Fast Facts

ATMs -- Automated teller machines are increasingly common at banks throughout Athens. The National Bank of Greece operates a 24-hour ATM in Syntagma Square.

A Warning About ATMs -- It is not a good idea to rely on exclusive use of ATMs in Athens, since the machines here are often out of service when you need them most, particularly on holidays or during bank strikes.

If your PIN includes letters, be sure that you know their numerical equivalent, as Greek ATMs do not have letters.

Banks -- Banks are generally open Monday through Thursday from 8am to 2pm and Friday from 8am to 1:30pm. In summer, the exchange office at the National Bank of Greece in Syntagma Square (tel. 210/334-0015) is open Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 6:30pm, Friday from 3 to 6:30pm, Saturday from 9am to 3pm, and Sunday from 9am to 1pm. Other centrally located banks include Citibank, in Syntagma Square (tel. 210/322-7471); Bank of America, 39 Panepistimiou (tel. 210/324-4975); and Barclays Bank, 15 Voukourestiou (tel. 210/364-4311). All banks are closed on the long list of Greek holidays. Most banks exchange currency at the rate set daily by the government. This rate is often more favorable than that offered at unofficial exchange bureaus. Still, a little comparison-shopping is worthwhile. Some hotels offer better-than-official rates, though only for cash, as do some stores, usually when you are making an expensive purchase.

Business Hours -- Even Greeks get confused by their complicated and changeable business hours. In winter, Athens's shops are generally open Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 5pm; Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am to 7pm; and Saturday from 8:30am to 3:30pm. In summer, shops are generally open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 8am to 3pm; and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8am to 2pm and 5:30 to 10pm.

Most food stores are open Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 4:30pm; Tuesday from 9am to 6pm; Thursday from 9:30am to 6:30pm; Friday from 9:30am to 7pm; and Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Many shops geared to tourists stay open late into the night -- but only if the shop-owner thinks that business will be good. In other words, the shop that was open late yesterday may close early today.

Dentists & Doctors -- Embassies may have lists of dentists and doctors. Some English-speaking physicians advertise in the daily Athens News.

Embassies & Consulates -- Locations are: Australia, 37 Leoforos Dimitriou Soutsou (tel. 210/870-4000); Canada, 4 Ioannou Yenadiou (tel. 210/727-3400 or 210/725-4011); Ireland, 7 Vas. Konstantinou (tel. 210/723-2771); New Zealand, Xenias 24, Ambelokipi (tel. 210/771-0112); South Africa, 60 Kifissias, Maroussi (tel. 210/680-6645); United Kingdom, 1 Ploutarchou (tel. 210/723-6211); United States, 91 Leoforos Vas. Sofias (tel. 210/721-2951, or 210/729-4301 for emergencies). Be sure to phone ahead before you go to any embassy; most keep limited hours and are usually closed on their own holidays as well as Greek ones.

Emergencies -- In an emergency, dial tel. 100 for the police and tel. 171 for the tourist police. Dial tel. 199 to report a fire and tel. 166 for an ambulance and the hospital. If you need an English-speaking doctor or dentist, call your embassy for advice, or try SOS Doctor (tel. 210/331-0310 or 210/331-0311). There are two medical hot lines for foreigners: tel. 210/721-2951 (day) and 210/729-4301 (night) for U.S. citizens; and tel. 210/723-6211 (day) and 210/723-7727 (night) for British citizens. The English-language Athens News (published Fri) lists some American- and British-trained doctors and hospitals offering emergency services. Most of the larger hotels can call a doctor for you in an emergency, and embassies will sometimes recommend local doctors.

KAT, the emergency hospital in Kifissia (tel. 210/801-4411 to -4419), and Asklepion Voulas, the emergency hospital in Voula (tel. 210/895-3416 to -3418), both have emergency rooms open 24 hours a day. Evangelismos, a respected centrally located hospital below the Kolonaki district on 9 Vas. Sophias (tel. 210/722-0101), usually has English-speaking staff on duty. If you need medical attention fast, don't waste time trying to call these hospitals: Just go. Their doors are open and they will see to you as soon as possible.

