Time difference Central Greece
GMT + 2: one hour difference with France. When it is noon in Paris, it is 1pm in Athens, in winter as in summer
Opening hours Central Greece
To see / To do Central Greece
In high season, the opening hours of the main sites and museums in Athens, Thessaloniki or Delphi are generally harmonized. Between April1 and October 31, they are open from 8am and close around 8pm. The rest of the year, they often close at 4pm. In any case, and especially in summer, we strongly recommend you to be at the opening to avoid the crowd. But in other places of visit, especially in smaller museums or places of worship, the opening hours are a regular source of anxiety for the authors of guidebooks on Greece: they change constantly, sometimes several times a year, and often, above all, they don't even really exist. One thing to remember: stay flexible! A museum that is closed during opening hours is common, especially in the smaller islands where the number of visitors is limited
So, take your chances with the indications given in this guide or call before you come: it will be safer! Off season, assume that the sites and museums are closed, but that if you find the good old man in the village, you may be given the keys... For the rest, the museums are closed on public holidays
Enjoying yourself Central Greece
Lunch is around 2pm, and dinner is rarely before 9 or 10pm. But it is not uncommon for an establishment to also serve coffee and snacks from 9am. In the summer, restaurant owners and taverns and ouzeries in the most touristy areas know that they must ensure the season, so they are open every day from morning to evening, in continuous service. Service hours last on average 15 hours, sometimes more, and they often close with the last customer...
In Athens, some of the more upscale restaurants are only open for dinner in the evening, or have the luxury of closing one or two days a week.
Unlike the islands, most of the restaurants in mainland Greece (except for some coastal areas) remain open all year round to satisfy their local clientele.
Take a break Central Greece
They are rarely posted (or reliable), but it is not uncommon for an establishment to open for breakfast and close late at night... In tourist areas, bar and cafe owners have to cover the summer season to survive all year round: they are open every day, from morning to night, and the hours depend on the number of visitors. Some night bars only open from 6-7pm and stay open until the early hours of the morning. Some traditional kafeneio open early in the morning and again around 6pm but close a few hours after lunch. But most of the time, these places are open continuously: in summer, the waiters just wait for the last customer to leave before closing.
This flexibility can be extended out of season, especially on weekends, in the establishments that remain open. In Greece, you will never be pressured to leave an establishment or recommended to leave once you have finished your drink. Unless you ask for the bill, you will be left to enjoy it without necessarily clearing the table. However, it is important to keep your wits about you: if you see that you are the last ones and that the waiters are exhausted, it may be time to leave!
(To) please yourself Central Greece
Shops are generally open from Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8pm, with a closing period at lunchtime. However, the opening hours adapt to the number of tourists: it is not uncommon for a shop to close at 10pm or even later during the high season. Out of season, it is generally the opposite, with many tourist shops simply closed, especially on the coast.
Get out Central Greece
Greeks go out late, often on Fridays and Saturdays, and usually from 10 p.m. onwards. To obviously get home early in the morning. At night, we live to the rhythm of the moon! Open-air summer cinemas usually offer a second screening around 10pm-23pm because it has to be dark for the screening. Clubs and nightclubs open around midnight and remain open until the early morning, around 5-6am and depending on the number of people.
