Move, shop, have fun and live to the rhythm of the city like the locals! How? Find below some useful information to organize better your trip to Thessaloniki.
Time
Thessaloniki, like the rest of Greece, belongs to the Eastern European Time Zone and it is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +2). Like most European countries, Thessaloniki implements the time change from “winter” to “summer” and conversely.
Electricity
Electricity in Greece is 230V AC (50Hz). Visitors from countries with different voltage, require transformer or adaptor to operate their devices.
Currency / Banking
Greece is a member of the Eurozone and the euro is the official currency.You can buy euros from banks, exchange offices in the city center and the airport “Macedonia”, while foreign exchange services offered in many hotels. The opening hours of banks accepting foreign currency are:
- Monday-Thursday: 8:00 -14:30 & Friday: 8:00 -13:30.
Shopping hours
The shops’ opening hours are not pre-determined. In general terms, the regular shopping hours on weekdays are 09:00 – 21:00 and Saturdays 09:00 – 20:00. Small stores may keep a midday siesta break and open after 17:00, especially on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Standard Bank Holidays:
- 1st January, New Year’s Day
- 6th January, Epiphany
- 25th March (national bank holiday), Anniversary of the 1821 Greek Revolution against the Turks, the Annunciation of Jesus’ Conception
- 1st May
- 15th August, the Assumption
- 26th October, feast day of Agios Demetrios, patron saint of Thessaloniki (for the city of Thessaloniki only)
- 28th October, (national bank holiday), the Anniversary of NO (commencing date of Greece entering 2nd World War)
- 17th November, Anniversary of the Polytechnic School Students’ Revolt (for Educational institunions only)
- 25th December, Christmas
- 26th December, 2nd day of Christmas
Bank Holidays, Moveable Feast Days (dependable on Easter date)
- Ash Monday (the Monday after the last Sunday of Carnival)
- Good Friday (Shops open after 13:00, Banks are closed)
- Easter
- Second Day of Easter
- Pentecost
- Meals
There are absolutely no limitations as to the hours you could take a trip down to Thessaloniki’s gastronomic wealth lane! The city’s day begins with the coffee experience (coffee here is an experience indeed), and moves on with appetizers and tsipouro in a traditional tavern, followingly to a luncheon closing with a coffee or dessert (Greeks, like the rest of the Mediterraneans, have their lunch later than the rest of the Europeans) and concludes with a late evening visit to a restaurant. Is that so? Enter the Gastronomy section to find out!
Waiter Tips: Tipping is not an obligatory term, though in case of being satisfied by the service is always welcome!
