Greece: to rent a car in Greece, you must have an international driver's license, age not less than 25 and not more than 70 years, driving experience from 3 years. A credit card will be required everywhere except island Greece. In private rental offices, the requirements are somewhat simpler. At the rental office, we recommend that you carefully read the terms of the insurance policy: it must cover damage to a third party, apply to car theft and not have a franchise.
Safety: Greece is characterized by a low level of attack. As everywhere else, we recommend using the hotel safes to store valuables, and changing money only in banks or exchange offices.
Communication, Internet: the telephone code of Greece is 30. You can call any country from the worlds both from the hotel and from any payphone (which are located at every step and calls from which are much cheaper) using the phone card (in Greek - "telecard"). "Telecards" are sold in any kiosk (Greek kiosk - "periptero"). Some hotels provide Internet access. As a rule, all major cities have Internet cafes.
Beaches: all beaches in Greece are municipal. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for an additional fee (about 4 euros per day), although many hotels put free sunbeds and umbrellas.