Bargaining in a street market or bazaar is a life skill, but trying to get a cheaper price in an established shop can be considered disrespectful. The price tends to be more flexible in informal venues. If it’s unclear whether bargaining is appropriate in a situation, hang back and watch someone else buy first. Be warned, merchants with any pride in their wares will refuse to sell to someone who has offended them in the negotiations, so don’t lowball too much.
Taxes
Currently, Greece’s value-added tax (VAT) is 21%; however, in return for the EU bailing them out of their tar pit of debt, the VAT will increase to 23%. Also, Greece will introduce a 10% excise tax on tobacco, fuel, and alcohol. Theoretically, Greece’s VAT that you pay on your trip can be reclaimed at most points of departure, but this requires much persistence and hassle.
SAFETY AND HEALTH
General Advice
In any type of crisis, the most important thing to do is stay calm. Your country’s embassy abroad is usually your best resource in an emergency; registering with that embassy upon arrival in the country is a good idea.
Local Laws and Police
Greek police are used to having foreigners around, but that does not mean they allow them to break the law. Photographs and notes cannot be taken near military establishments (including docks). The purchase of pirated goods (including CDs and DVDs) is illegal; keep your receipts for proof of purchase. Taking objects or rocks from ancient sites is forbidden and can lead to fines or prison sentences. Drunk driving and indecent behavior also can result in heavy fines, arrest, and imprisonment. Although legal in Greece since 1951, homosexuality is still frowned upon socially. GLBT individuals are not legally protected from discrimination. That said, destinations like Athens, Thessaloniki, Lesvos, Rhodes, Ios, and especially Mykonos offer gay and lesbian hotels, bars, and clubs.
Drugs and Alcohol
Visitors of all ages generally have very little difficulty obtaining alcohol in Greece. In contrast, drug laws are very strict. Conviction for possession, use, or trafficking of drugs, including marijuana, will result in imprisonment and fines. If you use prescription drugs, have a copy of the prescriptions and a note from the doctor, if possible. Authorities are particularly vigilant at the Turkish and Albanian borders.
SPECIFIC CONCERNS
Natural Disasters
Located in one of the world’s most seismically active areas, Greece experiences frequent and occasionally large earthquakes. The most recent serious quake in 1999 wreaked an estimated US$3 billion worth of damage and caused nearly 1,800 casualties in Athens and 45,000 casualties in Turkey. Earthquakes are unpredictable and can occur at any time of day. If a strong earthquake does occur, it will probably only last one or two minutes. Protect yourself by moving a sturdy doorway, table, or desk, and open a doorway to provide an escape route. In mountainous regions, landslides may follow quakes.
Demonstrations and Political Gatherings
Strikes and demonstrations occur frequently in Greece, especially now during the current economic crisis. Although generally orderly and lawful, they can spiral out of control: most recently, in December 2008, riots and violent demonstrations involving destructive vandalism and forceful clashes between civilians and the police rocked Athens and other major cities across the country. Disruption of public services, such as public transportation and air traffic control, can occur unexpectedly due to union strikes. Common areas for protest include the Polytechnic University area, Exharia, Omonia, Syntagma Square, and Mavii Square in Athens.
Terrorism
Terrorism is a serious concern for travelers to Greece. Terrorist activity has been on the rise because of domestic terrorist groups with marxist-anarchist leanings and anti-globalization agendas. Revolutionary Struggle, an extreme leftist paramilitary organization, launched a rocket at the US Embassy in Athens in early 2007. Its successor organization, Revolutionary Nuclei, has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks since, involving the use of Molotov cocktails, small-scale arms, and homemade explosives. The best thing you can do to be safe is to be aware of your surroundings, especially in crowded areas and tourist sites.
Pre-Departure Health
Matching a prescription to a foreign equivalent is not always easy, safe, or possible, so if you take prescription drugs, carry up-to-date prescriptions or a statement from your doctor stating the medications’ trade names, manufacturers, chemical names, and dosages. Be sure to keep all medication with you in your carry-on luggage.
Pharmacists often speak English reasonably well and can help you find common over-the-counter drugs like aspirin in the pharmacy.
Immunizations and Precautions
You should consult with your doctor before traveling to Greece and she or he may recommend getting Hepatitis A, typhoid, and rabies vaccinations, especially if you are traveling to rural areas.
Travelers over two years old should make sure that the following vaccines are up to date: MMR (for measles, mumps, and rubella); DTaP or Td (for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis); IPV (for polio); Hib (for Haemophilus influenzae B); and HepB (for Hepatitis B). For recommendations on immunizations and prophylaxis, check with a doctor and consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US or the equivalent in your home country. (+1-800-CDC-INFO/232-4636 www.cdc.gov/travel)
Staying Healthy
In Greece, water is safe to drink, except in certain isolated areas. Wear plenty of sunscreen and always have a bottle of water to avoid dehydration.
greece 101
CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE
Invitation Explanation
Don’t know anyone in Greece? Don’t worry. Greek culture puts a high value on warmth and hospitality. Don’t be surprised if you wind up with multiple invitations to chat over lunch at a local cafe or join a family for a home-cooked meal. If you’re invited out for dinner or a drink, keep in mind that the host usually pays the bill. If you are lucky enough to land an invitation to a Greek home, be prepared for VIP treatment! Arriving 30min. late is considered punctual, and it is customary to bring a small gift, like flowers or chocolate. Perplexed by an invitation to a “nameday” party? Greeks tend not to celebrate birthdays, but rather “namedays,” the birth date of their namesake saint. Take note: gifts are expected—and don’t forget a funny nameday card!
