Travelling to Greece: 20 Phrases and a Cultural Cheat Sheet

The 20 phrases worth memorising before you fly

If you learn nothing else, learn these. Each one gets you through a specific real-world moment, and using them (however clumsily) earns immediate goodwill.

Greetings and basic politeness

• Γεια σας (ya sas), 'hello' formal, or 'hello to you all'.
• Γεια σου (ya sou), 'hello' informal, one person.
• Καλημέρα (kalimera), 'good morning', used until around midday.
• Καλησπέρα (kalispera), 'good evening', from around 4pm.
• Ευχαριστώ (efcharisto), 'thank you'. The single most important word in the list.
• Παρακαλώ (parakalo), 'please' and also 'you're welcome'.
• Συγγνώμη (signomi), 'sorry / excuse me'.
• Ναι / Όχι (ne / ochi), 'yes / no'. Note that ne means yes, not no; this trips up almost every first-time visitor.

Getting by

• Μιλάτε αγγλικά; (milate anglika), 'do you speak English?'.
• Δεν μιλάω ελληνικά (den milao ellinika), 'I don't speak Greek'.
• Πόσο κάνει; (poso kanei), 'how much is it?'.
• Πού είναι…; (pou ine), 'where is…?'.
• Το λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ (to logariasmo parakalo), 'the bill, please'.

At the taverna

• Ένα τραπέζι για δύο (ena trapezi ya dio), 'a table for two'.
• Νερό, παρακαλώ (nero parakalo), 'water, please'.
• Έναν καφέ / μία μπίρα (enan kafe / mia bira), 'a coffee / a beer'.

Emergencies

• Βοήθεια! (voithia), 'help!'.
• Χρειάζομαι γιατρό (chriazomai yatro), 'I need a doctor'.
• Πού είναι το φαρμακείο; (pou ine to farmakio), 'where is the pharmacy?'.
• Χάθηκα (chathika), 'I'm lost'.

Even if your pronunciation is rough, using Greek instead of leading with English is the single best social move you can make in Greece.

Ordering in a taverna: the actual sequence

Greek taverna service has its own rhythm and it's different from restaurants in Northern Europe or North America. Knowing it makes the whole thing more relaxing.

1. Sit down first, wave later. Most tavernas seat you where you like unless it's full. Take any open table, and if you're unsure, catch a waiter's eye and gesture. No need to wait at the door.

2. Bread and water appear automatically. In most places, bread and a small carafe of tap water arrive as soon as you sit. There's usually a small cover charge (κουβέρ) added to the bill for this.

3. Order in rounds. You don't have to order everything at once. Order some μεζέδες (small dishes) first, and add more once you see how hungry you really are. Greeks eat slowly and reorder constantly.

4. Ask what's fresh today. 'Τι έχετε φρέσκο σήμερα;' (ti echete fresko simera, 'what's fresh today?') works in any taverna. In seafood places, ask to see the fish before you order.

5. Ask for the bill when you're ready. 'Το λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ' (to logariasmo parakalo, 'the bill, please') is the phrase. It won't come automatically; sit as long as you like.

6. Rounding up is the norm. A 10% tip isn't expected. Rounding up the bill or leaving a couple of euros on the table is standard, more only if the service was exceptional.

7. You'll often get a small dessert on the house. A plate of watermelon, a piece of halva, or a small glass of something like ρακί usually arrives after the bill. It's a warm gesture and there's no charge.

Ravi's family did their first Greek holiday in Nafplio and said the watermelon at the end of every meal was one of their strongest memories of the trip.

Transport: signs, ticket machines, and taxis

Athens and Thessaloniki have well-signed public transport, but a few Greek words save time and hassle.

On the Athens metro and buses

• Είσοδος (isodos), entrance.
• Έξοδος (exodos), exit.
• Εισιτήριο (isitirio), ticket.
• Μηχάνημα (michanima), machine (for the ticket machines).
• Επόμενη στάση (epomeni stasi), 'next stop', announced on the metro.
• Ακύρωση (akyrosi), 'validation', what you do to your ticket at the yellow machines when you board.

Taxis

• Taxis are widely used, cheap by Western European standards, and can be hailed on the street or booked through Beat/Uber.
• Στο αεροδρόμιο, παρακαλώ (sto aerodromio parakalo), 'to the airport, please'.
• Στο ξενοδοχείο [name] (sto xenodochio), 'to the [name] hotel'.
• Πόσο κοστίζει η διαδρομή; (poso kostizei i diadromi), 'how much for the journey?' (worth asking before you get in for airport runs).

