| USEFUL INFORMATION
The airport The airport is located one kilometer to the south of the town.The usual services can be found there as at any international airport, including but not restricted to, car-hire firms, shops snack bar and a duty-free shop, if you are flying abroad.Taxis are readily available outside, car and bus stops are also close by. Passengers travelling with groups should check with their Travel Agent or Tour Operator for local transfer arrangements. Here in exchange branch you can interchange the currency on Greek drachmas, but it is not necessary to change too much, because at the airport a rate is unprofitable for you. Antiques, antiquities and other art objects. Exporting antiquities and other works of art is strictly prohibited, with the exception of certain items for which a license may be issued by the Ministry of Culture and Sciences. If anyone, Greek or foreigner, is caught having possession of antiquities or other works of art without an export license, not only will the object be confiscated, but he/she will be subject to severe criminal punishment. Banks and money There are many Greek banks on the island. All of them offer exchange facilities within the town and in some resorts as well. Hotels and Travel Offices, which can be found everywhere, will also exchange money and Travelers Checks and will take a small commission. Bank rates are better then the Hotels and Travel Offices ones, but the better rates you can find on Post Offices: they thier comission from operation not from sum. Hotel Bank hours are Mon-Fri 08.00-14.00. Visa, Mastercard and other well-known credit cards are also accepted by the majority of shops, car-hire firms, Travel Agencies and hotels. Many banks also have ATM`s outside. In winter Greek Drachma is cheeper (~315 Drs/$) in summer more expensive (~300 Drs/$). Anywhere we did not meet rushing to receive any other currency, except for drachmas. Beaches and Swimming Pools The big attraction of Corfu is the many beautiful beaches that surround the entire island. Entrance to all beaches is free but you will have to pay only if you rent a sun-bed or/and sun-umbrella (each ones costs 500-600 Drachmas as usual). The beaches on the east coast are ideal for swimming since the sea is generally calm, while on the west it is best suited for wind-surfing, diving and other water-sports. This does not mean that you cannot swim on the west coast, indeed many swimmers prefer the big waves to the calm seas. There are also several diving schools at various resorts around the island and, of course, many centers offering paragliding, water-skiing banana-rides....etc! As usual all swimming pools are "Open for the Public". More over us usual the sun-beds and umbrellas in the swimming-pools are Free also! Sometimes near the beach you can find the swimming-pool with sea-water, but most of them are fulfillded by usual water from the water-pipe. Bicycles and motorbikes. These are used extensively all over the island .There are many rental companies spread around where you can rent a motorbike, large or small. (Standard prices are about 4000 drs per day, but often you can det good discoutnts). In addition, there are also centers where one can rent mountain bikes thereby visiting parts of Corfu usually reserved only for the local donkeys! Other sports available include tennis, horse riding, scuba diving and Corfu boasts a superb 18 hole Golf course. Camping There are camp sites, notably at Dassia, although it may be possible to camp in your own chosen spot provided you have permission from the landowner. Al sites have the usual facilities and are open fron April to October. Standard prices (per day): 500-700 drs per person, 600-700 drs for car, 700-800 drs for tent. Car hire There are plenty of car-hire companies in Corfu, such as Island Cars, Hertz, Budget, Avis to name a few. While the larger and more recognized companies have set prices for any given car, the smaller ones can and will bargain with you and you may get a very good deal. Prices normally include insurance and free mileage. Of course, you will have to pay for the petrol that you use (Last year, 1999, a litre of unleaded fuel had cost 210-230 drs ~ $0.7). If you are planning to rent a car or bike don't forget to have your driving license with you. As usual your local country driving licence will be accepted, but you must have it atleast one year and you will be 21 yeats old. The car-hire firms will suggest you 4 types of cars. The smallest ones as so Japan "Daihatsu" will cost about 10000 drs per day with 100 km daily limit at the top of the season. Maybe You will get some discount for renting for a long period. As usial due for rentind more then 3 days you will have unlimited kilometers. The big cars as mini-jeep "Suzuki Samurai" (with tent roof) or mini-bus "Suzuki" will cost 16000- 18000 drs per day. If you will meet the lower prices, you will consider this closer - probably, insurance, offered to you, isn't full insurance. Churches Anglican (Holy Trinity Church) 21, Mavili St. Tel/ Fax: 0661 31467 E-MailKatsu@compulink.gr Holy Communion 10.30 Sunday. 