Essential Information on Corfu

Corfu Weather

	Average Temperature (Celsius)	Average Rainfall (cm)
January	16	117
February	19	16
March	10	13
April	14	9
May	18	6
June	22	4
July	25	-
August	25	1
September	22	9
October	18	14
November	13	19
December	11	19

For more details visit Corfu (Kerkira) Weather at Weatherbase.

Currency

The Euro is the currency used in Greece.

Corfu Banks

Bank opening hours are 8am-4pm Monday-Thursday, and 8am-1.30pm Friday.

Banks and bureaux de change are widely available and travellers cheques and major credit cards are widely accepted.

ATMs are widespread and are generally the cheapest and most convenient method of obtaining euros.

Corfu Shopping Hours

Shops are usually open:

8am to 2.00pm and then 5pm to 8pm - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

8am to 2.30pm only - Monday, Wednesday,Saturday.

Supermarkets out of town are generally open all day until late. Tourist shops in the old town of Corfu too are usually open until late.

Pharmacies are open during normal shopping hours (Greek shopping hours). Outside of normal shopping hours a 24 hour rota system operates and a list of times is displayed in each pharmacy's window (sometimes in Greek).

In general businesses, including most tourist attractions, are open from early morning (8am or 9 am) until early afternoon (2 or 3 pm). Three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, shops (but never banks, museums, or post offices) will re-open in the evening from about 5 pm until 8 pm. In the summer, hours are sometimes extended and during the peak of high season some attractions stay open all day.

Banks, shops and most museums close public holidays and celebrations. Some businesses close on St Spyridon's Day (12th December).

Between 14.30 and 17.00 many people have a siesta.

Telecommunications

The international access code for Greece is +30. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). The city code for Athens is 210.

There are often surcharges on calls made from hotels and it is generally cheaper to use OTE (Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation) offices for local and international calls. Calls can also be made from public card phone booths and cards can be bought from kiosks or OTE offices.

The local mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators. Coverage is exceptional.

Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts and are cheaper than accessing the Internet from hotels.

Language

Greek is the national language of Corfu however English is widely spoken.

Corfu's Time Zone

Corfu is on Eastern European Time (EET).

Standard Time = GMT+2
Summer Time = GMT+3 (Corfu changes to Summer Time at 1 am on 29 March 2009).

Summer Time - 2009 - March 29 October 25.
Summer Time - 2010 - March 28 October 31.
Summer Time - 2011 - March 27 October 30.

Corfu Religion

The religion in Corfu (and the rest of Greece) is Greek Orthodox. There are churches in all villages on the island and each is named after Greek Orthodox Saints. Most churches welcome visitors if they are suitably dressed - no swimwear, shorts, etc.

Consulates on Corfu

British - 1, Menekratous Street, Telephone +30 661 30055, 23457

Danish - 4, Ethnikis Antistasis, Telephone +30 661 35698

Dutch - Skondrou, Pyrgi Ypsos, Telephone +30 661 93385

French - 22, I.Polyla Street, Telephone +30 2661 026312, 2661 030667, 30067

Italian - 17, I.Vraila Street, Telephone +30 2661 037351, 42433

German: - 57, Guildford Street, Telephone +30 2661 031450, 31453

Portuguese - 7th kilom. National Road Achillion, Telephone +30 2661 056933

Spanish - 2, I.Politi Street, Telephone +30 661 30457, 51443, 39620

Belgium - Alexandras Ave. 44 - Phone 030 26610 33788

Norway - Donzelou str. 7 - Phone 030 26610 32423

Useful Corfu Telephone Numbers

Airport - +30 2661 03 4141, +30 2661 03 9040, +26610 30180

Directory Enquiries - 11880

Hospital - 26610 - 45811, 39428, 39403

Emergency First Aid/Ambulance - 166

Fire - 199

Harbour Office - 26610 - 32655, 39918

Lost & Found office - 2661 039294.

Lost & Found office at Airport - 2661 033576

Organisation of Telecommunication of Greece (OTE) - 26610 - 39199

Police - 100 (or 26610 - 39505, 30188)

Post Office - 2661 025544, -39604

Roadside Assistance - 104

Tourist Police - 171 (or 0661 30265)

Traffic Police - 26610 - 39294

Corfu Public Holidays and Celebrations

New Year's Day - 1 January

Epiphany - 6th January

The first Sunday in Lent - February

Greek Independence Day - 25th March

Good Friday & Easter Sunday - March/April

Labour Day - 1st May

Feast of the Assumption - 15th August

Ochi Day - 28th October

St Spyridon's Day - 12th December (some business close)

Christmas Day - 25 December

St Stephen's Day - 26th December

Voltage

Greece has 220-volt, 50 cycle AC electric current.

A variety of plugs are in use including the European-style two-pin and the round three-pin.

Duty Free

Travellers from non European Union countries do not pay duty when entering Greece on the following items:

200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g tobacco.
1 litre of spirits with alcohol volume over 22%, or 2 litres of dessert wine not exceeding 22% alcohol volume and sparkling wine, and 2 litres of table wine.
50g perfume or 250ml eau de toilette.
Other goods for non-commercial value to the value of EUR175 for adults and EUR90 for children under 15 years.