Greece (?????, Hellas ) [1] is a country in eastern Southern Europe on the Balkan peninsula, with extensive coastlines and islands in the Aegean , Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas . It shares borders in the north with Albania , the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia , Bulgaria , and Turkey . It has an ancient culture that has had a significant influence on the arts, language, philosophy, politics, and sports of western society, including the genres of comedy and drama, western alphabets, Platonic ideals and the Socratic method, democracies and republics, and the Olympics. Furthermore it's a geographically appealing place to visit, with a mountainous mainland and idyllic island beaches.

How to Get In

Visa

Nationals of Australia , Canada , all EU countries, Israel , Japan , New Zealand , Norway , Iceland , Switzerland and the USA can stay and study in Greece for up to three months without a visa (90 days).

All other nationals will require a visa.

* Note: Greece is a member of the Schengen Agreement

Spouses and children of EU nationals (providing spouse's passport and the original marriage certificate is produced), and nationals of some other countries, receive their visas free of charge (enquire at Embassy for details).

Travellers visiting just one Schengen country should apply to the Consulate of that country; travellers visiting more than one Schengen country should apply to the Consulate of the country chosen as the main destination or the country they will enter first (if they have no main destination).

Important note: Persons arriving in and departing from Greece on a charter flight risk having the return portion of their ticket invalidated by the authorities if, at any time during their stay, they leave Greece and remain overnight or longer in another country.

By plane

Athens ' Elefth?rios Veniz?los International Airport (located near the Athens suburb of Sp?ta), is the country's largest, busiest airport and main hub, handling over 14 million passengers annually as of 2005. Other major international airports in terms of passenger traffic are, in order of passengers served per year, Heraklion (Nikos Kazantz?kis Int'l), Thessaloniki (Makedonia Int'l), Rhodes (Diagor?s), and Corfu (Io?nnes Kapodistrias).

During tourism season, several charter flights arrive daily from many European cities to many islands and some cities on the mainland. Several airlines operate year-round scheduled international service to Athens , Thessaloniki and Heraklion, with Athens handling the bulk of international flights. Olympic Airlines, the nation's flag carrier, offers service to Greece from several cities in Europe , the Middle East , Southeast Asia , and North America . Aegean Airlines, which owns half the the domestic market, also operates a number of international routes to Greece from various European cities.

By train

Thessaloniki is Greece 's hub for international rail service. Trains connect Thessalon?ki to Sofia , Bucharest , Budapest , Istanbul , and other international cities.

By car

Greece can be entered by automobile from any of its land neighbors. From Italy , ferries will transport cars to Greece . From western Europe, the most popular route to Greece was through Yugoslavia . Following the troubles in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s, most motorists from western Europe came overland by Italy , and then took a trans-Adriatic ferry from there. Although the countries of the former Yugoslavia have since stabilized, and Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria form another, albeit a mugh longer, alternative, the overland route through Italy now remains the most popular option.

By bus

There is some, albeit limited, international bus service to neighboring Albania , Bulgaria , and Turkey .

By boat

From Italy , several ferries depart for Greece daily. Ferries to Patras (P?tra), Igoumen?tsa, and Corfu (K?rkyra) leave throughout the year from the Italian port cities of Venice , Trieste , Ancona , Bari and Brindisi . For more information on Italy-Greece ferries, see www.greekferries.gr.

From Turkey there are ferries from Marmaris to Rhodes , from Tsesme to Chios and from Kusadasi to Samos .

There are also ferries connecting Piraeus and Rhodes to: Alexandria , Egypt ; Larnaca and Limassol , Cyprus ; and Haifa , Israel .

Get around

By bus and train

Intercity buses are a very popular option for domestic travel. KTEL is the national government-subsidized network of independent businesses which cooperate together to form a dense route system serving almost the entire country. The system is efficient, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. It serves both long and short distances, including routes from major cities to islands near the mainland, such as Corfu and Cephalonia (in such cases, the ferry crossing is included in the price of the bus ticket).

