Before and during
Greece essentials
The practical answers, written out properly and checked in September 2026: documents and the new EU border checks, cards and tipping, the fees on your hotel bill, 112 and the EHIC, wildfire rules, what the beach law really says, Easter dates, and what to do when something goes wrong.
ΑEntry, documents, ETIAS and EESGreece is in the EU and Schengen. EU citizens travel on an ID card and need nothing else; ETIAS has not started. Non-EU visitors meet the new EES biometric check.
ΒMoney, cards and tippingGreece uses the euro, and every business — taxis included — must accept cards. Tipping is a courtesy, not a rule. The expensive mistake is paying in your own currency.
ΓThe taxes and fees you will payA per-night resilience fee on every room, a cruise passenger fee, and VAT already in the price — lower on some small islands, but not on the famous ones.
ΔEmergencies, health and pharmacies112 for any emergency, in English. Carry your EHIC for public hospitals. For small problems, a Greek pharmacist is usually the fastest help.
ΕSafety: heat, wildfires, the sea and the roadsGreece is a safe country to travel in. The real risks are natural — heat, wildfire, wind and cliffs — plus steep roads on a scooter. Here is what the rules are and how to read the warnings.
ΣΤCan you drink the tap water?In Athens and most mainland towns, generally yes. On the dry Cyclades, where water is desalinated, most people drink bottled — ask where you are staying.
ΖBeach rules: sunbeds, free space and MyCoastEvery beach in Greece is public. A law passed in 2024 limits how much of it can be covered in sunbeds, keeps a strip by the water free — and 251 beaches have no sunbeds at all in 2026.
ΗDress codes: monasteries, churches and Mount AthosBeachwear stays at the beach. In churches and monasteries, cover shoulders and knees. Mount Athos admits men only, with a permit.ΘPublic holidays and Greek Easter 2026–2027Orthodox Easter is the biggest week of the Greek year — 2 May in 2027. The other date that changes a trip is 15 August, when half of Greece is on a ferry.
ΙOpening hours, siesta and the island seasonSites open early and close earlier from September. City shops keep split hours on some days. Most island businesses shut between November and April.
ΙΑPhones, SIM cards and eSIMOn an EU plan, your phone works in Greece as it does at home. From outside the EU, an eSIM bought before you fly is the simplest option.
ΙΒPlugs and electricityType C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz — the same as Romania and most of continental Europe. UK and US visitors need an adapter.
ΙΓA few words of GreekEnglish is widely spoken wherever there are visitors. A handful of Greek words still changes how you are received — and 'ne' means yes.
ΙΔTravelling with reduced mobilityGreece is hard going: steps, cobbles, cliff-top villages and small boats. It is not impossible — choose the island and the hotel carefully, and ask specific questions.
ΙΕLGBTQ+ travellersGreece legalised same-sex civil marriage in 2024. Athens and Mykonos are openly welcoming; rural areas are more conservative but rarely hostile.
ΙΣΤGreece with childrenGreeks are wonderful with children and late dinners include them. Pick shallow sandy beaches, plan around the heat and the wind, and bring the documents.Before you go
Data & eSIMGreece is in the EU, so EU roaming applies and most European visitors need nothing extra. Worth it if you are arriving from outside the EU, or want a data bundle for maps and ferry apps.Get an eSIM →Travel insuranceMedical cover and trip protection bought before you leave. The European health card covers public-hospital care, not repatriation, a private clinic on a small island or a cancelled holiday.Get a quote →Flights to GreeceCompare fares into Athens and straight into the island airports — Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Kefalonia. Flying direct to the island often beats Athens plus a ferry.Search flights →Claim for a delayed flightUnder EU rules, a delay of more than three hours on a flight into or out of the EU can be worth a few hundred euros. Most people never claim it.Check your flight →
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