Greece - Korina Miller [619]
BOAT SERVICES FROM SYROS
Thasos
Northeastern Aegean Islands; Click here
BOAT SERVICES FROM THASOS
Thessaloniki
As Greece’s second city, the mainland port of Thessaloniki has plenty of air and boat connections and is an important ferry hub for the Northeast Aegean Islands. It usually has hydrofoils to the Sporades as well, but these are unpredictable, so check locally. Click here.
AIR
Some of Thessaloniki’s island flights go via Athens; the following table lists direct island flights. Note that a few island flights are multistop, but don’t involve change of aircraft.
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS FROM THESSALONIKI
BOAT SERVICES FROM THESSALONIKI
Tilos
Dodecanese; Click here
BOAT SERVICES FROM TILOS
Tinos
Cyclades; Click here
BOAT SERVICES FROM TINOS
Volos
Central Greece (mainland port); Click here
BOAT SERVICES FROM VOLOS
Zakynthos
Ionian Islands; Click here
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS FROM ZAKYNTHOS
BOAT SERVICES FROM ZAKYNTHOS
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Health
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CONTENTS
BEFORE YOU GO
Insurance
Recommended Vaccinations
Internet Resources
IN TRANSIT
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Jet Lag
IN GREECE
Availability & Cost of Health Care
Traveller’s Diarrhoea
Environmental Hazards
Travelling with Children
Sexual Health
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BEFORE YOU GO
Prevention is the key to staying healthy while abroad. A little planning before departure, particularly for pre-existing illnesses, will save trouble later. Bring medications in their original, clearly labelled containers. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing your medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. For example, taking codeine into Greece is strictly prohibited unless accompanied by a doctor’s certificate. Click here.
If carrying syringes or needles, be sure to have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity. If you are embarking on a long trip, make sure your teeth are OK and take your optical prescription with you.
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INSURANCE
If you’re an EU citizen, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; formerly the E111) covers you for most medical care but not emergency repatriation home or nonemergencies. It is available from health centres, and post offices in the UK. Citizens from other countries should find out if there is a reciprocal arrangement for free medical care between their country and Greece. If you do need health insurance, make sure you get a policy that covers you for the worst possible scenario, such as an accident requiring an emergency flight home. Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
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RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS
No jabs are required to travel to Greece, but a yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required if you are coming from an infected area. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that all travellers should be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio.
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INTERNET RESOURCES
The WHO’s publication International Travel and Health is revised annually and is available online at www.who.int/ith. Other useful websites include www.mdtravelhealth.com (travel health recommendations for every country; updated daily), www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk (general travel advice for the layperson), www.ageconcern.org.uk (advice on travel for the elderly) and www.mariestopes.org.uk (information on women’s health and contraception).
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IN TRANSIT
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DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT)
Blood clots may form in the legs during plane flights, chiefly because of prolonged immobility (the longer the flight, the greater the risk). The chief symptom of DVT is swelling or pain of the foot, ankle, or calf, usually but not always on just one side. When a blood clot travels to the lungs, it may cause chest pain and breathing difficulties. Travellers with any of these symptoms should immediately