Travel Info
MONEY AND EXPENSES
You will find many places to change cash and travelers cheques in the main tourist
areas. Banks are open Monday to Friday until 2 pm only.
Although it is still very inexpensive to eat out in Greece, it is true to say that
the cost of food and drink has increased a bit over the years. Naturally the further
away from tourist areas you are, the cheaper the cost of food. Ex.: Dinner without
alcohol drinks will cost you starting from 10 euro per person
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TELEPHONES
Most of the hotels have direct dial telephones. You can find telephone cards at
kiosks , mini markets and post office for use with public phones. As well you can
use roaming connection through Vodafone / Panafone , Cosmote, TIM, WIND.
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TIME ZONES
All of Greece is within the same time zone as Eastern Europe (GSM +2). The summer
time changes by an hour.
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DRINKING WATER
The spring water from the mountains of Crete is perfectly safe to drink but bottled
water is available in most restaurants and shops. There are shortages in the long
hot summer and care should be taken that water is not wasted.
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PESTS AND OTHERS
Due to the warm climate of the southern Mediterranean, the rural background of Cretan
life, and the location of certain properties, pests are really unavoidable. It is
particularly important not to leave food sitting out, or uncovered. Flies, wasps
and bees are naturally attracted to taverns, and in no way suggests unsanitary conditions.
Many of our houses and villas are situated in the countryside and you may therefore
be awoken by a cockerel or disturbed by goats or sheep, or the barking of a guard
dog. This is all part of the Mediterranean island life and as such a little understanding
goes a long way.
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MEDICAL SERVICES
The medical services in Greece are generally good. However, we do advise you to
take your travel insurance with you. Along with a personal identity document it
will ensure that you receive medical assistance and can reclaim any costs you incur.
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TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
It is not always as easy or as fast to get problems solved as one might hope. Most
equipment is imported and spare parts are not always readily available. The Greek
way of life does not lend itself to necessarily giving priority to blocked drains
or water shortages. However, problems are resolved while retaining the laid back
charm which is an essential ingredient of a Cretan holiday.
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FOOD
Restaurants and taverns are mostly open from 5 pm and many stay open to 2 am the
next morning. The choice of cuisine is of great variety, based mostly on vegetables,
meat, fish, cheese and wines in a vast array of combinations. In some taverns guests
are welcome, before they order, to have a look at what is available in the kitchen
or what is in the saucepans and baking trays. The tavern waiters should advise any
specialties for that day.
A good restaurant is usually pretty full of local people, although Greeks like to
eat much later than we do in another countries, perhaps around 10 pm. House wine,
from the barrel, is served by the carafe in most taverns and is very inexpensive.
Food is cooked fresh every day, starting early in the morning. In the afternoon
there is usually a siesta time roughly between 2 pm and 5 pm, and the main meal
of the day is in the evening.
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TIPPING
In restaurant bills there is a service charge of between 10-15 % already built in.
However it is usual to leave a small tip for the waiters. It is also usual to tip
taxi drivers, hairdressers, porters and chambermaids.
The more you eat out in Crete, particularly in the company of Cretans, you will
notice when it comes to paying that bills are not individually split, Cretans find
this splitting down of bills to be a deplorable habit and the Greeks have nicknamed
this 'Going German'.
In contrast, however, small tips are most welcome such as for the old lady in the
village who goes and fetches the key to the church, or for the priest who is proud
to show you around his church. You should in this latter instance never give money
directly into the hand, but rather leave it at the entrance of the church in an
appropriate receptacle.
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DRESS CODE
As casually as the Greeks may like to dress in the daytime, when they go to church
they put great emphasis on decent attire, moral codes are tightly observed. For
anyone visiting churches, sleeveless blouses, shorts and beach clothes are definitely
out. In many monasteries and churches, you will not be allowed entrance if you are
not 'properly' dressed. It is advisable, at least, to wear long trousers; a pullover
or a wrap to cover the shoulders if you are on a sightseeing tour which will take
in visits to churches.
With dress codes in mind, if you are invited to a private home in Crete, don't turn
up in shorts or sandals, as Cretans like to dress up. It's the same if you go out
together with Cretans in the evening. Cretans have, like all the Greeks, a very
different attitude to time. If you have agreed to meet in the 'afternoon', the earliest
meant by this will be 6.00 p.m.
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