Being far from home, it is important to have an opportunity to keep in touch. In Athens you will find various facilities for this purpose.
Telephone
The country code for Greece is 30; the city code for Athens is 01.
Greece's phone system is rapidly improving; many phones now are digital, which makes dialing a cinch compared to the old days when you had to try 10 times for one number. You can direct dial in most better hotels, but there is usually a huge surcharge, so use your calling card or a card telephone in the lobby or on the street. You can make calls from most large establishments (card or coin phones), kiosks, card phones, which are everywhere, and from the local office of the Greek telephone company, known as OTE (oh-tay).
Many Greek establishments may list several phone numbers rather than a central switchboard. Until recently, getting a second phone line was an expensive and lengthy process (some areas had to wait up to 10 years), so owners "rented" lines directly from other people. Mobile phones, indicated by an area code that begins with 09, are now common. Less than a decade after the cellular phone came to Greece, the number of users has skyrocketed to 3.9 million (just 5.4 million own conventional phones).
Doing business over the phone in Greece can be extremely frustrating - the lines always seem to be busy, and English-speaking operators and clerks are few. You may also find people too busy to address your problem - the independent-minded Greeks are not very service-conscious. It is far better to develop a relationship with someone, for example a travel agent, to get information about train schedules and the like, or to go in person and ask for information face-to-face. Though OTE is updating its phone system, it may take you several attempts to get through when calling from an island or the countryside. Try dialing slowly, and if you get a wrong number, don't assume it's your mistake - the lines frequently get crossed. Don't discuss highly sensitive matters on the phone; party lines are still a social hazard in Greece.
International Calls
The country code for the United States and Canada is 1; for Australia, 61; for New Zealand, 64; and for the United Kingdom, 44.
Mail
All post offices are open Monday through Friday from 7.30 am - 2.00 pm.
The main offices at 100, Aeolou Street, Syntagma Square and Acropolis Kiosk are open Monday through Friday from 7.30 am - 8.00 pm, Saturday from 7.30 am - 2.00 pm and Sunday from 9.00 am - 1.30 pm.
The post office at the east airport terminal is open Monday through Saturday from 7.30 am - 8.30 pm and Sunday from 9.00 am - 6.00 pm.
The post offices: Central post office of Piraeus, St. Nikolas Piraeus, Kallithea, Athens 49 (Athens parcel department), and the post offices in the Sorting Centres of Athens, Kallithea, Kessariani, Peristeri, Airport are open Monday through Friday from 7.30 am - 8.00 pm.
Express mail service
(EMS) of the Greek Postal Service (ELTA) was introduced as a courier service. An international network spanning 130 countries, with 320 post offices through-out Greece in all main cities and towns plus the smallest villages, offers the customer many outlets from which to send mail abroad - knowing it will reach the destination speedily.
Porta-porta
(DOOR to DOOR) was introduced as an efficient courier service and it does just that, accepting parcels up to 20 in weight for the Greek domestic mar-ket. One may send by PORTA-PORTA courier any-where in Greece and pack-ages are accepted with a sim-ple telephone call from 7.30 a.m. daily until 20.00 p.m. and collections from the clients address can be facili-tated daily including Sundays and public holidays.
Postfax service
ELTA has introduced new-age facilities with their POST-FAX SERVICE to satisfy the needs of the clients who wishe their documents to be sent on the spot whether a sheet of paper or many documents, designs or graphs, the new POSTFAX`SERVICE does it all.
Interent: cybercafes
Amstel Internet Cafe
62 Kifisias ave. Maroussi
Phone: 68-08-590
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 0:00 am
Price/hour: $3.00 USD
A great place to view and send e-mails, chat and meet interesting people from around the globe, who just want to contact friends and relatives while in Athens!
E-mail: mediagora@geocities.com
HYPERCORNER Internet Cafe
102, Agiou Ioannou Str.
Agia Paraskevi
Phone: +301 6009442 & 6012256
Fax: +301 6015981
Hours: Mon-Thu 9:00 – 22:00 Fr 9:00-0:00 Sat 12:00-0.00
Price/hour: $2.5 to $8 per hour
Full internet services, 200+ PC Games, etc., etc. 16 PC network on top of a leased line and a wide range of peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.) Wide
range of snacks, sandwiches, beverages, beers, cocktails, etc. Good music, Giant TV/VGA screen (video clips, athletic events, you name it)
Get there by bus (B5, or A5 then B5), or cab. Next to Deree, the American College of Greece.
