Timetable Ionian Islands: time difference and opening hours

Time difference Ionian Islands

GMT +2: 1 hour's time difference with France. When it's noon in Paris, it's 1pm in Athens, in winter and summer alike.

Opening hours Ionian Islands

To see / To do Ionian Islands

In high season, the opening hours of the main national museums and sites are generally harmonized. Between April¹ and October 31, they open at 8am and close around 8pm. The rest of the year, they often close as early as 4pm. In any case, and especially in summer, we strongly recommend you to be at the opening to avoid the crowds. But in other places of interest, such as smaller museums or places of worship, opening times are a regular source of anxiety for authors of travel guides to Greece: they change constantly, sometimes several times a year, and often, above all, they don't even really exist. So there's only one thing to remember: stay flexible! It's not uncommon for a museum to be closed during opening hours, especially on the smaller islands where visitor numbers are limited. So try your luck with the indications given in this guide, or call before you go: it's safer! Out of season, assume that the sites and museums are closed, but if you happen to come across the good old man in the village, you may be given the keys... For the rest, museums are closed on public holidays.

Enjoying yourself Ionian Islands

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. On average, service lasts 15 hours, sometimes longer, and often closes 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 Ionian Islands

They're not often advertised (or reliable), but it's not unusual for an establishment to open for breakfast and close late into the night... In tourist areas, bar and café owners have to cover the summer season in order to survive all year round: they are therefore open every day, from morning to night, and their opening hours depend on how busy they are. Some night bars only open from 6pm-7pm and stay open until the early hours. 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, waiters simply wait for the last customer to leave before closing. This flexibility can be extended out of season, especially at weekends, in establishments that remain open. In Greece, you'll never be pressured to leave an establishment, or recommended to leave, once you've finished your drink. Unless you ask for the bill, you'll be left to enjoy it, without necessarily clearing the table. But don't be fooled: if you see that you're the last to leave and the waiters are exhausted, it may be time to vacate your seat!

(To) please yourself Ionian Islands

Shops are generally open Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8pm, with a closing period at lunchtime. However, opening hours are adapted to tourist numbers: it's not uncommon for a store to close at 10pm, or even later, during the high season. Out of season, the opposite is generally true, with many tourist stores on the islands simply closed.

Get out Ionian Islands

Greeks go out late, often on Fridays and Saturdays, and usually from 10pm onwards... only to return early in the morning. In the evening, we live to the rhythm of the moon! Open-air summer cinemas usually open around 10-11 p.m., as it has to be pitch-dark for the screening. Clubs and nightclubs open around midnight and stay open until the early hours of the morning, around 5am-6am, depending on how busy they are.