About Greece

Greece: the Inspirational Destination

Mouzenidis Travel invites you to enjoy carefree holidays in Greece - one of the most picturesque and hospitable countries of the world.

Greece is the quintessential island villages, vibrant nightclubs of Mykonos, the snow - white volcanic Santorini and the ancient grandeur of Parthenon; the rugged coasts of Crete and lush forests, carpeted with wildflowers. It is the sunny islands, traditional dances and delicious cuisine, cozy kafeneia (coffee shops) and seaside fish tavernas.

Greece is a real paradise with developed tourist infrastructure. It’s a country with a mild climate, wonderful nature and stunning scenery, including crystal clear water, green mountains and excellent beaches.

General information

Capital and the largest city: Athens
Official language: Greek
Currency: euro (€ EUR)
Time zone: GMT +2
Climate: moderate Mediterranean
Population: 11,032,328 people
Government: Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
Calling code: +30
Driving side: drive on the right   

Geography 
Greece is a mountainous peninsula in Southeast Europe strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa. It covers a total area of 130,800 sq km. The country is washed by the Mediterranean, Ionian and Aegean Seas. The highest peak of Greece is Mount Olympus (2917 m).
There are about 1400 islands in Greece, covering one fifth of the country's area. Only 169 islands are inhabited. The country's population is about 11 million people. Athens, the nation's capital hosts about 4 million people. The north capital of Greece and the second largest city is Thessaloniki.

Politics
Greece is officially called the Hellenic Republic. It is a parliamentary republic with the President, Head of State, elected by the Parliament every five years and the Prime Minister, Head of Government.

Language 
Greek is the only official language of the country. However, the majority of young people speak fluent English. 

Religion
98% of the Greeks belong to the Orthodox Church. Other confessions are Roman Catholics, Muslims and Jews. 

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin plugs are used. Travellers from North America require a transformer, while the British visitors - an adaptor. 

Time

In summer the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3).

After the summer months the time is shifted back by 1 hour to Eastern European Time (EET) or (GMT+2).

Mobile networks & Internet

The network coverage is quite good in most parts of the country, except for several mountainous areas and small islands. The main operators are Vodafone, Cosmote, Wind and Q. Internet is available in all the cities and tourist areas. Today there are plenty of Wi Fi spots throughout the country. 

Tipping

Tips for the waiters are typically 5-10% of the order, but it is only the good will of the client. Tips for the taxi drivers are not accepted.

Working Hours

Banks and official institutions work from 08.00 till 14.00, Monday - Thursday (Friday – till 13.30).

Shops are usually open:

Monday, Wednesday, Saturday: from 09.00 to 15.00

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: from 09.00 to 14.00 and from 18.00 to 21.00

However, in tourist areas in high season, most shops stay open all day long, from early in the morning till late in the evening. In big cities shopping malls also stay open all day.