Directory Tab 715
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© Lonely Planet Publications 715 THUMB TAB DIRECTORY DIRECTORY D i r e c t o r y CONTENTS PRACTICALITIES Greece is two hours ahead of GMT/UTC Accommodation 715 and three hours ahead during daylight Activities 717 saving time. Business Hours 719 Children 719 Use the metric system for weights and Climate Charts 720 measures. Courses 721 Plug your electrical appliances into a Customs 721 two-pin adaptor before plugging into Dangers & Annoyances 722 the electricity supply (220V AC, 50Hz). Discount Cards 722 Keep up with Greek current affairs by Embassies & Consulates 722 reading the daily English-language Festivals & Events 723 edition of Kathimerini that comes with Food 725 the International Herald Tribune. Gay & Lesbian Travellers 725 Holidays 725 Channel hop through a choice of nine Insurance 725 free-to-air TV channels and an assort- Internet Access 726 ment of pay TV channels. Legal Matters 726 Be aware that Greece is region Maps 726 code 2 when you buy DVDs to watch Money 727 back home. Photography & Video 728 Post 728 Shopping 729 modation owners will charge the maximum Solo Travellers 729 price, but in spring and autumn, prices will Telephone 729 drop by up to 20%, and perhaps by even more Time 730 in winter. Toilets 730 Rip-offs rarely occur, but if you do suspect Tourist Information 730 that you have been exploited by an accom- Travellers with Disabilities 731 modation owner, make sure you report it to Visas 731 either the tourist police or the regular police, Women Travellers 731 and they will act swiftly. Work 731 Throughout this book we have divided ac- commodation into budget (up to €60), mid- range (€60 to €150) and top end categories ACCOMMODATION (€150+). This is a per-person rate in high sea- There is a range of accommodation avail- son (July and August). Unless otherwise stated, able in Greece to suit every taste and pocket. all rooms have private bathroom facilities. All places to stay are subject to strict price controls set by the tourist police. By law, a notice must be displayed in every room, which BOOK ACCOMMODATION ONLINE states the category of the room and the price For more accommodation reviews and rec- charged in each season. The price includes a ommendations by Lonely Planet authors, 4.5% community tax and 8% VAT. check out the online booking service at Accommodation owners may add a 10% www.lonelyplanet.com. You’ll find the true, surcharge for a stay of less than three nights, insider lowdown on the best places to stay. but this is not mandatory. A mandatory Reviews are thorough and independent. charge of 20% is levied if an extra bed is put Best of all, you can book online. into a room. During July and August, accom- 716 DIRECTORY •• Accommodation lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com DIRECTORY •• Activities 717 DIRECTORY DIRECTORY It’s difficult to generalise accommodation on the class, whether bathrooms are shared Prices are controlled by the tourist police ACTIVITIES prices in Greece as rates depend entirely on or private, the season and how long you plan and the maximum rate that can be charged for Diving & Snorkelling the season and location. Don’t expect to pay to stay. Domatia are found throughout the a room must be displayed on a board behind Snorkelling can be enjoyed just about any- the same price for a double on one of the mainland (except in large cities) and on al- the door of each room. The classification is where along the coast of Greece. Especially DIRECTORY DIRECTORY islands as you would in central Greece or most every island that has a permanent popu- not often much of a guide to price. Rates in good places are Ammoöpi ( p537) in southern even Athens. lation. Many are open only between April D- and E-class hotels are generally compa- Karpathos, Velanio ( p663 ) on Skopelos and and October. rable with domatia. You can pay from €35 Paleokastritsa ( p687 ) on Corfu. Camping From June to September domatia own- to €60 for a single in high season in C class Diving is another matter. Any kind of Camping is a good option, especially in sum- ers are out in force, touting for customers. and €45 to €80 for a double. Prices in B class under water activity using breathing appara- mer. There are almost 350 camping grounds They meet buses and boats, shouting ‘Room, range from €50 to €80 for singles, and from tus is strictly forbidden other than under the in Greece in almost every location – with the room!’ and often carrying photographs of €90 to €120 for doubles. A-class prices are not supervision of a diving school. This law exists notable exception of the Saronic Gulf islands – their rooms. In peak season, it can prove a much higher. to protect the many antiquities in the depths and a lot of them are situated in great loca- mistake not to take up an offer – but be wary of the Aegean. There are diving schools on tions. Standard facilities include hot showers, of owners who are vague about the location Mountain Refuges the islands of Corfu ( p687), in Agios Nikolaos kitchens, restaurants and minimarkets – and of their accommodation. There are 55 mountain refuges dotted around and Rethymno ( p479) on Crete, Evia ( p650), often a swimming pool. the Greek mainland, Crete and Evia. They Hydra ( p357 ), Leros ( p576 ), Milos ( p440 ), Most camping grounds are open only Hostels range from small huts with outdoor toilets and Mykonos, Paros, Rhodes, Santorini and Skia- between April and October. The Panhellenic There is only one youth hostel in Greece affili- no cooking facilities to very comfortable mod- thos ( p659 ), Glyfada ( p126 ) near Athens, and Camping Association (Map pp104-5 ; %/fax 210 362 ated to the International Youth Hostel Federa- ern lodges. They are run by the country’s vari- Parga (Epiros) on the mainland. 1560; www.panhellenic-camping-union.gr; Solonos 102, tion (IYHF), the Athens International Youth ous mountaineering and skiing clubs. Prices Athens) publishes an annual booklet listing Hostel ( p131 ). You don’t need a membership start at around €7, depending on the facilities. Hiking all its camping grounds, their facilities and card to stay there; temporary membership The EOT ( Greek National Tourist Organiza- More than half of Greece is mountainous. months of operation. costs €1.80 per day. tion) publication Greece: Mountain Refuges It would be a hikers’ paradise but for one Camping fees are highest from 15 June Most other youth hostels in Greece are run & Ski Centres has details about each refuge; drawback – many of the paths in Greece are through to the end of August. Most camping by the Greek Youth Hostel Organisation (Map p100 ; copies are available at all EOT branches. See overgrown and inadequately marked. Like all grounds charge from €5 to €7 per adult and €3 %210 751 9530; www.athens-yhostel.com; Damareos 75, Ath- p730 for more information on EOT. organisations in Greece, EOS (Greek Alpine Club; to €4 for children aged four to 12. There’s no ens). There are affiliated hostels in Athens, Ol- %210 321 2429; Plateia Kapnikareas 2, Athens) is grossly charge for children aged under four. Tent sites ympia, Patra and Thessaloniki on the mainland, Pensions underfunded. But don’t be put off by this, cost from €4 per night for small tents, and from and on the islands of Crete and Santorini. Pensions are indistinguishable from hotels. as the most popular routes are well walked €5 per night for large tents. Caravan sites start Hostel rates vary from €8 to €11 for a bed in They are divided into A, B or C class. An and maintained. You’ll find EOS branches in at around €6; car costs are typically €4 to €5. a dorm and you don’t have to be a member to A-class pension is equivalent in amenities Epiros ( p329 ), Crete ( p479 ) and Evia. See p726 Between May and mid-September the stay in any of them. Few have curfews. and price to a B-class hotel, a B-class pen- for information on hiking maps. weather is warm enough to sleep out under sion is equivalent to a C-class hotel and a On small islands it can be fun to discover the stars. Many camping grounds have cov- Hotels C-class pension is equivalent to a D- or E- pathways for yourself. You are unlikely to ered areas where tourists who don’t have tents Hotels in Greece are divided into six catego- class hotel. get into danger as settlements or roads are can sleep in summer; you can get by with a ries: deluxe, A, B, C, D and E. Hotels are cat- never far away. You will encounter a variety of lightweight sleeping bag. It’s a good idea to egorised according to the size of the room, Rental Accommodation paths; kalderimia are the cobbled or flagstone have a foam pad to lie on and a waterproof whether or not they have a bar, and the ratio A really practical way to save on money and paths that link settlements and date back to cover for your sleeping bag. of bathrooms to beds, rather than standards of maximise comfort is to rent a furnished apart- Byzantine times. Sadly, many have been bull- cleanliness, comfort of the beds and friendli- ment or villa. Many are purpose-built for tour- dozed to make way for new roads. Other paths Domatia ness of staff – all elements that may be of ists while others – villas in particular – may include shepherd’s trails or monopatia that Domatia (literally ‘rooms’) are the Greek greater relevance to guests.