Is it cold to travel to Greece in October? And related Greek travel questions!

Of course it’s not cold. It’s better to bring everything with you, because you can’t pay by credit card everywhere. Cash is relatively convenient, but you have to prevent theft!

Food Greece Perhaps sweet and sour are the most basic tastes in Greek cuisine. This may be due to the frequent use of tomato sauce, cheese, etc. in their condiments. At the same time, it must be mentioned that all oils used in Greek cuisine are healthy olives. The oil, fragrant but not greasy, adds a bit of freshness to every dish. For example, MOUSSAKA, a traditional Greek main dish, consists of grilled round eggplants, delicate beef fillings, onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, cream, etc. layered on top of each other, blending the milky flavor. It tastes like meat, has a tangy aroma, is thick but not greasy, and has a unique taste. VINE LEAVES STUFFED WITH RICE is an appetizer. The unique fragrance of the grape leaves, the smoothness of the rice, the mellow aroma of the meat filling, the sweetness of the cream sauce, etc. will always surprise your taste buds. ”, absolutely delicious. In fact, it’s not just these. For example, BAKLAVAS, KADEFI, ATHENA MIXED GRILL PLATE, etc. are all super delicious.

Accommodation Hotel prices in Greece vary greatly. The price in peak season is about 1.5 times that in low season. Generally, the off-season price of a double room in a hotel is about RMB 800, and most room rates include breakfast. The best hotel is the Grand Bretagne in Athens, which is now the center of social life in Athens. There are not many youth hostels in Greece. They provide relatively good English services and travel consulting services, but they do not have a big advantage in price. The off-season price of a bed is about RMB 200.

Overview: Legend has it that Greece has three treasures: sunlight, sea water and stone. It has abundant sunshine all year round and is known as the "Balcony of Europe". The long coastline of the Mediterranean outlines the most beautiful Aegean Sea, and there are famous cultural sites almost everywhere. Athens' museums are world-famous. Athens is a holiday destination for travel enthusiasts from all over the world.

Greek civilization has a history of 5,000 years. Over the long years, it has created a splendid classical culture and left a large amount of precious cultural heritage for today's Greeks. “Visiting ancient times” is an important part of traveling to Greece. You can go to Crete and the Peloponnese Peninsula to inspect the Aegean culture; you can also go to the Attica Peninsula, Athens, and Sparta to inspect the culture of ancient city-states and trace the lost prosperity; you can also go to the capital Athens to watch Barthes. The Temple of Saturn and the solid gold statue of the patron saint Athena. To understand Byzantine culture, it is best to go to Macedonia and Thessaloniki. Greece's natural landscapes are diverse and provide tourists with a large number of unique tourism projects. In Northern Greece, there are many well-equipped ski resorts; in the mountainous areas of Central Greece, it is a good place for those who love mountain climbing. The Greek coastline is rugged and has many natural harbors and islands. The gentle sandy beaches and blue waters have created many elegant bathing beaches. This is a great place to relax and practice water sports.

National Day: March 25 (1821)

Flag: rectangular, with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. It consists of blue and white horizontal stripes, four white stripes and five blue stripes. There is a blue square with a white cross on the top side of the flagpole. The nine broad bars represent a Greek motto, "Give me liberty or give me death," which has nine syllables in Greek. Blue represents the blue sky, and white represents religious belief. Most Greeks believe in Orthodox Christianity, which is the state religion.

National emblem: a coat of arms surrounded by olive branches. The approximately square blue shield is inlaid with a white cross, which symbolizes religious belief.

Capital: Athens; population: 3.073 million (1993). The highest temperature is 33℃ and the lowest temperature is 6℃.

Geographical location: The area is 131,957 square kilometers, of which 15% are islands. Located at the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania to the north, the European part of Turkey to the northeast, the Ionian Sea to the southwest, the Aegean Sea to the east, and the African continent to the south across the Mediterranean Sea. The coastline is about 15,000 kilometers long and the territorial sea is 6 nautical miles wide. The territory is mountainous and there are plains along the coast. The Pindus Mountains run through the west, with the Thessaly Basin in the center. The river is short and has many harbors. The largest peninsula is the Peloponnese and the largest island is Crete.

Climate: It has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, with warm and humid winters and dry and hot summers. The average temperature is 6-13℃ in winter and 23-33℃ in summer. The average annual precipitation is 400 to 1000 mm.

History: Greece is the birthplace of Western civilization. It has created a splendid ancient culture and has made great achievements in music, mathematics, philosophy, literature, architecture, sculpture, etc. From 2800 to 1400 BC, the Minoan culture appeared in Crete, and the Mycenaean culture appeared in the Peloponnese Peninsula. A slave city-state was formed in 800 BC, and its heyday was in the 5th century BC. Since 338 AD, it has been occupied by Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, etc. It came under Ottoman rule in 1460. On March 25, 1821, an independent war broke out in Greece against the Turkish invading forces, and Greece declared its independence at the same time.

