Greece : Shopping And Money Guide
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.
Nearly all Greek cities have large international-style shopping malls with well recognized brands and retailers. But prices are similar to those in other parts of Europe, so you won’t find any real bargains unless sales are underway.
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.
Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged on most items (this is usually but not always included in the item’s price tag) but some shops offer tax free shopping to non-EU residents. This means that non-EU residents can ask for a VAT refund at their port of exit in the EU. To do so, ask for a VAT voucher before leaving the store and show that along with your items to the customs officer upon departure from the EU.
The official currency is the Euro, and other currencies will not be accepted, but you can easily exchange money in the larger cities and in any tourist destination. Banks usually offer the most favorable exchange rates and automated currency exchange machines tend to offer the worst rates; specialist shops are somewhere in between. When changing money, try to get mostly smaller notes – nothing over a 50 – as many businesses are averse to accepting larger denominations.
ATM machines are widespread. Most shops, hotels, and travel agencies accept Mastercard, Visa and Eurocard, but some local souvenir shops and restaurants won’t accept these cards.