Time in Greece: useful information for Russian tourists. Time zone of greece and the difficulty of calculating the time difference from the russian federation greece time zone

The island of Crete, which has a legendary past and a mega-popular tourist present, became a holiday destination for my spouse and me last year. I suppose if you are on this page, you are interested in the time difference between Crete and Moscow? Well, let's go tell you. ;)

First of all, it is worth remembering that time in Crete (as well as in Greece as a whole), in contrast to Russian, is divided into summer and winter, which can create confusion for tourists.

In summer, both in Crete and in Moscow, the time is the same, and in winter, you need to add 1 hour to Moscow time. That is, if in winter it is 12:00 in Crete, then in Moscow at the same time of the year it is 13:00 on the same day. :) Agree, even if you visit this island in winter, there should be no significant problems with the natural internal biorhythm.

I even dare to state that such a difference in time is not felt at all by both adults and children. This is probably one of the reasons why the people of Russia are so fond of vacationing in Greece.

You can fly from Crete back to Moscow with several airlines:

  • Sky Express;
  • Smart Wings;
  • Pobeda;
  • Aeroflot;
  • Aegean.

The flight time depends very much on which flight you choose (from 3.5 hours to 22 hours, while there is no significant difference in ticket prices!), So I would advise you to overpay, but fly non-stop. Agree, it is much more comfortable, especially if you are flying with children, and the chances of losing luggage along the way are much less.

Hope you enjoyed your stay and ... welcome home! ;)

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 sights have been preserved here. In addition, this country allows for unprecedentedly successful shopping. People come here on the so-called fur-coat tours. Everyone can choose a corner in this southern European state for a cloudless vacation. Wealthy travelers choose the islands of Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes, 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 a mess by being late for a bus or ferry that departs according to local time.

So how should we translate the hands on the clock face when we arrive in Athens? What is the time zone in Greece? The country lies in the south, also encompassing almost two thousand islands, which, like a scattered necklace, spread over the four seas. Yes, a traveler who arrives in Greece has an amazing opportunity to swim alternately in the Aegean, Ionian, Mediterranean and Cretan Seas, and also in And this is all - without leaving one country.

But the time, moving from place to place, does not need to be changed, because the time zone of Greece, unlike the vast Russia, is only one. It's called UTC + 02: 00. This means that in winter in this country there is two hours more than the Universal Time dial of our planet shows. It is calculated by which lies near London. From the end of October to the last Sunday in March, Great Britain lives on this UTC. Its time zone is UTC 0.

And what about 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 one hour. Thus, in the summer, Greece's 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 along one continent. They cover huge zones stretching from to the South. Therefore, in winter, 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 fall into the Greek time zone. 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. Arriving in Athens from Kiev, you do not have any need to translate 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 understandable reason, abandoned the true winter time and introduced a constant daylight saving time for the whole country. And the time zone of Greece - EET (or as it is also called GMT + 2) - is changing according to EU rules. Therefore, the calculation of 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 it is two.

When going on a tourist trip to 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 the time difference is between the regions of Russia and the Greek resorts. To see 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 one time zone, therefore the 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 refused to change the clock, but the Greeks still change the time in autumn and spring. This factor must be taken into account when figuring out what time it is in Athens, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes or another seaside resort.

The time zone for Greece in winter is UTC + 2. On the last Sunday in March, the Greeks' clocks are set forward 60 minutes, and the entire European country for the summer goes into the UTC + 3 time zone. 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 at the moment in the 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 the winter period is equal to one hour, while the capital of Russia is ahead of the Greek cities by 60 minutes (if Muscovites see 14.00 on the clock, then the Greeks will have 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 in a European state the clock will show the same time).

Difference with the regions of the Russian Federation

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

  • in winter in Kaliningrad and Athens there is no time difference, but in summer the Kaliningrad region will lag behind the Greeks by 60 minutes;
  • in St. Petersburg, in the summer months, the clock will show the same amount as in the Greek territory; from November, the northern capital of Russia will be one hour ahead of the European state;
  • in winter in Samara more than in a resort country by 2 hours, in summer - by 60 minutes;
  • Yekaterinburg and many other cities of the Urals are ahead of the Greek resorts by 3 hours (from November to March) and by 2 hours (from April to October);
  • in Omsk more than in the European regions of the country by 4 hours in the winter months and by 3 hours in the summer, in Krasnoyarsk - by 5 hours and 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?

It is quite easy to find out what time it is in Greece right now. To do this, you can enter the query "The exact time in the cities of Greece now" in the search bar of your Internet browser or go to specialized sites with a tourist theme 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 in the Greek resorts will be to adapt to those tourists who live in the city of Moscow and neighboring settlements that are 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 almost insignificant. It will be much more difficult to rebuild for the inhabitants of the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. To facilitate adaptation abroad, tourists from remote regions of Russia can use the following tips:

  • 5-7 days before the vacation, you need to try to shift your regime 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's best to pack your bags 1-2 days before the trip;
  • you should not take alcoholic beverages before the trip or already on the plane, alcohol will not help you better transfer the change of time zones (the same rule applies to coffee);
  • do not overload your stomach with fatty heavy food before the flight; on board the airliner you should drink clean water to prevent dehydration;
  • on the plane, tourists need to try to sleep, while using sleeping pills, no matter how good it is, is strongly discouraged.

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 a vacation is to learn about the time difference and tune your body to change time zones.

  • Where to stay: In the most developed in the tourist sense, as well as the most central and numerous archipelago of the Aegean Sea - the blessed Cyclades, a variety of hotels which will satisfy every taste. Tourists will find a remarkable entertainment industry on the islands of the Saronic Gulf, while in the Ionian Islands and the Dodecanese archipelago, nature and beach holiday fun are in perfect balance. In the Eastern Sporades it is very beautiful and secluded, and in the Northern Sporades and the North Aegean archipelago, it is even too secluded - people come here mainly on excursions. Everything there is in Greece can be found in popular Crete.
  • What to see: The Greek Islands are a concentration of natural and historical attractions. Picturesque fishing villages hide among the cozy coves of the rugged coastline, century-old olive groves hide the ruins of ancient civilizations, snow-white walls of houses shine in the sun's rays, and tiled roofs are painted in bright crimson shades in the evenings. And from the Greek Islands you can easily get to the mainland - for example, to see firsthand the greatness of Athens, Sparta or Meteor.
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