Trains are another inexpensive way to get around, but the national rail system is extremely limited. This is due to neglect after the arrival of large scale automobile use and air travel, and also due to past technological difficulties in surmounting the country's difficult terrain. The importance of rail travel is now being rediscovered, and the national rail network is currently under major renovation. The project's completion is still a long way off, but visitors can already benefit from the first sections of the modernized rail system that have been inaugurated. An entirely new suburban/regional rail system, the Proastiakos, has been opened in 2004 for Attica and adjacent regions and is under further expansion. There has also been extensive (and continuing) modernization of the Athens-Thessalon?ki corridor, with travel times being slashed.

By car

Exploring the country by automobile can be an extremely rewarding experience, allowing you to explore the incredibly scenic and varied terrain of the country's coastlines, interior, and islands, at your convenience. However, Greece does have a relatively high road fatality rate, among the highest in the European Union. Many Greek drivers tend to drive agressively, and the nation's topographic reality poses challenges by forcing many narrow roads in mountainous regions to take several twists and turns. On the plus side, the road fatality rate has been steadily declining as a result of government campaigns, tougher policing, and lawmaking.

Roads are usually well-marked and well-maintained, and billions of euros are being poured into expanding the nation's network of multilane freeways. Because of the rapid expansion and improvement of the nation's road system, it is advised to have the most updated road map(s) possible. Many of the newer motorways are toll roads, and fees can be expensive.

Automobile rental agencies are present throughout the country, especially in major cities and in highly touristed areas. The automobiles offered are overwhelmingly manual transimission; automatics do exist, but it is advised to reserve one in advance. Gasoline/petrol prices are steep, but relatively inexpensive in comparison with many other EU countries. Some automobile rental agencies and insurance policies do not allow taking the car out of the country.

Drivers who do not hold an EU driver's certificate must carry a international driver's permit obtained in their home country. This may not be required when renting a car, but will certainly be required if involved in an accident or pulled over by the police for a traffic citation. Insurance policies may be void if the driver is a non-EU driver without an international permit.

By ferry

To get to the islands you will mostly have to take a ferry. There are extensive connections from Athens and in-between islands for "hopping." Ferries are about the one thing in Greece that leave on time so BE PROMPT. In August, ferries fill up due to the National Holiday (Aug 15) so plan ahead. New "fast ferries" are cutting distance times in half but prices are slightly more expensive. Sometimes, it is more practical to fly, especially to Crete or Rhodes . However, flights are usually more expensive. Santorini is 8 hour slow boat from Athens but the entrance view from the boat is spectacular.

There are two ports in Athens : the main port Piraeus and outlying Rafina. These serve all islands, but northern islands such as Lesvos , it is better to leave from Rafina.

Typical travel times, slow boat from Piraeus : Athens-Paros = 4 hours, Athens-Mykonos = 5.5 hours, Athens-Santorini = 8 hours, Athens-Hraklion = 12 hours,

By plane

The nation's domestic air travel industry is dominated by state-owned Olympic Airlines and its growing competitor, Aegean Airlines. Both airlines offer an extensive route network within the country, including service connecting several islands to the mainland.

Aegean Airlines offers E-tickets, which only exist as an e-mail or a web page with booking confirmation. It should be provided printed at the check-in desk at the airport (no need to visit airline office).

By thumb

Hitchhiking can be incredibly difficult. Most Greeks are reluctant to pick up strangers out of fear of picking up someone with malicious intent, or an undocumented immigrant (which can get the driver in serious legal trouble).

What to do

* Carnival de Binche - Three days in February the town of Binche is transported back to the 16th century for one of the most fantastic festivals of the year. Highlighted by music parades and fireworks, the climax of this event is when the Gilles appear on the Grand Place and throw oranges to the spectators. This infamous festivity has been classified as part of the world's cultural heritage by UNESCO along with its renowned Gilles.

* Rock Werchter - 29 june - 2 july 2006 , Werchter.

* Dour festival - "European Alternative Music Event" - 13-16 July 2006 - Dour.