Ferries

• Λιμάνι (limani), port.
• Πλοίο (plio), ship/ferry.
• Αναχώρηση (anachorisi), departure.
• Άφιξη (afixi), arrival.
• Θέση (thesi), seat.

Big ports (Piraeus, Rafina, Igoumenitsa) all have English signage as well as Greek, but knowing what to look for gets you through the smaller island ports where English is thinner.

Medical and pharmacies

Pharmacies (φαρμακεία) are your first stop for almost any small medical issue in Greece, and pharmacists are highly trained and often speak good English.

• Φαρμακείο (farmakio), pharmacy. Recognisable by a green cross sign.
• Νοσοκομείο (nosokomio), hospital.
• Γιατρός (yatros), doctor.
• Χρειάζομαι… (chriazomai), 'I need…', useful with any word that follows.
• Έχω πονοκέφαλο / πυρετό / βήχα (echo ponokefalo / pyreto / vicha), 'I have a headache / a fever / a cough'.
• Είμαι αλλεργικός/-ή σε… (ime alergikos/-i se), 'I am allergic to…' (add the substance).
• Ασθενοφόρο (asthenoforo), ambulance.
• Αστυνομία (astynomia), police.

The European emergency number 112 works throughout Greece for police, ambulance, or fire. Most operators speak English. UK travellers with a GHIC card (or older EHIC) get access to Greece's public healthcare on the same terms as Greeks, though private clinics are common in tourist areas and often faster.

Apologising for not speaking Greek

One of the warmest things you can do in Greece is acknowledge (in Greek) that you don't speak Greek. It sounds paradoxical, but it works, because it shows effort.

A short script that lands well:

• 'Συγγνώμη, δεν μιλάω πολύ ελληνικά.' (Signomi, den milao poli ellinika.) 'Sorry, I don't speak much Greek.'
• 'Μιλάτε αγγλικά;' (Milate anglika?) 'Do you speak English?'
• Whatever the answer, 'Ευχαριστώ πολύ.' (Efcharisto poli.) 'Thank you very much.'

Saying it in Greek before switching to English is the difference between 'tourist who barked at me in English' and 'tourist who tried'. In older-generation Greek culture, and especially in villages, this is deeply appreciated. Yusuf, on a trip to Kefalonia with his family, said this script alone changed the tone of every interaction they had.

Don't apologise for having an accent, and don't apologise for making mistakes. Greeks are broadly delighted that anyone bothers with their language at all, and mistakes are considered charming rather than annoying.

Cultural do's and don'ts

A short list of things that will make your trip smoother.

Do

• Say kalimera to everyone in a small shop or bakery when you walk in. Silence is read as rude.
• Dress modestly for churches and monasteries. Shoulders and knees covered for both men and women. Some sites (Meteora, Mount Athos) enforce this strictly.
• Eat late. Lunch is 2pm to 4pm, dinner is 9pm onwards. Turning up at a taverna at 6pm will get you served (they're used to tourists) but the atmosphere doesn't kick in until 10pm.
• Say ευχαριστώ often. It's the friendliest cheap phrase in the language.
• Accept the little extras. The bread, the water, the after-dinner ρακί. Refusing looks stiff.

Don't

• Don't nod for 'no'. Greek 'no' is a single upward jerk of the head, sometimes with a small tut. English speakers often read it as 'yes' and get confused when their coffee doesn't arrive.
• Don't stick your palm out flat. The μούντζα (an open palm gesture) is an old and offensive insult, roughly 'go to hell'. Never wave with a flat open hand at someone. Wave with fingers slightly cupped instead.
• Don't ask for cheese on your seafood pasta. Deeply frowned upon in Greek food culture and you'll get a raised eyebrow.
• Don't discuss the 2010 debt crisis, or Macedonia (the country / the name), with strangers. Both are still tender topics.
• Don't tip 20%. It's not necessary and reads as showy. Round up, or 10% for exceptional service.

The one thing that beats every phrasebook

The tip that comes up over and over from travellers who've had brilliant times in Greece: try. However bad your Greek, use it first. Order in Greek, greet in Greek, thank in Greek. Switch to English only when needed.

Greece has been welcoming foreign visitors for millennia and Greeks are famously generous hosts. The word for this is φιλοξενία (philoxenia, 'love of the stranger'), and it's a real cultural value, not just a cliché. When you meet it halfway with a bit of language and a bit of warmth, you get treated like a friend rather than a customer.

Lin, who did a two-week Cyclades trip with three phrases of Greek and no more, said the moment he switched from 'excuse me, do you speak English?' to 'γεια σας, μιλάτε αγγλικά;' his whole trip changed. The words weren't the point, the effort was.