Unwritten Rules of Athens

Although I agree that, when it comes to rules, the Greek capital is quite relaxed, and that it's easy to dodge a bullet if needs be, you should still know which are the details regarding the "do's and don'ts" so you don't embarrass yourself in this foreign culture.

I won't focus on describing the cultural aspects, I'll elaborate on that in another entry, and for now leave you with the unwritten rules (which I guess are also written in Greek, but the level of understanding will be the same).

Transport

Since the last thing I told you was about transportation, here's a summary of my experience:

1. Gypsies and beggars: especially on the green metro line, in the Omonoia, Victoria and Attiki stations, there's a large presence of people who beg, as well as families of gypsies that sometimes organise an authentic chaos. This can be simply irritating, or even something with helps one to better understand the society that resides here, but you must be careful with your belongings. Do not leave things in your pockets, keep your backpack or purse close, and watch out for "shocks".

2. Travelling without a ticket: this will change with the new system, but if you catch an old train you'll see how easy it is to travel without a ticket. I don't know if it's something that's common or not, but I've personally done it a lot of times. Now, there are ticket inspections who from time to time walk the trains and buses, especially on the green and blue lines and buses downtown at midday and on Saturdays, as well as some metro exits (especially in Syntagma).

What happens if you get caught without a ticket? There's a fine 60 times more than what you should have paid for your ticket: 84 euros for a normal one, and 36 euros if you have the discount. If you pay before 10 days have passed, the fine is halved, and you must go to a police station with the paper that the lovely ticket inspector will give you.

What can you do? Well, if you want to travel without a ticket, pay attention to the people who get on the carriage. The ticket inspectors don't wear uniforms, but usually carry a small bandolier where they keep their notebooks, and shout "isitiria" (tickets) as soon as they get on. If possible, get of, otherwise you can claim that you do not carry documentation or that you do not understand English, the usual excuses. But, above all, keep in mind that, if you are caught, you must pay at the police station, do not pay the inspector. They'll keep it for themselves as a "bonus", and it's a large amount, and after what will have happened, I don't think you want to give to them.

3. Meals, drinks, bicycles, animals... : these rules are more specific. It is forbidden to eat, drink and smoke in any station or vehicle, although... anyway. Smoking is not a good idea, the rest is kind of relative. As for bikes, entry with them is permitted on the last carriage of the metro and train, as long as it does not cause obstructions, and animals can travel in accordance with regulations: in boxes, with a muzzle, or with documentation (guide dog, etc. ).

4. Taxis: well, everyone knows how taxis work, so two basic things:

a) To and from the airport there's a flat rate: 38 euros. Don't give them a penny more. It's advertised inside the majority, but just in case.

b) At night many taxis double the price of the journey, taking advantage of the fact that people are distracted, so again, don't get ripped off. Try to think about what you'd expect to pay if you don't know the basic rates. For example, if you have travelled the mere distance of one or two subway stations, 20 euros is definitely too much.

Establishments (coffee shops, bars... )

1. Tipping: just like in Spain, that is, leave the small change (10, 20, 50 cents). In general, what I've seen in many cafeterias is that they reuse tickets with the price of each drink and the label "café" so they don't have to pay so much in taxes.

2. Smoking: although by law it's forbidden indoors, you will see that in the vast majority of establishments you can smoke, even within the universities and some offices. If you're a smoker, welcome to paradise. If not, you're going to have a bad time. Warning: there are posters in some bars that warn about the smoker's responsibility to pay the fine for disobeying the law in case of an inspector visit.

Source

3. Animals: I don't know the specific guidelines, but I have seen dogs in coffee shops and pubs on many occasions. I suppose the least you should do is to carry the necessary documents for the animal and have it under control.

Tourism: sites and museums

The basic thing regarding the tourist points is that the students mostly get free entry, as long as you are accredited with ID and student card, even if it's from your university of origin. Just in case, always use the Athens student card that they'll give you.

Accommodation and interior care

1. The contracts: the habit of signing a contract for an apartment is not so strictly done here, and some landlords will agree or prefer not to sign anything (again so they can save on taxes), but in that case you must assume the consequences if you are unhappy or want to change flats. The minimum is that you keep in mind why you are paying, and that they show you every detail of the invoices.

2. The bathroom: important: NEVER throw paper in the toilet. The pipes are old, and maintenance is expensive, so a rule at home and in any public place that you should follow is to always throw the paper into a rubbish bin.

3. The water and heating: the heating or air conditioning will depend on whether it is central in your building or personal, with a boiler. The important thing here is in the water, that you have to turn on the boiler to heat up the water in winter, but in summer some buildings have water tanks that use the sun to heat up. Therefore, in the sunny and warm months, I recommend that you use it during the afternoon, and in this way you'll not waste energy. Also, I must mention that the tap water is potable.

On the street...

I already talked about this before ( in this post ), but I'll add the two main "rules":

1. Dangerous traffic: it seems silly, but walking around distracted on the streets of Athens can be fatal. Although I think that most Greeks are careful drivers, skipping the rules is a rule in a way, so look before crossing, and be careful in the narrow streets, drivers seem to think of pavements as extensions of the road.

2. Drinking and smoking: allowed on the street if it’s your own drink, and if it’s from a bar on your terrace. Smoking anything other than tobacco is common, especially in the Exarchia area, but obviously it’s a crime if the police catch you, and there'll be judgements and fines.

Well, the street belongs to everyone, so it's simply a matter of getting used to it. I hope it's helpful, and if not then see for yourself. More details coming soon!

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