traveldk.com

Greece adopted the Euro (€) in 2002. The currency is available in denominations of €10, €20, €50 and €100 notes, while coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cent (lepta in Greek) pieces, as well as larger coins worth €1 and €2.

Banks are normally open Mon–Thu 8am–2pm and Fri 8am–1:30pm. ATMs are plentiful in Athens for round-the-clock access to cash. Credit cards are accepted in larger hotels, restaurants and shops, but you will find that less touristy businesses, such as local tavernas, accept cash only.

Airmail letters and postcards take about 4 days to reach other EU countries, and around 10 days to the US, Australia and New Zealand. The most central post office is on Mitropoleos, close to Plateia Syntagma, and works Mon–Fri 7:30am– 8pm, Sat 7:30am–2pm, Sun 9am–2pm. Other post offices around town are open Mon–Fri 8am– 2pm. Post boxes are yellow and have separate slots for national and international mail.

You can make international calls from the Greek Telecommunications (OTE) offices at Patission 85 (open 24 hrs) and Stadiou 15 (Mon–Fri 7am–midnight, Sat–Sun 8am– midnight). It is also possible to call from telephone booths around town – for these you will need a phone card worth 100 units (€4), which can easily be bought at any street kiosk.

If you are calling from outside the country, the international code for Greece is 0030, while the area code for Athens is 210.

All Greek numbers now have a total of ten digits including the area code, which you should use even when dialling from within the respective area.

All Greek mobile numbers begin with 69 and have a total of ten digits.

Cafés with web access are springing up all over the city. The best in the central area are Museum Internet Café (www.museumcafe.gr) at Patission 46, next door to the National Archaeological Museum, Cafe4u (www.cafe4u.gr) at Ippokratous 44 in Exarcheia, which is open 24 hrs and Bits and Bytes at Akadimias 78, close to Omonia. In Piraeus, try Netmania (www.netmania.gr) at Vasileos Pavlou 135, below Kastella.

The Athenaeum InterContinental and the Hilton have well-equipped business centres with telephones, fax machines, internet connection, printers and photocopiers, as well as secretarial and translation services.

The most highly regarded language schools for learning Greek are the Athens Centre and the Hellenic American Union. Both of these schools offer courses of varying duration (3–10 weeks) and intensity.