Godly Garments
Sightseers are welcome to visit Greek Orthodox churches, but conservative dress is expected, so leave your beachwear behind. For both men and women, this means covering up from shoulders to knees. Respect worshippers by refraining from photography and other disruptive behaviors.
Don’t Ruin the Ruins
Inanimate objects deserve respect too: observe posted signs and avoid touching monuments so that visitors can appreciate the sights for another few thousand years. Found a broken shard of marble that bears a striking resemblance to Socrates? Leave him in his homeland for other visitors to enjoy—taking anything from historical or archaeological sights is not only disrespectful, it is grounds for arrest.
FOOD AND DRINK
Eat Up!
After traveling through centuries of magnificent art and architecture and across miles of dazzling beaches, pause to give your hungry stomach some relief. If you’re in the mood for a little bite to eat, stop for meze, small dishes that make an ideal snack. Vegetarians can choose from meze including melitzanosalata, eggplant salad, and dolmades, leaves stuffed with pine nuts, currants, and rice. For the carnivorous at heart, bekrí-mezé, diced pork stew, and savory meatballs like keftédes and soutzoukákia smyrnéika are sure to hit the spot. No trip to Athens is complete without sampling local olives, fresh feta, and authentic gyros made with rotisserie-coooked meat and tzatziki (garlic, yogurt, and cucumber sauce) served in pitas. Try specialties like aïdakia, seasoned lamb chops, or chtapodi sti skhara, grilled octopus.
For a budget-friendly option, stop for souvlaki, tender skewers of meat (choose from pork, chicken, beef, or lamb) grilled to perfection. Enjoy souvlaki fresh off the s
kewer or in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces. Phyllo pastry is another Greek favorite, used in dishes ranging from spanakopita—made from spinach, feta cheese, onions, and egg wrapped in delicate sheets of pastry—to baklava, a desert consisting of thin pastry layers filled with nuts and drenched in sweet syrup. Don’t worry-they aren’t too Greece-y!
Buy You a Drink?
Wet your whistle after climbing the Acropolis at local coffee shops serving sweet, strong Greek coffee, or trya frappe, foamy iced instant coffee. If you’re in the mood for wine, you’ve come the right place-Greece has a 6500-year history of wine production. Even small tavernas often serve a wide variety of local wines. If you’re in the mood for something stronger, take a sip of Greece’s favorite alcoholic drink, ouzo. Ouzo’s intense black-licorice flavor and powerful kick are not for everyone. Ouzo often accompanies meze, and is sometimes drunk diluted with water or ice, which causes the drink to turn an opaque white color.
HUNGARY
budapest
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
SHOPPING
ESSENTIALS
szentendre
ORIENTATION
SIGHTS
FOOD
ESSENTIALS
esztergom
ORIENTATION
SIGHTS
FOOD
ESSENTIALS
essentials
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
MONEY
SAFETY AND HEALTH
hungary 101
FOOD AND DRINK
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS
Throughout Hungary, the vestiges of Ottoman and communist rules can be found on the same block. Castles stand staunchly and thermal baths pool beside concrete Soviet monuments, overlooking the graves of 20th-century writers and medieval poets.
Döner kebabs, bockwurst, and cheeses are peddled side by side, while Budapest locals frequent Turkish bathhouses. Freewheeling youth and a relentless drive toward the modern means endless streets of hip hangouts and vehemently chill attitude, making the cities some of the best student urban destinations in Europe. And even though the locals might be too cool for school, they do appreciate a tenacity to learn about their culture. That includes the medieval gems of Szentendre and Ersztergom.
greatest hits
• RUBBER DUCKIE, YOU’RE THE ONE. Make out in the bathtub upstairs at Szimpla Kert ( SZIMPLA KERT), Budapest’s original ruin pub.
• GET ICED. In the winter, an area of Hősök tere (Heroes’ Square, HŐSÖK TERE (HEROES’ SQUARE)) functions as an ice rink.
• FRESH TO DEATH. Learn proper hummus-and-pita-eating techniques at Hummus Bár ( HUMMUS BÁR).
• NOTHING IS GIVEN SO FREELY AS ADVICE. The staff at Aventura Boutique Hostel ( AVENTURA BOUTIQUE HOSTEL) gladly doles out suggestions on the where and what.
student life
You won’t have to spurge on club attire if you’re planning to backpack through Budapest. Ruin pubs—the trendiest new nightlife destinations—observe a come-as-you-are attitude. Twenty-somethings lounge in mismatched chairs while enjoying film screenings, concerts, or cold brews. Bring your new buzzed buddies for some mid-party munchies at Cafe Alibi—a little coffee shop in the center of student-city. Nurse your hangover in the parks around Józsefváros—an up-and-coming district popular with young locals—and pick up a hipster hottie at the Budapest film school while you’re in the neighborhood. Take your new beau on an impromptu date to Grand Market Hall for some cheap eats, and stroll off the calories along the Danube in The Belváros. Now that’s cut-rate courting.