On September 24, 1829, all Turkish troops withdrew from Greece. During World War II, Greece was occupied by German and Italian troops. In 1944, the country was liberated and its independence was restored. The king was restored to power in 1946. In April 1967, soldiers launched a coup and established a military dictatorship. In June 1973, the king was deposed and a democratic peace system was established. The military government collapsed in July 1974; a parliamentary election was held in November, and the New Democratic Party won and came to power; a referendum was held in December to establish the national government as a democratic system.

Administrative divisions: The country is divided into 13 regions, 52 states (including the holy mountain "Assus Theocratic Peace" in the north, which enjoys great autonomy, and 359 cities and towns. Each The names of the regions are as follows: Thrace and East Macedonia, Central Macedonia, West Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Ionian Islands, West Greece, Central Greece, Attica, Peloponnese, North Aegean Sea, South Aegean Sea, Crete

Economy: Greece is one of the less developed countries in the European Union, with a relatively weak economic foundation. Its main mineral resources are bauxite (reserves are approximately 1 billion tons), lignite (reserves of 5.6 billion tons), nickel, chromium, magnesium, asbestos, uranium, marble, etc. The forest area accounts for 20% of the land. The industrial base is weaker than other EU countries, with backward technology and small scale. Industries include mining, metallurgy, textiles, shipbuilding, construction, etc. Greece is a traditional agricultural country, with arable land accounting for 26.4% of the country's area. The service industry is an important part of the economy, and tourism is an important part of obtaining foreign exchange and maintaining international revenue. The tourism industry has developed rapidly since the 1960s, and the number of inbound tourists has continued to grow since the 1970s. In recent years, the number of inbound tourists has exceeded the total population of Greece. The main tourist spots include the Acropolis, Delphi Sun Temple, The ruins of the ancient stadium of Olympia, the Labyrinth of Crete, the Amphitheatre of Epidavros, the Tomb of the King of Macedonia in Virgina, the Holy Mountain, Rhodes, Corfu, etc.

Culture: Ancient Greek Science. Culture is the product of the intersection and integration of ancient Egypt, Babylonia, ancient India and other Eastern cultures and Greek scientific culture. The emergence and development of ancient Greek scientific culture went through three stages: the Archaic period, the Classical period and the Hellenistic period. The Greek writing and art of the classical period, the Greek philosophy of the classical period, and the highly developed natural sciences of the Hellenistic period were all deeply influenced by Eastern culture. Greece is considered the birthplace of European culture, covering an area of ​​130,000 square kilometers. The territory is full of historic monuments, and priceless cultural relics can be seen everywhere. The most famous monument in Greece is the Minoan Labyrinth on the island of Crete, which is a symbol of ancient Greek culture and the pride of modern Greeks. . Byzantine art is the crystallization of Greek medieval art. In order to protect a large number of Byzantine art, the Greek government established the Byzantine Art Museum in the northern capital of Salonika, near the famous modern building complex of the International Exposition. The Imperial Art Museum is divided into mosaics, murals, textile art, metal processing art, architecture, music and dance according to the main branches of Byzantine art.

1. Preparation before departure

1) Please be sure to bring your passport, ID card, air tickets, personal travel supplies, and gather at the designated location on time.

2) Prepare clothes according to seasonal changes. The average temperature in Europe is 0-5 degrees Celsius in winter and 20-26 degrees Celsius in summer. The temperature at night is about 8-10 degrees lower than during the day. The attire should be light and comfortable. Except for the formal dress code required by European casinos, there are no special requirements for other occasions. Due to environmental awareness, European hotels often do not have disposable items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and slippers, and tourists should bring their own.

3) The main consumption is credit card. In Europe, MASTAR has a higher market share than VISA, so it is best to use MASTAR card; in addition, be sure to bring euros and prepare as many small-denomination euro banknotes as possible. Easy to use. According to my country's foreign exchange carrying license, citizens traveling abroad are allowed to carry an amount of foreign exchange equivalent to two thousand U.S. dollars (or equivalent currency).

4) Since buying medicines in European pharmacies requires a doctor’s prescription, and medical expenses are expensive, you should bring commonly used medicines with you in case of emergency.

5) It is recommended that you use a suitcase with wheels to make it easier to check in and carry with you on the aircraft.

6) If you want to bring 139, 138, 137, 136, or 135 mobile phones, please go to the local telecommunications bureau to go through the procedures for activating the international function before departure.

2. Safety is the most important issue

Thieves are everywhere in Europe, and robberies are also common. Therefore, passports/tickets/money and valuables must be carried with you, preferably a shoulder bag. Carry it cross-body to prevent gangsters from behind on motorcycles. The most dangerous cities are mainly Paris/Milan/Rome. If items are lost in hotels or tour buses, tourists will be responsible for them. Hotel lobbies and restaurants are frequent places for thieves. Although Europeans rarely run red lights, they do not cross the road. It’s better to be careful.

