Helpful hints for holidays on the sunny island of Rhodes, Greece

Useful hints for perfect holidays

Banks
Banks are normally open Mon. - Fr. 08.00 - 14.00 but closed on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. You'll find banks in all towns and main resorts and all of them change money, travelers cheques and euro cheques supported by an euro cheque card. Some banks also give cash on major credit cards. There are also plenty exchange offices around the island (in rent a car, hotels, travel agencies). When changing travelers cheques don't forget to take your passport along. Most major credit cards are accepted in many shops, taverns and banks, but it is advisable to check first. The money on Rhodes is the Euro.

Time
The Greek time is two hours ahead of the British time, so when it is 8.00 am back home, on Rhodes it’s 10 am.

Health Matters
Beware of the effects of the strong Greek sun. Use a high factor sun lotion with UV protection and accustoms your skin to the sun gradually. Food hygiene on Rhodes is generally excellent. However, preparing food yourself, it is advisable to wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly as chemicals are often used in the cultivation process.

Medical contact
Don't worry about the standard of medical care in Greece, it is good. Doctors here receive first rate training and as they do not have the same volume of patients as UK doctors are expected to deal with, you may even find you get more time and attention here. A visit to a doctor on Rhodes will require you to pay all bills in cash.
Please ensure that you obtain receipts but you may be able to reclaim some of your cost against insurance. Please remember to take your passport on a visit to the doctor. In Rhodes town you'll find a generally efficient hospital.

Chemists
are recognizable by a red or a green cross which is displayed outside. The opening hours are the same as the shops around.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day: January 1st
Epiphany: January 6th. The seas around Piraeus are blessed. A Cross is thrown into the sea and young men dive to retrieve it.
Ash Monday: 41 days before Easter. Lent begins. On Ash Monday, Greeks fly kites, eat Lenten food and celebrate the koulouma.
Independence Day and the Feast of the Annunciation: March 25th , Military parade.
Easter: Good Friday-Easter Monday. Vesper evening is on Good Friday and every church decorates an Epitaphios (bier). The Epitaphios processions, followed by people holding lit candles and chanting hymns, fill the streets of every city, town and village in the country.
Anastasi (Resurrection): celebrated with fire-works and lit candles at midnight, on the eve of Easter Day. Pascha (Easter): on that Day Greeks traditionally eat lamb, spit-roasted on charcoal. The festivities include singing and dancing through the day.
Labour Day: May 1st . Many Flower Festivals take place all over Greece.
Whit Monday: 50 days after Easter.
Dormition (Assumption) of The Virgin: August 15th .
October 28th: rejection of the Italian ultimatum in 1940. Military parade.
Christmas: December 25th -26th.

Pumping
Narrow gauge plumping pipes cannot cope with paper or sanitary products. So use the bin provided, ratter than flushing them down the toilet.

Water
The tap water is natural spring water. That means you can drink it without stomach trouble.

Directions for the prevention of Forest Fires

Dear visitor of Rhodes, if you see smoke or fire in the forest, call immediately the fire service number 199. Please do not light fire in the forest or elsewhere during the anti fire period. Do not smoke in or nearby the forest. Do not throw your cigarette out of the car. Do not litter anywhere in the forest. All of us together, we can and must save the forest and the wild life in it, by reducing the fires to a minimum !

In case of a fire try to confine it, if you can, by offhand means water, sand, soil or tree branches, until the arriving of the fire service. Try not to block with your car the traffic of the fire service vehicles on their way to the site of the fire.