Local ETIQUETTE Tips: the unspoken survival truths

I watch you from my table in the shade of the plane tree, and I see the glow of your screens reflecting on your faces. You are standing in the middle of a stunning Venetian harbor or a dusty village square, yet you are not really here . You are in the digital world, staring at a blue dot on a map, frowning at a review on TripAdvisor, or frantically refreshing a ferry schedule on a website that hasn't been updated since 2019. I see the anxiety in your shoulders. You trust the

I have spent half my life sitting on this balcony, watching the shadows lengthen across the village square below. From up here, the patterns of human movement are as clear as the currents in the sea. I watch the locals, my neighbors, moving in a rhythm that has been perfected over three thousand years of blinding sun and salt air. And then, I watch you—the visitors. I see you marching through the streets at three in the afternoon, water bottles clutching like lifelines, faces

I have spent forty years watching people arrive in this country. I sit here in my usual corner at this old kafeneio, the one with the peeling blue paint and the wobbly metal tables that have held more coffees than the Aegean holds fish, and I watch. I see the tourists disembark from the ferries or wander out of the air-conditioned lobbies of Athens hotels. They are beautiful, eager, and prepared. They have their guidebooks, their digital maps, and their itineraries color-code

1. Navigate Ports Efficiently When traveling from Athens airport to Piraeus, note that the port station is one stop before the final...

1. Clarify Bed Preferences Confirm bed arrangements in advance to avoid unexpected upgrades. Clearly communicate your preferences to...

I’ve recently purchased an ebike from an Italian manufacturer, in order to use it for my day-to-day transport needs around the north of Athens. To be totally honest, I was a bit hesitant in the start. I didn’t know if the 250W electric-motor-powered vehicle (no licence required up to 250W power) would actually meet my expectations for an easy and comfortable ride , as well as offer me an opportunity to extend my go-it-alone travel range. Also, I wasn’t sure about the quality

It was all over the news, in July 2018: the British couple who were thrown in a greek jail and accused of spying, after photographing...

I had a most UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE with my car during our 2018 family summer holidays. Our first destination was a small village in...

Being a born & raised Greek, and having spend 9 years of my professional life in the UK, I have developed an inner "greek-scam" detector which I use every time a fellow countryman tries to "pull a quick one on me". One of the favorite "quick ones" has to do with MONEY. It doesn't matter if it's small change or large amounts, the fact is that Greeks are a bit complacent regarding money-handling obligations towards the others.

While on holidays in Greece, accept how things are and don’t try too much to change them, or be judgmental towards Greeks if they don’t...

Greece is an amazing country, with a unique character which is a blend of 5,000 years of non-stop historic presence. Its landscape is...

Greeks drive on the right side of the road, like all continental Europeans. However, greek drivers are notorious for bending the law, when it comes to driving. So, do not assume that, because something is illegal, Greeks will abstain from it. When driving down a one-way road, you may often encounter motorbikes, or even cars, driving in the wrong direction, and coming towards you in an attempt to shorten their overall distance traveled.

Make sure that you smile often and honestly. Locals love foreigners who have a pleasant mentality and predisposition. Be polite towards...

Greece is an amazing country, with a unique character which is a blend of 5,000 years of non-stop historic presence. Its landscape is...

"Greek hospitality" is a term that has been floating around the greek tourism industry for ages. Greeks are supposed to be eager to help...

Back in the 1990's when I used to live and work in London, I would visit Greece every summer to spend my holidays. I loved the...

I hear it a lot, these days: "OK, you've got the Acropolis, you've got Plaka, you've got Koukaki, and Ermou street, and you've got...