Is it safe to drink the tap water in Greece? In Athens and most places across mainland Greece, the tap water is perfectly safe to drink. In harbor towns and the Greek Islands, however, it is generally better to drink bottled water, which is readily available and very cheap.
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Yes, it's safe. Like the rest of Europe, the water is treated. Sometimes, when you go to a new place, even within your own country, and you're not used to the local harmless bacteria, you might get a reaction.
In Athens and many other parts of Greece, the water is safe to drink. However, because of various concerns regarding supply and infrastructure, it's popular on both the islands and the mainland to buy bottled water rather than drinking straight from the tap.
“You can safely drink tap water in many areas of Greece,” she says. “This includes the big cities such as Athens and Thessaloniki, most of the mainland and certain islands. On smaller islands, such as Santorini, tap water is not always drinkable, so you should drink bottled water.
While it is customary to tip people in Greece, in the end, it is entirely up to you whether you will leave a tip or not, as is the amount of the tip. If you want to show your gratitude through money, we aren't going to stop you. Feel free to express yourself and make those around you smile big!
The Greek islands have insufficient water supplies to meet demand, relying on the use of water tankers for maintaining water supply – at considerable cost. Greece also experiences major flood events on a regular basis.
While there may be exceptions in some newly built resorts and modern hotels, the overwhelmingly common rule is to avoid flushing paper products down the toilets in Greece. And don't worry about forgetting. You'll come across plenty of fun signage to remind you.
Drinking waterThey in fact rely on having water delivered to them. Needless to say, bottled water is a popular product on Santorini! We recommend that you always use bottled water for drinking. Washing up and brushing your teeth can be safely done using tap water throughout the island.
There is not a strong tradition of tipping in Greece, particularly among the locals, but it's become expected that tourists leave a small tip while travelling through the country. In restaurants it's common to leave a cash tip for whoever is looking after you – 10–15 per cent is standard.
Although tap water is safe in Corfu, bottled water tastes much better! Drugs are not tolerated. Possession of even small quantities can result in lengthy imprisonment and large fines.
No Greek restaurant or bar or cafe can serve bottled water -and bread for that matter- unless there's a customer consent after asking them first (a jug with tap water is free of charge). The law is very specific and the fine is 500 euros.
Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.
Can you drink the tap water in Tenerife? People in the Canary Islands tend to buy bottled water because much of the tap water here is desalinated sea water – it's safe to drink but not particularly pleasant taste-wise.