1st /3rd Sunday Songs of Praise 19.00 Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. James. Town Hall Square. Sunday Mass 08.30, 10.00, 19.00. Mass is also held at the Corfu Chandris Hotel in Dassia 11.00, at the Valtur Hotel near Moraitika18.00. Near the Messongi Beach Hotel 19.00.Tel: 0661 30277 for further information. Evangelical Church of Greece 3 Iakovou Polila St. Tel:0661 37304 Sunday morning service 10.30, Sunday evening 19.00 Consulates Great Britain 0661 30055 / 0661 23457 Holland 0661 39900 Germany 0661 31453 France 0661 26312/0663 22500 Italy 0661 37351 Denmark 0661 38712 Norway 0661 39667/0661 32423 Spain 0661 39620 Sweden 0661 31386/0661 36241 Switzerland 0661 39485 Eire 0661 32469/0661 39910 Finland 0661 93438 Health You may get some problems with medicine. In general the whole medicine is in Corfu-Town. In hotels there are no physicians or doctors usually. Personal will call their by the telephone if it will be necessary. First-aid kit in the hotel you must find. In small boroughs of physicians or no in general, or be a first-aid station, where physician arrives at certain days and watch. Drugstores are not on the each corner. You have sense to take with you car first-aid kit, added by it by your medicines. Corfu has many doctors of all practices.The state hospital St. Irini Tel:45811-7 /30033/30562. Private General Clinic Tel: 36044/22946 Ambulances can be summoned on 166 or 39403 There are plenty of pharmacies, characterized by the red cross sign, and by law at least one must stay open all night.En glish is widely spoken in pharmacies and they are able to dispense many medicines without prescription. Mosquitoes and flies
Water The water from the water-pipe has not a good quality. So if you will boil it then you will receive of dense white settlings at the bottom of your vessel. Rubbish
Post Office Alexandras Avenue.Open 07.30-20.00 Stamps can also be bought at kiosks. Tourist Organization (EOT) Corner of Rizospaston Voulefton & Polila St, near the Post Office.Open 07.30-14.15 weekdays.Tel:37520/37638 Tourist Police Samartzi 4, San Rocco Square Tel:30265. Holidays and feasts The following is a list of official holidays and feast days. Those marked * are Bank Holidays during which all departments of public services are closed. January 1st- New Years Day* January 6th - Epiphany* First day of Lent (movable)- in Greek known as Clean Monday*. March 25th- anniversary of the revolution for freedom against Turkish invaders* Good Friday-(movable)* Easter Sunday, Easter Monday (movable)* May 1st- May Day* May 21st- Union of the Ionion Islands with Greece* Also SS. Konstantinos & Eleni. Ascension Day-(movable) Of the Holy Spirit -(movable)* August 6th- Transfiguration of Christ August 15th-Dormition of the Virgin Mary* September 14th- Of the Cross October 28th- anniversary of Greece`s refusal to submit to the Italians in 1940* December 6th- St. Nicholas Day. December 12th- St. Spiridon`s Day ( the patron saint of Corfu)*. December 25th- Christmas Day* December 26th- second day of Christmas.* Public Transport There two kinds of buses on Corfu Island: Green Buses and Blue Buses. The bus network covers the entire island. Blue Buses run from San Rocco Square to areas within a radius of 15km Tel: 31595. Green Buses run from Avramiou St. to the outlying villages. Tel: 30627/39985/39862. All buses run regularly and fares are reasonable. Newspapers Most western newspapers and magazines arrive in Corfu on a daily basis and are widely available, as are maps of the island. Telephones Corfu is equipped with a very advanced telecommunications system. You can dial directly anywhere in the world without involving the operator.The head office of the Greek Telecommunications Organization (OTE) is on Mantzarou St. and is open from 07.00- 24.00. There are also cardphones dotted about on most streets from where one can call using a phonecard purchased from kiosks, tourist offices, some cafe bars etc.Price 1,500drs for 100 units. Telephone rates are reduced by 30% between 22.00- 8.00 for long-distance calls. Passports, customs and other formalities. No visas are required for visitors from EU countries and most other countries for stays of up to three months. If a longer stay is required, you should file an application with the Immigration Police at least 20 days prior to the expiration of the initial three month period.Personal belongings such as cameras, radios, cassette players, musical instruments and so on, may be brought freely into Greece, but only one of each kind per traveler. Duty- free goods such as cigarettes and alcohol may be imported, but allowed quantities vary from time to time so it is best to check with your travel agent or NTOG office abroad. Weights and measures. Greece uses the metric system.Some useful conversions and equivalents:1 metro=39.4 inches, 1 kilometer= 0.620 mile (1 mile= 1.6 km),1 kilo = 2.2 lb. Temperature is measured in degrees Centigrade. To convert Centigrade into Fahrenheit, multiply by 9/5 and add 32.To reverse the process, subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9. Tips In Greece You will everywhere have got a cheque and (or) bill - count. In the bill is already enclosed VAT and, as a rule, 10 percent for service. However tourists nearly always give some tips. In Greece ones more is valid are refer to the dollar, to the money in general, than beside us. So a tip in the bar 100 drachmas (one third of the dollar) - wholly normal gratuity. In tavern or restaurant tips usually are from 100 before 300 drachmas (before the dollar, as a word). Good tips - 500 drachmas - mean that there was quite kindly for You. But all this depends on situations. If You have took in the bar a bottle of beer for 500 drachmas, which in the nearby supermarket costs 250 drachmas, what else tips. Also in the restaurant often You without the demand will bring and comprise of the count of drachmas for 400 bread with two bits of cream butter (but that and oleomargarine). In this case have full moral right will be limit minimum tips. |
Copywrite by Yuri Pliushchev, 1999, chipbyte@dataforce.net