3. European laws are different from those in China

Drivers must have 9 consecutive hours of rest, and driving time must not exceed 9 hours a day, so drivers may be refused to work extra overtime at night.

Smoking is prohibited in the tour vehicle at any time, and food with peels, ice cream, etc. are not allowed. Due to environmental reasons, the driver is not allowed to turn on the air conditioner when parking, otherwise he will be fined.

When you take a shower in a hotel, be sure not to get water on the floor. Otherwise, the hotel may fine you $500.

4. Passport Checking and Shopping Tax Refund

European countries generally do not need to check passports. There is almost no border between countries, but entering and leaving Europe Passports must be checked. Shopping tax refund is a policy in Europe. Some stores refund tax on the spot, while others require the airport of the last stop country to refund tax. The tour leader will explain to you and help you. You must follow the tour leader’s advice when shopping, otherwise you will suffer losses if you cannot get a tax refund.

5. Meals

When traveling in Europe, breakfast is generally continental-style Western food in hotels, sometimes very simple (only two pieces of bread, a glass of juice or milk), and Westerners are not familiar with it. The waste of food is extremely disgusting, and lunch and dinner are usually Chinese meals.

6. Telephone calls and line changes

You are not allowed to leave the group alone. You must know the address of the hotel where you are staying, the phone number, the leader’s room number, the tourist license plate number, etc., in case you get lost. The team can be found after

You'd better buy a magnetic phone card, because phone calls in hotels are very expensive, and local calls also have to be paid. Generally, you have to dial 0 to call an outside line, 0086 to call China, and 00186 in Hong Kong. In short, it is best to ask the team leader in advance. Phone cards vary from place to place, but German and Dutch cards are universal.

You can buy a phone card at gas stations, small shops, cigarette shops, and newsstands. When you exchange local currency in the United States, please note that a 10% handling fee may be charged, but the hotel does not charge a handling fee. There is also a handling fee of HKD 50 when exchanging money at a bank in Hong Kong. Any foreign currency you can't use up can be exchanged for US dollars or Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong

7. Self-paid items

1) There are usually closed-circuit television programs in hotels, but you have to pay for them, so the TV remote control Do not touch any buttons with "PAY" or "P" on the device. Be careful that the drinks in the refrigerator are not free. Before leaving the hotel, be sure to check if there are any forgotten items. The room key must be returned to the front desk. If you ask the bellman to help you carry your luggage at the hotel, you usually have to pay a tip of 1-2 US dollars.

2) You also have to pay to use the restroom in Europe, which is equivalent to about 4 yuan. Coke, cigarettes, film, etc. are expensive in China. Long-focus cameras and video cameras must be declared when leaving China Customs to avoid paying taxes on return.

8. Things to note:

1) Spitting, smoking, and littering are absolutely not allowed. Do not speak loudly in public places. Do not wear sportswear when going to the casino. Shoes, jeans, crewnecks, etc. Don't jump in line, don't get too close to anyone, keep an arm's length away.

2) You must not put valuables in checked baggage when taking a plane. Cameras and camcorders are also not allowed to be put in checked baggage, and camera batteries are not allowed to be put in checked baggage.

3) Some hotels in Europe do not have air conditioning because it is not hot at night, but they all have heating. The water in the restroom is drinkable.

4) Don’t forget to bring your ID card, otherwise you will not be able to leave the country. The tour leader can help you fill in the entry and exit cards for China and Hong Kong. There is no need to fill in the cards in Europe.

5) The time difference between Europe and China is 6 hours in summer and 7 hours in winter. Smoking is not allowed in aircraft restrooms.

6) After receiving your checked baggage, be sure to remove the old strips on it to prevent misunderstandings the next time you check in your baggage, causing your baggage to be transported to the wrong place.

Language - Many European countries have their own languages, but English is commonly used.

Store opening hours - European store opening hours are from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm. Sunday is a day of rest by law. However, some convenience stores, gas stations and some shops in tourist areas are exempt.

European travel food - Europe has a wealth of food from all over the world with a variety of tastes and consumption levels. Local-style delicacies are even more abundant, including Gravlax (salted salmon fillet), rainbow trout, etc. Leipajuusto (bread cheese) is a kind of cheese that is baked in front of a fire until crispy. It is usually eaten with coffee and berries. Aland pancakes are also very delicious. The pancakes are baked in the oven, seasoned with cardamom, and then topped with a spread of jam and butter. The pancakes are fragrant and delicious, and the taste is unforgettable.

European Travel Medical Insurance - European hotels and local tourism agencies maintain contact with nearby doctors. You can get there immediately when you need help with your ailments. However, the Nordic free medical insurance system does not target short-term travelers, so purchasing medical and accident insurance is a measure that must be taken before traveling.