Greece: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Greece feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 482 written places.
Philoxenia - love of strangers - is real; time is flexible and hospitality is not.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept small offered kindnesses - a sweet, a raki - refusing outright can offend
- Learn Kalimera and Efharisto - they transform interactions
- Eat late and share - dinner from 21:00, plates for the table
- Carry cash on smaller islands
✗ Better avoided
- Show your palm with fingers spread toward someone - the moutza gesture is an insult
- Flush toilet paper in most places - the small bin is there for a reason
- Rush anyone, ever - siga siga, slowly slowly
- Wear skimpy clothing in monasteries - wraps are provided and required
Worth knowing
- Tipping is 5-10% or rounding up
- Ferries are the real transport network - book cabins ahead in August
- Afternoon quiet hours roughly 15:00-17:00 are respected, especially on islands
- Free water and often a small dessert arrive unasked at tavernas - that is normal hospitality
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.