Going to tourist trip When visiting a European country like Greece, Russians must take into account many important points. In addition to information about the weather, excursions and entertainment, travelers also need to find out what time differences exist between Russian regions and Greek resorts. To view the time in Greece now, tourists only need a computer or smartphone connected to the Internet.

Basic information

The entire Greek territory is located in the same time zone, so local time in Greece in different regions (both on the mainland and on the islands) will always be the same. Several years ago, our country abandoned changing clocks, but the Greeks still change time in the fall and spring. This factor must be taken into account when figuring out how much this moment time in Athens, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes or other seaside resort.

Time zone of Greece in winter period– UTC+2. On the last Sunday in March, Greek clocks are moved forward 60 minutes, and the entire European country switches to the UTC+3 time zone for the summer. Cyprus lives in the same time zone. Therefore, for those who know what time it is in Greek resorts now, it will not be difficult to determine what time it is currently on Cypriot territory.

Difference with Moscow

Most Russians know that Moscow lives in the UTC+3 time zone. This means that the time difference between Moscow and Greece in winter is one hour, while the Russian capital is 60 minutes ahead of Greek cities (if Muscovites see 14.00 on the clock, then the Greeks will see 13.00 at the same moment). From April to October, Greece and Moscow have no time difference at all (if it is 12.00 in the Russian capital, then the clock in the European country will show the same time).

Differences with regions of the Russian Federation

The time difference with Greece is important not only for Moscow residents, but also for all other Russians. Due to the large number of time zones, different regions of Russia will be ahead (and in some cases behind) the resort European state for different number of hours:

  • in winter in Kaliningrad and Athens there is no time difference, but in summer Kaliningrad region will be 60 minutes behind the Greeks;
  • in St. Petersburg in the summer months the clocks will show the same as on Greek territory; from November the northern capital of Russia will be an hour ahead of the European state;
  • in winter in Samara more than in resort country for 2 hours, in summer – for 60 minutes;
  • Yekaterinburg and many other cities of the Urals are 3 hours ahead of Greek resorts (from November to March) and 2 hours (from April to October);
  • in Omsk more than in the regions of the euro country by 4 hours in the winter months and by 3 hours in the summer, in Krasnoyarsk - by 5 hours and by 4 hours, in Irkutsk - by 6 hours and by 5 hours. respectively;
  • Yakutia is ahead of the European state by 7 hours in winter and 6 hours in summer, Vladivostok - by 8 hours and 7 hours, Kamchatka - by 10 hours and 9 hours.

Where to look?

Finding out what time it is in Greece now is quite simple. To do this, you can enter the query “Exact time in Greek cities now” in the search bar of your Internet browser or go to specialized websites with tourism topics and get the necessary information online. In the age of modern technology, anyone who knows how to use a computer and has access to the Internet can find out what time it is in a particular country.

The easiest way to adapt to Greek resorts will be for those tourists who live in the city of Moscow and neighboring populated areas located in the same time zone. In the summer they will not feel any difference at all, and in the winter the difference between the times will be practically insignificant. It will be much more difficult for residents of the Urals, Siberia and Far East. To facilitate adaptation abroad, tourists from remote regions of Russia can use the following tips:

  • 5-7 days before your vacation you should try to shift your routine and try to go to bed 1-2 hours earlier than usual;
  • on the eve of departure you need to relax and sleep, so it is best to pack your bags 1-2 days before the trip;
  • You should not take alcoholic beverages before a trip or already on the plane; alcohol will not help you better cope with changing time zones (the same rule applies to coffee);
  • Do not overload your stomach with fatty, heavy food before the flight; you should drink on board the airliner clean water to prevent dehydration;
  • On the plane, tourists should try to sleep, while using sleeping pills, no matter how good they are, is strictly not recommended.

Summarizing

Those planning to relax in Athens, Rhodes, Crete or other resorts in 2017 need to prepare in advance for the upcoming trip. One of the important points in preparing for vacation is to learn about the time difference and adjust your body to changing time zones.

Greece has long become more than popular among Russian tourists, as a country with an impeccable level of service and as a place beach holiday. It is often called the cradle of our European civilization. Many historical and cultural attractions have been preserved here. In addition, this country allows for unprecedentedly successful shopping. People come here on so-called fur coat tours. Everyone can choose a corner in this southern European country for a cloudless vacation. Wealthy travelers choose the islands of Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Corfu. Young people and couples are more attracted to mainland Greece. You need to know the time zone in which the country is located. After all, you can get into trouble by being late for a bus or ferry departing at local time.

