Since temperatures in the United States operate on the Fahrenheit scale, while those in Greece operate on the Celsius scale, you will need to know how to make simple conversions between these two measurement systems before you travel to properly pack for your trip.
Let’s say tomorrow it will be 24 degrees Celsius in Athens, Greece. Do you take a sweater or take off your bathing suit? An easy way to find out is to subtract two from the degrees Celsius, multiply the result by 2, and add 30 to the product. For the case of 24 degrees Celsius, you must subtract two (22), then multiply by 2 (44), then add 30 to get 74 F.
On the other hand, converting from Fahrenheit to Celsius requires that you first subtract 30 from the number, then divide the result by 2, and finally add 2 to that quotient, basically the opposite of converting from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
However, keep in mind that these simple conversions only get you within a few degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius of the actual temperature, which should give you a basic idea of what the weather requires in terms of clothing.
Exact conversions between Fahrenheit and Celsius
If you prefer to know the exact Greek temperatures in Fahrenheit (and you don’t want to use an online converter or app that provides the temperature in Fahrenheit), you can accurately convert from Celsius by multiplying the degrees by 9/5 and then adding 32 to the result.
(9/5) C + 32 = F
To convert degrees Fahrenheit back to degrees Celsius by this method, you would first subtract 32 degrees Fahrenheit, then multiply the result by 5/9.
(F-32) * 5/9 = C
Alternatively, if you just want a simple way of knowing what to pack, you can find out the average temperatures and weather conditions you can expect throughout the year in Greece. Or, if you bring your smartphone with you in Greece, check those roaming charges and international data plans and then download a simple temperature converter app.
Other conversions to travel to Greece
Degrees are not the only units of measurement that must be converted when traveling from the United States to Greece. You will also need to know how to convert currency values between US dollars and the Greek euro; American miles to European kilometers; and even US ounces, pints, and quarts to Greek liters and milliliters.
Fortunately, not many travel details in Greece require such mathematical skill, but it can still be helpful to know how to figure out a few things on your own. You may want to learn how to roughly calculate the current dollar-euro or other exchange rates in your head, as these may be convenient when shopping; However, you can also find cell phone apps online that make doing so very easy.
When trying to calculate distance, keep in mind that miles are longer than kilometers – one kilometer equals approximately 0.6214 miles. While a day trip outside of Athens may seem 50 kilometers distant, for example, it’s actually just over 30 miles from the city. Whether you’re taking a short trip around Greece or planning to fly from one of its many airports, you’ll want to know how far you need to go in a measurement system that you can understand.