E-mail: administrator@hypernet.hypercorner.gr
URL: http://www.fhw.gr/
Hellenic Cosmos Internet Cafe
Pireos 254, Tavros, 17778, Athens
Phone: (+30 10) 48 – 35 – 300
Fax: (+30 10) 48 – 34 – 634
E-mail: webmaster@fhw.gr
Price/hour: $2.40 (2.50 Euro)
Hours: Hellenic Cosmos Internet Cafe Education programmes: Monday and Thrusday 9:00 – 18:00 Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 – 14:00 Museum tours: Thursday 18:00 – 20:30 Saturday and Sunday 11:00 – 14:00
The “Internet Cafe” at the Cultural Centre of the Foundation of the Hellenic World is a place where visitors are able to access all the foundation’s multimedia projects on the Internet, as well as other similar websites around the world, using the latest computer technology.
Astor Internet Cafe
Pattission & Kapodistriou 22
Phone: 5238546
Hours: 10 am – 10 pm all days
Price/hour: 3.50
E-mail: webmaster@astorcafe.gr
Welcome to the Ultimate Internet Cafe with the fastets network in Greece (128kbps) Enjoy surfing with air-conditioning.
Carousel Cyber-Cafe
URL: http://www.carousel-cafe.com
32, Eftixidou St.
Phone: +30 1 7264305
Fax: +30 1 7264153
E-mail: info@carousel-cafe.com
Price/hour: 4
Hours: 11:00- 24:00
The Carousel Cyber Cafe participates in the fast developing and rapidly expanding Cyber Space! Our customers will have the chance to become members of the information society which is already here. – ISDN connection – Web Camera for Video Conferencing.
Web-Cafe
URL: http://web-cafe.gr
George 10
Phone: 3303063
Fax: 3303063
E-mail: info@web-cafe.gr
Hours: 10:00 to 2:00 am
We are in the center of Athens, on Plateau Kanigos, 15 pc and in 2 motnhs we will open another location.
Skynet Centers
URL: http://www.skynet.gr
Voulis 30 & Apollonos 10
Syntagma
Phone: 00301, 3227 551
Fax: 00301, 3310 853
E-mail: sales@skynet.gr
Price/hour: $5
Hours: 9:30 – 8:30 daily
Skynet Centers offer a variety of Internet services such as ICQ, mIRC, Web hosting/design, FTP service, videoconference, printing, scanning OCR, CD Recordable/rewitable services, and games through LAN and force feedback controllers.
Moc@fe
URL: http://www.mocafe.gr
49 Str Marnis&Veranzerou
E-mail: info@mocafe.gr
Price/Hour: $5
Hours: 9:00 am – 2:00 am!!!
You have to see it to believe it!
Bits&bytes
78 Akadimias str.
Phone: ++30-1-3306590
Fax: ++30-1-3813958
E-mail: bits&bytes@softhome.net
Hours: 8:00 am till late!
Athens internet C@FE4U
URL: http://www.cafe4u.gr
Ippokratous 44
Phone: 3611981
Fax: 3611981
E-mail: cafe4u@mail.com
Hours: 24 hours/7 days
19 monitors fast connection, P III 600, 128 Ram PC games, color and B/W printers scanner, nice music, soft drinks, coffees, alchohol, ice-creams etc.
Downtown Internet
No 10 Omonia Square
Phone: +301 5239500
Fax: +301 5238839
E-mail: downtowninternet@hotmail.com
Price/hour: $4.00/hr
Hours: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm Mon – Fri
Right in the heart of the Great City of Athens, a friendly place for the traveller, offering many other services, such as telephone booths, fax, photocopying,
luggage storage, photography, etc. And the coffee is on the house.
Mastro
URL: http://www.mastronet.gr
39 Metaxa Str.
Phone: 8945421
Fax: 8945426
E-mail: mastro1@hotmail.com
Sofokleous.com Internetcafe
URL: http://www.sofokleous.com
5, Stadiou str. Syndagma
Phone/Fax: +301 – 3248105
E-mail: sofos1@ath.forthnet.gr
