Time difference Cyclades
GMT +2: 1 hour difference with France. When it is noon in Paris, it is 1pm in Athens, and this in winter as well as in summer.
Opening hours Cyclades
To see / To do Cyclades
In high season, the hours of the main national sites and museums 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 can't recommend enough 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 try your luck based on 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, he might give you the keys... For the rest, the museums are closed on public holidays.
Enjoying yourself Cyclades
Lunch is around 2pm, and dinner rarely before 9 or 10pm. But it's not uncommon for an establishment to also serve coffee and snacks from 9am. In summer, restaurateurs and owners of taverns and ouzeries in the most popular tourist areas know they have to keep up with the season, so they are open every day, from morning to night, in continuous service. Service hours average 15 hours, sometimes more, and they often close with the last customer... In Athens and on the islands, some of the more upscale restaurants are only open for dinner in the evening, or have the luxury of closing for one or two days during the week. On the islands, most establishments close between the end of October and Easter. But others - and this is often a guarantee of quality - remain open all year round to satisfy their local clientele.
Take a break Cyclades
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 people. 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 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 Cyclades
Shops are generally open from Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8pm, with a closing period at lunchtime. However, opening hours are adapted to the number of tourists: it is not uncommon for a store to close at 10 pm or even later during the high season. Off season, it is generally the opposite, with many tourist stores simply closed on the islands.
Get out Cyclades
The Greeks go out late, often on Friday and Saturday, and generally from 10 pm... to obviously return early in the morning. In the evening, we live to the rhythm of the moon! The summer cinemas, in the open air, usually offer a second screening around 10-11pm because it has to be dark for the projection. Clubs and nightclubs open around midnight and stay open until the early morning, around 5-6am and depending on the number of people.