So how should we move the hands on the clock dial when we arrive in Athens? What is the time zone in Greece? The country lies in the south, also covering almost two thousand islands, which, like a scattered necklace, are spread across four seas. Yes, a traveler arriving in Greece has an amazing opportunity to swim alternately in the Aegean, Ionian, Mediterranean and Cretan seas, and also in And that’s all - without leaving the borders of one country.

But you don’t need to change the time when moving from place to place, because Greece, unlike huge Russia, has only one time zone. It is called UTC+02:00. This means that in winter in this country there are two hours more than the dial of the Universal Time of our planet shows. It is calculated along which lies near London. From the end of October until the last Sunday in March, the UK lives on this Universal Time. Its time zone is UTC 0.

What about in the summer? At the end of March, as well as those that lie to the west of it, switch to a time called GMT. According to the rules of the European Union, all its members also move the hands of their dials forward an hour. Thus, in summer, the Greek time zone is called EET. This abbreviation stands for Eastern European Time. In addition to Greece, a number of European countries live along it: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Turkey.

But time zones extend not only across one continent. They cover huge zones stretching from to the South. Therefore, in winter, the Greek time zone includes Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria in Asia, and in Africa - Burundi, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Swaziland and South Africa. But these southern countries do not switch to daylight saving time. All year round they live in the UTC+02:00 time zone.

So, let's summarize. When flying to Athens from Kyiv, you do not have any need to change the hands on your wristwatch. In winter and summer, the time in these two countries is the same. It's more difficult with Russia. The Kremlin, for one clear reason, abandoned true winter time and introduced permanent summer time for the entire country. And the time zone of Greece - EET (or as it is also called GMT+2) - according to EU rules, is changing. Therefore, calculating the difference in hours between Moscow and Athens depends on the season of the year. In summer it is minus one hour, and in winter - two.

When preparing for a trip to sunny Hellas, do not forget to check the time zone of Greece and the time difference with your hometown: this helpful information will protect you upon arrival in Greece from possible annoying misunderstandings, such as being late for dinner at the hotel on the first evening.

Since 1916, Greece has officially used Eastern European Time (EET), with daylight saving time and winter time. Time in Greece differs from Universal Time (UTC) by 2 hours in winter (UTC+2) and by three hours in summer (UTC+3).

Time change in Greece

Organized daylight saving time has been implemented in Greece since 1975 and occurs on the last Sunday of March. One hour of lack of sleep is rewarded on a long spring evening, and the evening for a true Greek is always full of pleasures.

The switch to winter time in Greece on the last Sunday in October gives the Greek population an extra hour of sleep. After Russia abolished the seasonal clock change on February 8, 2011, the winter time difference with Greece increased. So, if previously the time difference between Greece and Moscow was 1 hour, now in the cold season we are separated by as much as 2 hours - which, of course, is less convenient.

But there is no difference at all between Athens and Kiev - neither in winter nor in summer.

By the way, there are no divisions into time zones within Greece. Thus, the time in Crete, Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes and Corfu is the same. The time zone and time of the fraternal state of Cyprus (UTC+2) is no different from Greece.

Difference in time:

Below we provide a small useful summary of the time difference between Greece and some cities in Russia and Europe from different time zones. The table shows how many hours the indicated cities differ from Greece.

  • Moscow: +2 hours in winter, +1 hour in summer
  • Ekaterinburg: +4 - in winter, +3 - in summer
  • Novosibirsk: +5 - in winter, +4 - in summer
  • Krasnoyarsk: +6 - in winter, +5 - in summer
  • Irkutsk: +7 - in winter, +6 - in summer
  • Vladivostok: +9 - in winter, +8 - in summer
  • Kyiv: absent
  • Berlin, Rome and Paris: -1 hour all year round
  • London: -2 hours all year round

Other useful time zone and time information in Greece

  • Remember that flight schedules always indicate local time!
  • In response to the short call *100* familiar to Russians from a landline phone in Greece, you will be answered by a non-melodic female voice announcing exact time, and the voice of the police station duty officer.
  • It is not customary to call your home phone or come to visit between approximately 15:00 and 18:00 without a special invitation from the owners: siesta time.
  • The influence of time does not apply to nature and monuments.

That's all for now. Good morning!