Hungary
budapest
01
Perhaps the single most underrated city in Europe, Budapest is a city for lovers and dreamers, a place where the grocery store clerk will chat you up even if he can’t understand a word you say, a land where ruins become hang-outs, where hipsters drink beer and watch experimental films, where people flock to museums until three in the morning, where every building has its own character, its own name and color. Nowhere else can you play chess with half-naked men three generations older than you in the warm waters of a Turkish bath. You might be hard-pressed to find a picture comparable to one taken at sunset from Fisherman’s Bastion on the top of Buda Castle. Enjoy a stroll down Andrássy boulevard, with its tree-lined walkway where purple and yellow flowers bloom to tickle your feet as you pass. In the past few years since Hungary entered the European Union and Union money began to flow into the once severely impoverished nation, Budapest has become a city under constant repair and reconstruction; the result is a city of juxtaposition. Newly erected buildings stand hand-in-hand with ancient 18th-century ones whose crumbling facades become endearing rather than appalling. Bridges seem to crumble into the waters below and then suddenly reemerge polished. Perhaps what makes the city most remarkable is that rather than discarding its scars from a bloody history, it scrambles to preserve them. It’s not that it seeks to distance itself from the brutality of what was, but instead to learn from and at times even embrace the past toward the nurture of a future through acts of filial affection.
ORIENTATION
The Belváros, District V
You can’t say you’ve conquered Budapest until the Belváros, Budapest’s downtown, has been checked off your list. Keep in mind, though, that this is the most heavily touristed area of the city; restaurants will gladly strip you of all you’ve got and stores will sell you the cheapest, well, garbage at high prices. That being said, this neighborhood’s hostels will give you a lot of bang for your buck in an unbeatable location. Grand Market Hall at the foot of the green Szabadság Bridge is a place for the faint of wallet; rows of freshly baked bread and spicy strung salami create a visceral experience—free of charge. Perhaps the greatest asset this part of town has to offer the penny-pinching backpacker is the walk along the Danube, one street over from Váci utca. Benches line the boardwalk, folk musicians play their accordions in the summmertime, kids run after balls and puppies, and you can experience one of the most beautiful views of Buda and Castle Hill this side of the city.
Lipótváros, District V and XIII
Lipótváros includes parts of District V and XIII, beginning after Arany János utca, adjacent to the Belváros, and continuing along the river past Margit Island. This neighborhood boasts the majestic Parliament Building with its Gothic spires, as well as St. Stephen’s mummified hand carefully preserved in the Basilica. Lipótváros also extends into Budapest’s former factory district. Now home to a few dozen giant apartment buildings, the area is one of the few places yet to be refurbished in the city. While not much attracts the average tourist past Margit bridge, the more adventurous will find a few hidden treasures nestled between the towering residential complexes.
Erzsébetváros, District VII
Named for the beloved wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, Erzsébetváros has been the center of Jewish life in Budapest for over 150 years. Almost entirely destroyed during WWII, the area has been in a state of reconstruction since the late ’80s. “Elizabeth Town” now boasts some of the city’s most beautiful architecture and inviting streets, not to mention to her Great Synagogue and many kosher delis. While the Jewish label remains, unfortunately, many of the area’s once flourishing kosher, family-style restaurants have closed due to economic hardship. Although the mealtime establishments have dwindled, Erzsébetváros still plays host to the city’s greatest number of ruin pubs, keeping it a bustling and exciting climate during the late night and early morning hours.
Terézváros, District VI
Perhaps the busiest district of Budapest, Terézváros hosts an international train station, corporate offices, giant supermarkets, import stores, and the most globally diverse selection of dining opportunities you’ll find in the city. The district line begins at Nyugati station and extends eastward to Erzsébet körút and runs north-to-south along Andrássy út from Heroes S
quare to the State Opera House. The area to the south on and near Hajós utca boasts some of the city’s coolest new ruin pubs, while Liszt Ferenc tér, a few blocks from the Oktogon, offers outstanding budget eateries from Hungarian canteen-style joints to fancier sit-down ordeals. As in most cases, a busier environment means more commotion, and while there’s no reason to fret on an average day, heed the area around the train station for pickpockets, peddlers, and obnoxious drunks—especially at dawn.
For details on Budapest map, clik here
For details on Terérváros map, click here
For details on Várhegy and Central Buda map, click here
Józsefváros, District VIII
Don’t be discouraged from visiting Budapest’s eighth district, an area that up until a few years ago was known for its homeless population and dicey sex shops. Józsefváros now has some of the city’s friendliest little parks and squares, a fantastic artist community and the Budapest film school, and the gorgeous National Museum building. You will also be hard-pressed to find a young local who doesn’t recommend the area for its newly polished charm and underground nightlife.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 109