DIRECTORY A-Z
INTERNET ACCESS
that a good health-insurance
policy is essential.» (^) If you need an ambulance
in Greece call %166.
» (^) There is at least one doctor
on every island and larger
islands have hospitals.
» (^) Pharmacies can dispense
medicines that are available
only on prescription in most
European countries.
» (^) Consult a pharmacist for
minor ailments.
Environmental
Hazards
» (^) Dangerous snakes include
the adder and the less com-
mon viper and coral snakes.
To minimise the possibilities
of being bitten, always wear
boots, socks and long trou-
sers when walking through
undergrowth where snakes
may be present.
» (^) Mosquitoes can be an
annoying problem, though
there is no danger of con-
tracting malaria. The electric
plug-in mosquito repellents
are usually suffi cient to keep
the insects at bay at night.
Choose accommodation that
has fl yscreen on the windows
wherever possible. Some
mosquitoes in northern
Greece can provoke a severe
reaction. The Asian tiger
mosquito (Aedes albopic-
tus) may be encountered in
mountainous areas, can be
a voracious daytime biter,
and is known to carry several
viruses, including Eastern
equine encephalitis, which
can aff ect the central nerv-
ous system and cause severe
complications and death.
Use protective sprays or
lotion if you suspect you are
being bitten during the day.
Insurance
If you’re an EU citizen, a Euro-
pean Health Insurance Card
(EHIC; formerly the E111)
covers you for most medi-
cal care but not emergency
repatriation home or non-
emergencies. It is available
from health centres, and post
offi ces in the UK. Citizens
from other countries should
fi nd out if there is a reciprocal
arrangement for free medical
care between their country
and Greece. If you do need
health insurance, make sure
you get a policy that covers
you for the worst possible
scenario, such as an accident
requiring an emergency fl ight
home. Find out in advance if
your insurance plan will make
payments directly to provid-
ers or reimburse you later for
overseas health expenditures.
Worldwide travel insurance
is available at http://www.lonely
planet.com/travel_services.
You can buy, extend and
claim online anytime – even if
you’re already on the road.
Water
Tap water is drinkable and
safe in much of Greece but
not always in small villages
and on some of the islands.
Always ask locally if the water
is safe and, if in doubt, drink
boiled or bought water. Even
when water is safe, the sub-
stances and microbacteria in
it may be diff erent than you
are used to and can cause
vomiting or diarrhoea. Bot-
tled water is widely available.
Internet Access
Greece has long since em-
braced the convenience
of the internet. There has
been a huge increase in the
number of hotels and busi-
nesses using the internet,
and internet cafes are eve-
rywhere. Many hotels also
off er wi-fi access, although
hot spots are often located in
the lobby rather than in your
room. You’ll also fi nd many
cafes off ering wi-fi.
Legal Matters
Arrests
It is a good idea to have your
passport with you at all times
in case you are stopped by
the police and questioned.
Greek citizens are presumed
to always have identifi cation
on them; foreign visitors are
similarly presumed to by the
police. If you are arrested by
police insist on an interpreter
(the-lo dhi-ermi-nea) and/or
a lawyer (the-lo dhi-ki-go-ro).
Drugs
Greek drug laws are the
strictest in Europe. Greek
courts make no distinction
between possession and
pushing. Possession of even
a small amount of marijuana
is likely to land you in jail.
Maps
Unless you are going to hike
or drive, the free maps given
out by the EOT will probably
suffi ce, although they are
not 100% accurate. The best
overall maps for coverage are
published by the Greek com-
pany Road Editions (% 210
345 5575; http://www.road.gr; Kozanis
21, cnr Amfi poleos, Votanikos,
Athens), whose maps are
produced with the assist-
ance of the Hellenic Army
Geographical Service. Motor-
ists should check out the
company’s 1:250,000 series
covering Thrace, Macedonia,
Thessaly and Epiros, Central
Greece, the Peloponnese
and Crete. The company
also produces a Greek island
series and a Greek mountain
series, which is essential for
any serious hiking.
Hikers should also con-
sider the To p o series pub-
lished by Anavasi (% 210
321 8104; http://www.mountains.gr;
Stoa Arsakiou 6a, Athens), with
durable plasticised paper
and detailed walking trails for
many of the Aegean islands.
Emvelia (%210 771 7616; http://www.
emvelia.gr; Navarinou 12, Ath-
ens) publishes detailed maps,
including some excellent
plans of the region’s main
towns, each with a handy
index booklet. All maps can
be bought online or at major
bookstores in Greece.
Money
ATMs
ATMs are found in every
town large enough to sup-
port a bank and in almost all