Location

VISA: Greece is a Member-State of the European Union and has ratified the Schengen Agreement. Citizens traveling inside the E.U. just need to display their police I.D. Card without the need of a passport. However, a passport is necessary for a number of other transactions, such as currency exchange, purchases, etc.Visas are not required by citizens of Member-States of the Schengen Agreement. Greece follows the provisions of the Schengen Agreement, which abolished controls on common internal lands, at air and sea borders and allows Member-State citizens to travel around without a visa for a short stay period of up to three (3) months. However, airlines and other carriers require a valid passport and/or police I.D. Card or other form of official identification means.

 

Citizens of the majority of the countries that are not Member-States of the Schengen Agreement require a VISA to enter Greece and the E.U. Visitors from these countries can obtain further information from the Hellenic Embassies or Consulates in their countries, or even from their travel agencies.

Visas are not required by holders of valid passports from the following non-E.U. countries if they want to visit Greece and remain in the country for up to 3 months (90 days) within a chronological period of 6 months:

Andorra ; Argentina ; Australia ; Brazil ; Brunei ; Canada ; Chile ; Costa Rica ; Croatia ; El Salvador ; Guatemala ; Honduras ; Israel; Japan ; Malaysia ; Mexico ; Monaco; New Zealand ; Vatican ; Nicaragua ; Panama ; Paraguay ; Saint Marino; Singapore; South Korea ; USA ; Uruguay; Venezuela.

Should you require an invitation letter to support your application for a Greek visa, please email us at secretary@iconhic2016.com.In order to comply with Greek Immigration, invitation letters will only be supplied to attendees who have registered and paid for the Conference. If you have not paid your registration fees, we will be unable to send you an invitation letter.

 

CLIMATE: Crete has the mildest climate in Greece due to its southerly location and the surrounding waters. During the summer the weather is generally sunny and pleasant. The average air temperature is 20-30 ˚C during the day and 18-24 ˚C during the evening. For up to date weather reports please click on the following link:

“Chania Weather”

 

CURRENCY: The monetary unit in Greece is Euro (€)

 

TAX: The current rate of Value Added Tax (purchase tax) in Greece is 23% (included in sales price with no tax rebate).

 

CREDIT CARDS: All major credit cards, such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express, are widely accepted in most hotels, shops, cafes and restaurants. You should always carry photographic ID as you may be asked for this when making a transaction.

 

MEDICAL TREATMENT: If you become ill while visiting Crete, you can get free emergency treatment in the Accident and Emergency departments of National Health Service hospitals. However, if you are admitted to hospital as an in-patient, or referred to an out-patient clinic, you will be asked to pay or use your international insurance plan. Pharmacies are usually open from to Monday to Friday, on Saturdays and limited availability on Sundays. For more information and to find a pharmacy near you, please consult your hotel.

 

TIMEZONE: Central European Time, GMT + 2 hours

 

TIPPING: At the restaurants, most of the time service charge is included in the price of the food. It is customary, but not obligatory to give a tip of 5% to the waiter at the restaurant. In the Taxis it is not necessary to tip the driver. In the hotel it is customary to tip the bellman with 2 to 5 € for handling the luggage upon checking in and checking out from the hotel.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN : The vast majority of population speaks fluently English, and it is quite frequent to meet locals speaking French, German, Danish, Finnish or Norwegian.

RESTAURANTS+BARS: Most restaurants are open from early morning for breakfast till late at night for dinner, but there are several 24h restaurants operating or delivering food. Bars stay open until very late and tend to get crowded around midnight. Generally, there is no specific lunch or dinner time; it is common to be served food at any time of day. English menus are available in practically all restaurants and bars. Some popular restaurants may require a reservation, so better consult your hotel concierge or reception.

TRAVEL INSURANCE: Please make sure that you have valid travel insurance to cover your time in the country.The Organizers will not be held liable for illness, accidents or thefts suffered by participants or accompanying persons during the conference or their stay in Greece before or after the conference.

ATMs: Cash dispensers (ATMs) can be found at several locations in the airport, and at banks and retail areas throughout the city. Euros may be withdrawn from these machines by using a credit/debit card (charges may apply, please check with your card issuer).

BANKS+FOREIGN EXCHANGE BUREAUX : Banks are open Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 14:30 and Friday 08:00 to 14:00. Alternatively there are many post offices and foreign exchange bureau, although they usually charge higher rates of commission than banks. Avoid changing money or cheques in hotels, as the rates are usually quite high.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY: In Greece the electrical power is 220 volts AC, 50 cycles. A round-pin adaptor is necessary for electrical appliances.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS: The number 112 can be dialed to reach emergency services – medical, fire and police – from anywhere in Europe. Other emergency numbers in Greece are: 100 for police, 199 for fire service and 166 for ambulance service. These emergency numbers can be called for free from any telephone (landline, pay phone or mobile cellular phone).

By plane: Chania International Airport is linked directly with “Eleftherios Venizelos” International Airport of Athens, while it hosts scheduled flights year round and abundant charter flights serving much of Europe during the high season – April to October.The Venue is a 15-25 minute taxi journey from the airport. Alternatively, the airport is connected with Chania and other cities on the Island of Crete by public transport. For more information about bus timetables click on the following links:

 

Chania Bus Timetable

Chania Airport Transportation

Public Bus Services

 

By sea: The port of Piraeus (approximately 60 min from Athens International Airport by metro or bus) is linked daily to Chania (Souda port). There is at least two daily departures in summer. Standard ferries usually depart from Piraeus in the evening and arrive at their destination between 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm in the morning, after 10 hours of travel time.