Planning a trip to Greece can be quite simple. But there are always those things that you really wish you had known before (especially if you’ve ever encountered different types of toilets abroad). Here are some surprising, cultural and practical tips to help you get around Greece.
Greeks speak Greek and English
Greeks speak Greek. But since all schoolchildren begin to learn English in the third grade, most Greeks under the age of 40 will also know English. Those in the tourism industry, especially in places favored by foreign tourists, generally have a good command of English, as well as some other languages. The language barrier will not be a big problem for you on your journey, and if you learn the letters of the Greek alphabet, you will be one step ahead.
Motorcycles and scooters can be dangerous
Little compares to the feeling of freedom that renting a motorcycle or scooter on your trip to Greece can bring you. However, wild and curvy roads, uneven surfaces, slow-moving farm vehicles, and fast-driving Greeks can also make this a very dangerous activity. Wear your helmet and stay alert; even driving in Greece is challenging.
Greek baths are quirky
Greek plumbing has apparently gone downhill since Minoan times, when toilets were developed in 2000 BC. C. The modern Greek plumbing system is (or is believed to be) incapable of handling toilet paper. Yes, you read that right. The Greek method is to do your business in the bathroom, but put the paper in the nearby bin.
This sounds a lot worse than it is in practice, but it’s still puzzling to many travelers used to flushing toilet paper, um, the toilet. If you forget it, don’t catch it, but for the sake of your hotel owner or restaurateur, try to throw it away.
The unusual bathroom doesn’t end there. Sometimes it will take detective skills to figure out how to empty it. If you are traveling out of the ordinary, it can be a button, a pull chain, a button on an elevated tank, a standard dump, a pedal dump, or many other variants.
Most modern toilets have a roughly oblong two-button area. This is actually a green device that allows you to select a “big blush” or a “small blush” depending on the need.
Arrive early and ready to wait
Time is relative in Greece, even when it comes to buses, trains, hydrofoils, and ferries. While everyone more or less hopes such things can come late under normal circumstances, they can run early in Greece as well. Sometimes there is a good reason, like a hydrofoil leaving a few minutes early because the weather is changing and they want to get to the next port as quickly as possible. If you are one of those people who is always early everywhere “just in case,” you may find it to be a valuable trait in Greece. But it will be more than compensated for an approximately equal number of times that the vehicle in question is late.
Don’t frown at the last person to board the plane
It’s easy to put a less than welcoming expression on your face when that last sweaty person you’ve seemingly been waiting for the past ten minutes finally walks up to the door. But the truth is, that poor person just went through airport hell through no fault of his own.
They have been innocently put on hold and then delayed until almost the time of departure, when an agent at the gate suddenly generates their documents with a flourish, shoves them into their hands and says “Go! Go! The plane is about to leave! They send the innocent victim through the airport, through security, and finally on the last sprint to the gate bus and all those scowling faces, usually as the sinister announcements over the loudspeaker impatiently request their immediate presence at the gate. door by name.
To make this situation worse, the airline may not have compassionately waited for a previously booked customer to show up. In Greece, some short hop planes heading to islands with short runways literally don’t know how many passengers they will take until they have calculated the weight of the luggage. In that case, the baggage crew generates another last minute “Yes! We have space! ” message and launches the entire burst described above.
Street crime in Athens
Athens is one of the safest capitals of the world, but does that mean it’s perfectly safe? Not quite. Pickpockets, in particular, seem to be getting more and more active, but a little caution can go a long way in keeping your vacation safe.
There are ways to minimize the threat of your pocket being pulled. Everyone should carry their valuables close to them. One option is to carry valuables, including your passport, in a sturdy security wallet under your belt. Men should never carry a wallet in a back pocket. Keep your valuables hidden.