In addition, each major hospital takes its turn each day being on emergency duty. A recorded message in Greek at tel. 210/106 tells which hospital is open for emergency services and gives the telephone number.

Eyeglasses -- If anything happens to your glasses, Artemiadis, which has two branches (4 Hermou, Syntagma, tel. 210/323-8555; and 3 Stadiou, in the Kalliga Arcade, Syntagma, tel. 210/324-7043) as well as an e-mail address, info@artemiadis.gr, offers next-day, sometimes even same-day, replacement service, as does Optical, 2 Patriarchou Ioakim, Kolonaki (tel. 210/724-3564). Both sell sunglasses and have English-speaking staff.

Hospitals -- Except for emergencies, hospital admittance is gained through a physician.

Internet Access -- Internet cafes, where you can check and send e-mail, have proliferated in Athens almost as fast as cellular telephones. For a current list of Athenian cybercafes, check out www.athensinfoguide.com/geninternet.htm.

As a general rule, most cybercafes charge about 5€ ($6.50) an hour. The efficient Sofokleous.com Internet C@fe, 5 Stadiou, a block off Syntagma Square (tel./fax 210/324-8105), is open daily from 10am to 10pm. Astor Internet Cafés, 17 Patission, a block off Omonia Square (tel. 210/523-8546), is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 10pm and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Across from the National Archaeological Museum is the Central Music Coffee Shop, 28 Octobriou, also called Patission (tel. 210/883-3418), with daily hours from 9am to 11pm. In Plaka, Plaka Internet World (tel. 210/331-6056), 29 Pandrossou, offers air-conditioned chat rooms and an Acropolis view!

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- The self-service launderette at 10 Angelou Yeronda, in Filomouson Square, off Kidathineon, Plaka, is open daily from 8:30am to 7pm; it charges 7€ ($9.10) per load, including wash, dry, and soap. National Dry Cleaners and Laundry Service, 17 Apollonos (tel. 210/323-2226), next to the Hermes Hotel, is open Monday and Wednesday from 7am to 4pm, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7am to 8pm; laundry costs 5€ ($6.50) per kilo (2.2 lb.). Hotel chambermaids will often do laundry as well. Dry cleaning in Athens is reasonable, at about 4€ ($5.20) for a pair of slacks. Next-day service is usually possible.

Lost & Found -- If you lose something on the street or on public transportation, it is probably gone for good, just as it would be in any large city. If you wish, contact the police's Lost and Found, 173 Leoforos Alexandras (tel. 210/642-1616), open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Lost passports and other documents may be returned by the police to the appropriate embassy, so check there as well. It's an excellent idea to travel with photocopies of your important documents, including passport, prescriptions, tickets, phone numbers, and addresses.

Luggage Storage & Lockers -- If you're coming back to stay, many hotels will store excess luggage while you travel. There are storage facilities at Athens International Airport, at the Metro station in Piraeus, and at both of Athens's train stations.

Newspapers & Magazines -- The Athens News is published every Friday in English, with a weekend section listing events of interest; it's available at kiosks everywhere. Most central Athens newsstands also carry the International Herald Tribune, which has an English-language insert of highlights from the Greek daily Kathimerini, and USA Today. Local weeklies include the Hellenic Times, with entertainment listings; and Athinorama (in Greek), which has comprehensive listings of events. Athens Best Of (monthly) and Now in Athens, published every other month, have information on restaurants, shopping, museums, and galleries, and are available free in major hotels and sometimes from the Greek National Tourism Organization.

Pharmacies -- Pharmakia, identified by green crosses, are scattered throughout Athens. Hours are usually Monday through Friday from 8am to 2pm. In the evenings and on weekends, most are closed, but each posts a notice listing the names and addresses of pharmacies that are open or will open in an emergency. Newspapers such as the Athens News list the pharmacies open outside regular hours.

