Greece: Money & Costs

• Currency

  Name

  Euro

  Symbol

  €

  Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a Euro500.00 note.

  One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured.

• Changing Your Money

  Banks exchange all major currencies in cash, travellers cheques or Eurocheques; the commission is lower for cash. Post offices exchange cash but not travellers cheques, and usually charge lower commissions than banks. Travel agencies and larger hotels change cash and travellers cheques but usually charge higher commissions than banks. Banknote exchange machines can be found in most tourist areas.

• Money Tips

  Greece is no longer dirt cheap. A rock-bottom daily budget would be Euro40.00 a day. You'd be hitching, staying in youth hostels or camping, staying away from bars, and only occasionally eating in restaurants or taking ferries. Allow at least Euro80.00 per day if you want your own room, plan to eat out regularly and intend to see all the sights. If you want a real vacation - comfortable rooms and good restaurants all the way - you will need closer to Euro120.00 per day. Hotel rates vary enormously according to season - you can save as much as 30% if you travel outside high season (mid-June till end of August).

  All upmarket shops, restaurants and hotels accept credit cards. Visa, MasterCard (Access) and Eurocard are the most widely accepted. Most banks have ATMs where you can access your debit or credit account.

• Sample Price Guide

  litre of milk

  € 1.50

  CD

  € 20.00

  can of soft drink

  € 0.80

  local call per minute

  € 0.20

  minimum taxi fare

  € 1.80

  coffee

  € 2.00

  movie ticket

  € 7.00

  litre of petrol

  € 1.02

  litre of water

  € 1.00

  small bottle of beer

  € 2.00

  souvenir t-shirt

  € 12.00

  souvlaki

  € 1.50

  Average Room Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €20-80	€80-200	€200-450	€450+
  Average Meal Prices
  Low	Mid	High	Deluxe
  €5-15	€15-30	€30-40	€40+

• Tipping

  In restaurants a 'service charge' is included in the bill but this does not necessarily mean the money will go to the wait staff. If the service was satisfactory a tip of 10 to 15% will be most appreciated. For taxis a small gratuity (perhaps rounding up the fare) is appreciated. At Christmas and Easter an extra service 'bonus' is added to all service charges.

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