Telephones

Most travelers prefer to connect through their own mobile phones, making use of Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity and such apps as Skype, Facetime, Facebook Messenger, or What'sApp. In fact, many hotel rooms no longer have telephones, though you'll still find public card phones (steadily declining in numbers).

The country code for Greece is 30. When dialing Greece from the United States, Canada, or Australia, first dial 011, then 30, the country code, before punching in the area code and local number. From continental Europe, the United Kingdom, or New Zealand, start with 0030.

Calling Within Greece

For Greek directory information, dial 11888. The people behind 11888 also operate the website www.vrisko.gr, which is a Greece-based online directory inquiries resource.

Pronunciations for the numbers in Greek are: one ("eh-na"); two ("dthee-oh"); three ("tree-a"); four ("tess-ehr-a"); five ("pen-de"); six ("eh-ksee"); seven ("ef-ta"); eight ("och-toh"); nine ("eh-nay-ah"); ten ("dtheh-ka").

All telephone numbers in Greece have 10 digits and include the area code. For cell phones, dial both the cell prefix (a four-digit number beginning with 69) and the telephone number, which can vary in the number of digits it contains.

Calling Outside Greece

To place an international call from Greece, dial 00 to connect to an international network, then dial the country code (for the United States and Canada, it's 1), and then the area code and number. If you need assistance, call 13888. Your cellular carrier may have its own protocol. With Wi-Fi calling, available from most carriers, you may call anywhere outside Greece for free as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection. All four major U.S. carriers (T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon) provide built-in Wi-Fi calling, but check to make sure there are no additional costs involved in using it. From a Greek landline, you may also call internationally through plans with AT&T, Verizon, and other networks.

Mobile Phones

If you have a multiband phone (some countries use different frequencies from what's used in the United States) and your service provider uses the world-standard GSM network (as do T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon), you can probably use your phone abroad. Before traveling call your provider for specific info, and ask also if the provider has a connection agreement with a Greek mobile carrier. If so, manually switch your phone to that network's settings as soon as you arrive to avoid international roaming fees, which can be steep (however, they are on the decline at about 30¢ a minute, but overseas you normally pay the toll charges for incoming calls as well). It's almost always cheaper to send a text message than to make a call, since text messages have a very low set fee (often less than 2¢). Many mobile networks now offer international plans with daily rates of about $10 for unlimited calling and data usage; fees only apply on days you use the phone, so you needn't commit to a plan in advance.

If you want to make a lot of local calls, consider buying a SIM card (note that your provider may have to unlock your phone for you to use a different SIM card) and a prepaid service plan in Greece. You'll then have a local number and can make local calls at local rates. If your trip is extensive, you can also buy a Greek cell phone, and the initial cost will be offset over time.

If you travel internationally frequently, save one of your old mobile phones or buy a cheap one on the Internet; ask your cell phone company to unlock it for you, and take it with you as a travel phone, buying a new SIM card with pay-as-you-go service in each destination.