4 Things to Avoid in Greece | Greece (Lifesaving) Travel Advice 🍋

[Music] welcome to another video by helenika.com some time ago i posted a video on do's and don'ts in athens and then i thought about it and i realized that i actually didn't mention some essential things that are relevant not only in athens the capital but in greece in general and that's what i'm gonna be doing today i will mention four things that you should avoid doing when visiting or living in greece and stay till the end because the last thing is actually life saving before we get started make sure that you are subscribed to this youtube channel because you don't want to miss any future videos by helenika and yeah let's see the first one avoid splitting the bill so you're eating and drinking with some friends in a restaurant next to the sea somewhere in greece and it's time to pay the bill well although most restaurants nowadays will give you the option whether you want to split the bill or not it is actually considered a bad yet to do so it is frowned upon in greece a bill is assigned to a table and not to an individual and it is the responsibility of everyone in this group to find a way to pay the bill doing the opposite is very time consuming for the waiter and waitress not only that but it is actually much easier to pay as a collective because of the way that most greek people order food with their friends when i moved abroad i noticed that people order individually they order the dish they want to eat and they never discuss what the other person is going to take well in greece usually when you are with one person or with a group of people you all try to agree what you will all get in the middle and share the food just like a family everyone gets a napkin plate and you can try whatever you choose you should keep in mind that the creek culture is more of a collective culture rather than an individualistic one like the united states the united kingdom or australia even other european countries such as germany is way more individualistic than greece that doesn't mean that in greece you have less individual rights this has more to do with how people are actually integrated in a group how strong the bonds are in a group whether this is a family or a group of friends and how easy it is to take a decision as a group instead of as an individual so when you live in greece or even if you visit for a few days as a tourist you might find some situations where you have to make a decision with other people and not just by taking yourself into consideration choosing to pay just for your own things might be considered a bit selfish well in europe tipping is always optional and not like in the us where you actually have to calculate exactly the amount you have to give to the waiter or waitress in some countries in europe it is actually unheard of but this is not the case in greece tipping is in fact optional but it is expected to tip when the service is decent if you don't tip that means that the service was actually terrible and you didn't enjoy your time there but don't worry because you don't have to calculate a specific amount there is no specified percentage of the bill that should be offered as a tip and most people would agree that 1 euro for 2 cups of coffee and 5 euros for a 25 euro bill at the restaurant are acceptable when the amount you have to pay is too small it is preferred to round things down giving 2 euros when the bill says 165 for example however leaving one or two cents as a tip is worse than not leaving a tip at all also you should keep in mind that tipping mostly applies in cafes bars and restaurants and not in salons and other places that offer some type of service you are also expected to tip when you order something and you have it delivered at your door taxi drivers are usually not tipped in greece always dress appropriately for sightseeing most museums and archaeological sites around the world have some type of dress code or at least a few rules with what not to wear well greece is in europe so you shouldn't expect some very strict rules however when visiting archaeological sites it is recommended to dress a little bit more conservative [Music] also in some places you should never wear heels an example of that would be the herodion theater of athens only people who wear flat shoes are allowed inside and that is to protect the marble auditorium also in greece you can find a lot of historical monasteries and when visiting one you might be required to cover your legs if you don't have a long skirt with you don't worry because the people in the monastery can provide you with one last but not least avoid souring with the water heater on so most houses and apartment buildings in greece have two ways to hit the water one that is powered by solar energy and one that is powered by electricity some old houses only have the second option that you usually use when there is no light outside actually on the rare occasion that there is no sunlight you should never let the electric water heater on in greece for more than 15 30 maximum 45 minutes not only does it cost a lot of money but the more you let it on the more chances you might start a fire also you should never sour when the water heater is on and that is because there's a chance you might get electrocuted this is not always fatal but who would like to risk it because we all know that electricity and water are not a good combination the older the building is the more careful you should be because older buildings were not well insulated so i hope you found this video helpful if you did don't forget to like and leave a comment down below if you want to find out more crazy facts about greece don't forget to subscribe and check another video that i have titled do's and don'ts in athens where i also mentioned the age-old question why greek people don't throw the toilet paper in the toilet okay that is all for today hopefully i will see you in the next video adio bye [Music] you

Channel: Helinika - Greek Language, History & Culture

Views: 49,853

Keywords: helinika, easy greek, 4 things to avoid in greece, what to avoid in greece, greece lifesaving travel advice, greece travel advice, travel tips, lifesaving travel tips, greek etiquette, greek dresscode, what to wear in greece, donts in greece, water heaters in greece, electric water heaters greece, greek boilers, tipping in greece, how to tip in greece, greek tipping, splitting the bill in greece, visit greece, travel to greece, greek tourism, avoid doing these in greece

Id: ouWww0jpk-M

Length: 8min 14sec (494 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 28 2020