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Jul
10
Guide To Greece : Shopping And Money Guide
July 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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.
Large international style shopping malls can be found in nearly all of its cities, and you’ll recognize many of the retailers and brands stocked within them. Prices are similar to elsewhere in Europe for such goods though so don’t expect to find any real bargains unless shopping during the sales.
Haggling is only tolerated in tourist souvenir stores and in some family-owned arts and crafts shops. But in all other cases it achieves nothing and is considered rude. In places where haggling is accepted, you can get at least 10-20% off the price, and being able to speak a little Greek is likely to help you get the lowest possible price.
Most items incur Value Added Tax (VAT) and this is generally but not always included in price tags. However, some shops do provide tax-free shopping for non-European Union residents. Under this system, people who do not live in the EU can seek a VAT refund when departing the EU. To do this, ask for a VAT voucher when buying an item and show a customs officer all such vouchers and the related items upon leaving the EU.
Greece’s official currency is the Euro, and other currencies won’t be accepted at all. You can easily exchange currency can easily in larger cities and in any touristed area though. Banks tend to offer the best exchange rates, followed by specialist shops, and then automated currency exchange machines. When changing money, it’s a good idea to get mostly smaller notes, and nothing larger than a 50, as many businesses will be reluctant to accept them.
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.
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