Living, Working, Musing & Misadventures in Greece

A practical guide to living, working & traveling in Greece, plus insider tips and personal stories from an American in Athens

Easter shopping hours in Greece

March 16, 2010 at 19:00 · Filed under Shopping in Greece

Greek Easter Sunday is April 4 this year, and special shopping hours for this period through Holy Week start March 26. Winter sales are over, but many retailers have special discounts and/or did not raise prices when the new value-added tax (VAT) rates took effect March 15.

Hours of operation

For Attica & Aegean Islands

Fri March 26: 9:00-21:00
Sa March 27: 9:00-16:00 or 9:00-18:00 (Athens)
Su March 28: Closed
Mo March 29: 9:00-21:00
Tu March 30: 9:00-21:00
Wed March 31: 9:00-21:00
Thu April 1: 9:00-21:00
Good Friday: 13:00-19:00
Sa April 3: 9:00-15:00 or 9:00-16:00 (Athens)
Easter Sunday: Closed
Easter Monday: Closed
Tu April 6: Normal hours resume

For Thessaloniki

Fri March 26: 10:00-21:00
Sa March 27: 10:00-20:00
Su March 28: Closed
Mo March 29: 10:00-21:00
Tu March 30: 10:00-21:00
Wed March 31: 10:00-21:00
Thu April 1: 10:00-21:00
Good Friday: 13:00-19:00
Sa April 3: 10:00-16:00
Easter Sunday: Closed
Easter Monday: Closed
Tu April 6: Normal hours resume

Note from Author

Please keep in mind this is Greece, meaning the business hours listed above can vary and different municipalities keep different hours.

Shop owners can also decide to open or close earlier or later on a whim and without warning; stores in smaller cities and rural areas may not extend their hours, due to lack of shoppers or staff; and some open every Sunday, even though it is illegal.

Sources

“Πασχαλινό ωράριο για τα καταστήματα” — Eleftherotypia
“Από 26/3 το πασχαλινό ωράριο λειτουργίας των καταστημάτων” — Kathimerini
“Από 26 Μαρτίου πασχαλινό ωράριο στα καταστήματα της Θεσσαλονίκης” — Eleftherotypia

“Easter in Athens”
“Kokoretsi countdown”
“Death and resurrection: Paschal journey, life journey“

Comments (2)

What’s on strike March 11 in Greece?

March 9, 2010 at 18:50 · Filed under Greek News

Another 24-hour strike on March 11 will disrupt travel and close all archaeological sites, museums and airports in Greece.

On behalf of the conscientious residents of Greece who value our jobs and the future, we apologize for whatever inconvenience this has caused and hope you will not give up on this country. We need your tourism and business to revive the economy.

Plenty of private businesses, restaurants and cafes will be open to welcome you.

*Article last updated March 15, 2010, 18:00

What’s on strike?

List will be updated as official announcements are made.

All airports: Closed, due to participation by air traffic controllers. All flights to/from/within Greece canceled. Call your airline now, if you haven’t been notified.

Olympic Air: All flights canceled on March 11, some rescheduled on March 10 and 12. See, “Press Release: Flight cancellations by Olympic Air” if you are affected.

Aegean Airlines: All flights canceled on March 11, some rescheduled on March 10 and 12. See “Press Release: Flight cancellations by Aegean Airlines” if you are affected.

Ferries: Docked. Refunds/rescheduling without a fee available to those who booked in advance.

Athens public transport: No Athens buses, no tram, no trolley, no proastiakos (suburban railway), no metro (red and blue lines). Taxi cabs are not on strike.

Long-distance train network (OSE): Running only on emergency basis.

All archaeological sites and museums: Closed, due to ADEDY participation.

Media blackout: No local news with journalists on strike from 6:00 a.m.; foreign media still working.

Landfills: Closed nationwide since Saturday, March 6. Garbage pickup may be affected.

Courthouses: Two-hour stoppages daily until Friday from 10:00-12:00.

Public sector offices: Closed, due to ADEDY participation.

Public utilities: Electric company (DEH/PPC), due to GENOP participation. This usually takes the form of unannounced, rolling one-hour power cuts. Further action was announced for March 15, 16 and 17.

Hospitals: Operate with emergency staff only.

Banks: Closed.

Teachers: Participation in strike is dependent on location and school.

Two good words to know are Απεργία or apergia (strike) and Λουκέτο or louketo (lock). Also, as this is Greece, you may find variations according to city, municipality or individual as many do not support strikes and/or choose not to lose pay.

Partial strike

Athens metro green line (ISAP): Will operate between 10:00-16:00 to accommodate those participating in protests.

Buses in Thessaloniki (OASTH) will be on strike between 8:30-20:30: In other words, bus service is only available 4:30-8:30 and 20:30-23:30.

KTEL long-distance buses in Greece made no announcement: Travelers are advised to call in advance.

Rallies

Roads are closed to traffic during protests, so expect delays and disruptions.

ADEDY (public sector) & GSEE (private sector): Rally starting at Pedion Areos at 11:00

PAME (Communists workers group): Protest starting from Omonia Square, Athens

GENOP/DEH-KHE (Electric company union): Joining GSEE/ADEDY rally at 11:00

Medical staff: Rally outside the Ministry of Health at 14:00.

Police: Rally outside General Headquarters in Piraeus at 18:00

ADEDY has also called a rally for March 16 at 18:00, but there will be no strike that day. The next strike will not be until mid-April. If this changes, I will update the article accordingly.

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Comments (17)

Καλημέρα/Kalimera!

March 9, 2010 at 12:30 · Filed under Personal

Καλημέρα/Kalimera!*

That’s the 2010 tourism motto for Greece, backed with a budget of €12 million.

The deputy minister of tourism and culture said they chose a simple, widely known Greek word that symbolically encapsulates Greece and tourism, which will be the focus of 10 TV commercials set to the music of Manos Hadjidakis.

Good job on saving letters due to the country’s debt crisis and making no false claims. Points off for choosing a motto that must first be translated for anyone who can’t understand Greek, which is pretty much everyone who isn’t Greek or has never been to Greece, the very audience being targeted by a tourism campaign. Ironic.

The Greek National Tourist Organisation (GNTO/EOT) Web site still advertises Greece with the 2009 tagline, “A Masterpiece You Can Afford.” With a plethora of new taxes on everything, that no longer applies.

*Kalimera means good day or good morning.