* Gentse Feesten - 15 july - 24 july 2006 . Huge, ten day long street festival in the historical center of the city of Ghent . The biggest street festival in Europe , with theater, music in all genres, techno parties, and so on - Gentse Feesten

What to Eat

Greek cuisine is a blend of foreign influences and home-grown traditions. Neighboring Italy and Turkey have left a major impact on Greek cuisine, and there are shared dishes with both of these nations. The traditional Greek diet is very Mediterranean, espousing vegetables, herbs, and grains native to the Mediterranean biome. Being a highly maritime nation, the Greeks incorporate plenty of seafood into their diet. The country is also a major producer and consumer of lamb; beef, pork, and especially chicken are also popular. Olive oil is a staple in Greek cooking, and lemon and tomato paste are common ingredients. Bread and wine are always served at the dinner table.

The cuisine in Greece can be radically different from what is offered in Greek restaurants around the world. Greek restaurants abroad tend to cater more to customer expectations rather than offer a truly authentic Greek dining experience. One example is the famous gyros (yee-ros), a common item on Greek menus outside Greece . While it is a popular fast-food item in Greece today, it is actually a recent foreign import (based on the Turkish doner kebap) and is considered by Greeks as junk food. It is never served in the home and is generally not found on the menus of non-fast-food restaurants.

Eating out is Greece 's national passtime and a rewarding experience for visitors; however, not knowing where to go or what to do can dampen the experience. In the past, restaurants that catered mostly to tourists were generally disappointing. Thankfully, the nation's restaurant industry has grown in sophistication over the past decade, and it is now possible to find excellent restaurants in highly-touristed areas, particularly areas that are popular with Greek tourists as well. Thus, it remains a good idea to dine where Greeks dine. The best restaurants will offer not only authentic traditional Greek cuisine (along with regional specialities) but Greece 's latest culinary trends as well.

Restaurants serving international cuisine have also made a presence in the country, offering various options such as Chinese, French, Italian, and international contemporary.

What to Drink

Wines

Greece produces a rich variety of local wines, including table and fortified varieties. Greek wines are not known well on the international market, as production costs are higher in Greece due to the terrain. Nonetheless, that terrain is well-suited to grape-growing, a millennia-old tradition here.

Wine is most Greeks' drink of choice, "Krasi" (inos: ?????) and traditional spirits like ouzo, tsipouro, raki and tsikoudia (produced in Crete , similar to the Italian grappa). Retsina is a "resinated wine" with a strong, distinctive taste that can take some getting used to; the flavor comes from pine resin, which was once employed as a sealant for wine flasks and bottles. The most well-known and cheap-n-dirty is "Kourtaki Retsina".

Stay Safe

Greece is one of the safest nations in Europe and in the world.

Violent crime and theft rates are very low; public disorder is extremely rare, and public drunkenness is generally frowned upon. There has recently been a spike in theft -at least a perceived one- which some locals will not hesitate to blame on the influx of immigrants. Visitors should rest assured that this is an extremely safe and friendly destination, but it is always advisable for foreign tourists to exercise basic precautionary measures just as they would at home. Athenians hold negative perceptions for the areas from Omonoia Square to Karaiskaki Square and the area near Larissis train station (in the western areas of the city proper) and they will advise you to avoid these areas late at night. A string of crimes committed by drunk young Britons against locals and other tourists (ranging from vandalism incidents to public indecency and a handful of violent episodes) in areas popular with young British partiers (notably Falir?ki in Rhodes and K?vos in Corfu), made national headlines in the summer of 2003. Authorities have since stepped up police presence in these areas to crack down on lewd behavior.

According to car rental agencies in Athens , you can safely leave luggage, car radio, and other belongings in a car anywhere in mainland Greece .

It is strictly forbidden to take photos of military installations or other strategic locations. Authorities will take violations quite seriously. Obey signs prohibiting photography.

Stay Healthy

Despite a loud call for health care reform from both the voters and the political establishment, the nation's health care system has received very high marks from the World Health Organization (WHO), a branch of the UN. However, many citizens prefer private health care for longer-term hospital stays. Depending on the age and nature of a particular hospital or clinic, services range from adequate to excellent. Health care is free and universal for all citizens, as well as for all EU nationals upon presentation for E111 form. For non-EU nationals, only emergency care is provided for free.