Commonly Asked Questions about Greek TravelIn Athens and most places across mainland Greece, the tap water is perfectly safe to drink.
People Also Ask
“Hotel water is often as safe as the public water supply where the hotel is located,” Bartell told Verywell in an email. “But some remote hotels have their own private water supplies, which are less regulated.” In some older hotels, tap water might be contaminated by lead pipes, Bartell added.
Europe's Water Is Generally SafeThe tap water throughout most of Europe is completely safe to drink. The taps in hotels, homes, restaurants and cafés all run with potable water. Of course, there's always room for common sense.
“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.
Safe for consumptionAlthough the most touristy countries Americans visit, like France, Germany, England, Spain, and Italy, have safe drinking water, other countries like Romania, Cyprus, Belarus, and Moldova do not.
Absolutely! The good news is that it's usually free, too. The tap water in Paris is safe for drinking and meets all EU regulations for potable water quality standards. The word 'potable' means drinkable in both English and French.
If you don't book a double room, chances are that they won't let you bring anyone from outside the hotel into your room, not even for a fee. If you book a double room alone, they will often let you bring girls in with no questions asked, and if not, they will do so for a small fee.
Generally, 10-15% is ok, not great, and 20-25% is a pretty nice tip. If you have exemplary service and want to tip more, you will certainly be appreciated. In Greece, that simply isn't the case. While some fine dining restaurants in Athens may add a 10% service charge, that is the exception, not the rule.
Don't Flush Toilet Paper in AthensMost places have signage to remind you, and there is a little bin next to the toilet for used paper. If you forget, don't worry about it. When we returned to Germany, I was pretty excited to head to the toilet for some flushing.
Tip in the local currencyWhenever you tip during your trip to Greece it is important to use the local currency, that is - Euros. Otherwise you'll leave your service providers with cash they can't use without paying high fees on currency exchange.
Greek: “To logariasmo parakalo”After eating a delicious meal in Greece, you'll get your server's attention and ask for “To logariasmo parakalo” from your server. Both “logariasmo” and “parakalo” have the strongest accent on the last vowel, which sounds like the English word “oh.”
Water is safe everywhere in Greece with the possible exceptions mentioned by bob, so no problem in using it for cleaning your teeth, washing food etc. But in a few places it doesn't taste very good - it can be just a bit salty, so you wouldn't want to use it for ice cubes or coffee/tea/drinking.
Bathing suits are for the beach only.Never leave the beach without covering up. Also, it is considered quite rude to go barefoot on the beach. And while there are some nude beaches in Greece they are few and far between.
Generally, tap water in Italy is drinkable and safe, especially in major tourist places. What is this? In fact, cities like Rome have thousands of old-style drinking fountains where you can fill your water and consume fresh water.