Jul 04 2009
Holidays In Greece : A Guide To Shopping In Greece
In this part of our guide to holidays in Greece we focus on shopping and money...
Greece isn't renowned for its shopping, but it does offer some unique and quality local products. Special purchases include lace, jewelry, metalwork, pottery, knitwear, rugs, leather goods, local wines and spirits, and local handicrafts.
Almost all Greek cities have large shopping malls with internationally recognized major retailers and brands. However, prices in these shopping centers are similar to those in other Europe countries, you unless they are holding sales you won't get any real bargains.
Tourist souvenir shops and some family-owned arts and crafts stores tolerate haggling, but otherwise it is frowned upon. In places where bargaining is accepted, you can reduce the price by at least 10-20%, and being able to speak some Greek can help you get price as low as possible.
Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged on most items (this is usually but not always included in the item's price tag) but some shops offer tax free shopping to non-EU residents. This means that non-EU residents can ask for a VAT refund at their port of exit in the EU. To do so, ask for a VAT voucher before leaving the store and show that along with your items to the customs officer upon departure from the EU.
The Euro is Greece's official currency. This is the only currency that will be accepted but money can easily be exchanged in any tourist center and in the larger cities. The best exchange rates are usually offered by banks, followed by specialist shops, and then automated currency exchange machines. When changing money, make an effort to get mostly smaller denominations, preferably nothing bigger than a 50 note, as many businesses are wary about accepting larger notes.
ATM machines are present almost everywhere and Mastercard, Visa, and Eurocard are widely accepted in retail stores, hotels, and travel agencies, but are not accepted at some restaurants and local souvenir shops.










