Athens from A-Z

The city that gave birth to theater as an art form continues to have a vibrant theaters life. The city has more than 140 theater venues, whereas more than 500 theaters productions are presented each year.

Phone booths can easily be found anywhere in Athens. The international code for Greece is +30. For example: +30 210 44 00 000
in case you want to call Athens from abroad.

ll Greek numbers have ten digits and the prefix for Athens is 210.
For example: 210 44 00 000

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Of all EU countries, Greece has the lowest crime rates. Athens had always been a safe city for both inhabitants and visitors. An important factor is that the city never sleeps: on the one hand, the enjoyable Athens' nightlife lasts until the early hours of the morning so none of the city center districts ever look deserted.

On the other hand, Athens has an effective security system and infrastructure, conditions that have been tested and succeeded on many occasions and most importantly in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Emergency phone numbers

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In Athens you can easily obtain daily and weekly international newspapers and magazines from kiosks around Omonia and Syntagma Square.

The newspapers and magazines you can find are:

• Emergency call: 100

• Tourist police: 171 (information available in English, French and German)

• Tourist Police Headquarters: +302106977386, +302106924929

• Airport Police: +302103530000

You can post a letter or a postcard in one of the yellow boxes found in most places in Athens or in post offices. You can also buy stamps from the post offices or from the kiosks. The cost of stamps depends on the type (express, registered, standard) and the size of the letter. Sending a small envelope as standard mail to Europe, America, Asia, Africa or Australia will cost you 0, 62€.

In Athens pharmacies can be found all over the city. For overnight service there are always one or two pharmacies open in every district. For pharmacies on call, dial 14944.

Visit: Monuments

Usually mobile phones automatically connect with the Greek network. You can also do it by yourself by choosing the option "network selection" on your mobile to get manually connected.

Your mobile phone operator will inform you about charges for calls received from your own country or for the ones you make while in Greece (local and international calls).

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While Greek is the main language used in Athens, most Athenians speak English and those in the tourist industry are likely to speak French and German too. Notices, menus and road signs are written in both English and Greek. It is always fun, of course, to try and communicate in Greek. Why not give it a try?

Here are some tips to get you started:

There are a lot of internet cafés in Athens which are usually open all day long and are very reasonably priced. You can also use the public internet WiFi connections in Syntagma Square, Kotzia Square and Theseion (WiFi public hotspots). Athens wifi is a wireless hotspot based on 802.11b/g (WiFi). You can easily connect to the internet while you are sitting on a bench or enjoying your coffee.

Many public hospitals and a few private ones operate in Athens. The public hospitals work on a rotation basis with regards to dealing with emergency incidents. To find out which hospitals are open for emergency incidents at a specific time, dial 14944. Treatment in public hospitals is free of charge.

Browse: Hospitals

Calendar of Traditional and National Holidays in and around Athens

People in Athens Greece are extrovert, they enjoy celebrating and they are always willing to help a foreigner. When the weather is nice Athenians hang out in cafés, - Athens is the city of innumerable beautiful cafés! It is probably the only city in the world where coffee drinking has developed into an art. The menu of a café in Athens includes more than 10 different types of coffee, which is served with cookies or chocolate.

Browse: Galleries

(Source: European Central Bank)

Greece is numbered amongst the European Union member states participating in the single currency known as the euro, €, (evro in Greek). The multi-sized banknotes, depicting various styles of European architecture, come in values of € 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500.

Browse: Embassies and Consulates

If you come from a country outside the European Union and spend a minimum of €120 on the same day in the same store, you can benefit from a tax refund. Ask for your invoice or receipt and the tax free receipt.

The Region of Attica makes up a large part of the country's population. It comprises the major part of the economic and industrial activity and constitutes a nodal point for the transportation networks that interlink the provinces with each other and abroad.

Browse: Courier, Freight, Shipping

Athens is a city that offers numerous temptations as far as consumer products are concerned.

Visit: Telephone

Visit: Mobile phones

Visit: Postoffices

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For an easier shopping experience, you can check our list of the Greek equivalents for American and European sizes.

The Athens cinema field can be divided into three categories. Firstly, there are a number of multiplex cinemas situated in neighborhoods around the city center, at a distance of between 15 to 45 minutes by public transportation or taxi. On the other hand, the visitor will find many cinema venues in the city center, presenting a wide variety of films from cinefil to blockbusters.

Whether you are a sea or a mountain lover gambler, Athens can satisfy your taste. Situated at the top of Parnitha Mountain, at 1055m above sea level, the Regency Casino Mont Parnes offers its visitor not only a unique, panoramic view of the capital but also a large number of traditional casino games and slot machines, as well as a fancy restaurant and café-bar. It takes about 30 minutes to get there by car from the city center.

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