DIRECTORY A-ZPHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOthe tourist areas. If you’ve
got MasterCard or Visa,
there are plenty of places to
withdraw money. Cirrus and
Maestro users can make
withdrawals in all major
towns and tourist areas.
Also be aware that many
ATMs on the islands can
lose their connection for a
day or two at a time, making
it impossible for anyone (lo-
cals included) to withdraw
money. It’s useful to have a
backup source of money.
Automated foreign-ex-
change machines are com-
mon in major tourist areas.
They take all the major Euro-
pean currencies, Australian
and US dollars and Japanese
yen, and are useful in an
emergency, although they
charge a hefty commission.
Cash
Nothing beats cash for con-
venience – or for risk. If you
lose cash, it’s gone for good
and very few travel insurers
will come to your rescue.
Those that will normally limit
the amount to approximately
US$300. It’s best to carry
no more cash than you need
for the next few days. It’s
also a good idea to set aside
a small amount of cash, say
US$100, as an emergency
stash.
Note that Greek shop-
keepers and small-business
owners have a perennial
problem with having any
small change. If buying small
items it is better to tender
coins or small-denomination
notes.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are now an
accepted part of the com-
mercial scene in Greece,
although they’re often not
accepted on many of the
smaller islands or in small vil-
lages. In larger places, credit
cards can be used at top-
end hotels, restaurants and
shops. Some C-class hotels
will accept credit cards, but
D- and E-class hotels very
seldom do.
The main credit cards are
MasterCard and Visa, both
of which are widely accepted
in Greece. They can also be
used as cash cards to draw
cash from the ATMs of af-
fi liated Greek banks in the
same way as at home. Daily
withdrawal limits are set by
the issuing bank and are
given in local currency only.
American Express and Diners
Club are widely accepted in
tourist areas but unheard of
elsewhere.Tipping
In restaurants a service
charge is normally included
in the bill, and while a tip
is not expected (as it is in
North America), it is always
appreciated and should be
left if the service has been
good. Taxi drivers normally
expect you to round up the
fare, while bellhops who help
you with your luggage to
your hotel room or stewards
on ferries who take you to
your cabin normally expect a
small gratuity of between €1
and €3.Travellers Cheques
The main reason to carry
travellers cheques rather
than cash is the protection
they off er against theft. They
are, however, losing popular-
ity as more and more travel-
lers opt to put their money in
a bank at home and withdraw
it at ATMs as they go.
American Express, Visa
and Thomas Cook cheques
are available in euros and
are all widely accepted and
have effi cient replacement
policies. Maintaining a recordof the cheque numbers and
recording when you use
them is vital when it comes
to replacing lost cheques –
keep this separate from the
cheques themselves.Photography &
Video» (^) Digital memory cards are
readily available from camera
stores.
» (^) Film is still widely available,
although it can be expensive
in smaller towns.
Restrictions &
Etiquette
» (^) Never photograph a mili-
tary installation or anything
else that has a sign forbid-
ding photography.
» (^) Flash photography is not
allowed inside churches,
and it’s considered taboo to
photograph the main altar.
» (^) Greeks usually love hav-
ing their photos taken, but
always ask permission fi rst.
» (^) At archaeological sites you
will be stopped from using
a tripod as it marks you as a
‘professional’.
Public Holidays
» (^) All banks and shops and
most museums and ancient
sites close on public holidays.
» (^) Many sites (including the
ancient sites in Athens) off er
free entry on the fi rst Sunday
of the month, with the
exception of July and August.
You may also gain free entry
on other locally celebrated
holidays, although this varies
across the country.
National public holidays:
New Year’s Day 1 January
Epiphany 6 January
First Sunday in Lent
February
Greek Independence Day
25 March
Good Friday March/April
Orthodox Easter Sunday
15 April 2012, 5 May 2013,
20 April 2014, 12 April 2015
WITHDRAWALS
Be warned that many
card companies can put
an auto matic block on
your card after your fi rst
withdrawal abroad as an
antifraud mechanism.
To avoid this happen-
ing, inform your bank of
your travel plans.