Police -- In an emergency, dial tel. 100. For help dealing with a troublesome taxi driver, hotel staff, restaurant staff, or shop-owner, stand your ground and call the tourist police at tel. 171.

Post Offices -- The main post offices in central Athens are at 100 Eolou, just south of Omonia Square; and in Syntagma Square, at the corner of Mitropoleos. They are open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 8pm, Saturday from 7:30am to 2pm, and Sunday from 9am to 1pm.

All of the post offices accept parcels, but the Parcel Post Office is at 4 Stadiou inside the arcade (tel. 210/322-8940). It's open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 8pm. It usually sells twine and cardboard shipping boxes in four sizes. Parcels must remain open for inspection before you seal them at the post office.

You can receive correspondence in Athens c/o American Express, 2 Ermou, 10225 Athens, Greece (tel. 210/324-4975), near the southwest corner of Syntagma Square, open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4pm and Saturday from 8:30am to 1:30pm. If you have an American Express card or traveler's checks, the service is free; otherwise, each article costs 2€ ($2.60).

Radio & Television -- Generally, English-language radio -- BBC and Voice of America -- is available only via shortwave radio. CNN and various European channels such as STAR are available on cable TV. The NET channel has daily news summaries in English, usually at 6pm. Most foreign-language films shown on Greek TV are not dubbed, but feature the original soundtracks with Greek subtitles. All current-release foreign-language films shown in Greek cinemas have the original soundtracks with Greek subtitles.

Restrooms -- There are public restrooms in the underground station beneath Omonia and Syntagma squares and beneath Kolonaki Square, but you'll probably prefer a hotel or restaurant restroom. (Toilet paper is often not available, so carry tissue with you. Do not flush paper down the commode; use the receptacle provided.)

Safety -- Athens is among the safest capitals in Europe, and there are few reports of violent crimes. Pickpocketing, however, is not uncommon, especially in the Plaka and Omonia Square areas, on the Metro and buses, and in Piraeus. Unfortunately, it is a good idea to be wary of Gypsy children. We advise travelers to avoid the side streets of Omonia and Piraeus at night. As always, leave your passport and valuables in a security box at the hotel. Carry a photocopy of your passport, not the original.

Taxes -- A VAT (value-added tax) of between 4% and 18% is added onto everything you buy. Some shops will attempt to cheat you by quoting one price and then, when you hand over your credit card, they will add on a hefty VAT charge. Be wary. In theory, if you are not a member of a Common Market/E.U. country, you can get a refund on major purchases at the Athens airport when you leave Greece. In practice, you would have to arrive at the airport a day before your flight to get to the head of the line, do the paperwork, get a refund, and catch your flight.

Telephone, Telegram & Fax -- Many of the city's public phones now accept only phone cards, available at newsstands and the Telecommunications Organization of Greece (OTE) offices in several denominations, currently starting at 3€ ($3.90). Most OTE offices now sell cellphones and phone cards at very reasonable prices; if you are in Greece for a month, you may find this a good option. Some kiosks still have metered phones; you pay what the meter records. North Americans can phone home directly by contacting AT&T (tel. 00/800-1311), MCI (tel. 00/800-1211), or Sprint (tel. 00/800-1411); calls can be collect or billed to your phone charge card. You can send a telegram or fax from OTE offices. The OTE office at 15 Stadiou, near Syntagma, is open 24 hours a day. The Omonia Square OTE, at 50 Athinas, and the Victoria Square OTE, at 85 Patission, are open Monday through Friday from 7am to 9pm, Saturday from 9am to 3pm, and Sunday from 9am to 2pm. Outside Athens, most OTEs are closed on weekends.

Tipping -- Athenian restaurants include a service charge in the bill, but many visitors add a 10% tip. Most Greeks do not give a percentage tip to taxi drivers, but often round up the fare; for example, you would round up a fare of 2.80€ ($3.65) to 3€ ($3.90).