Time zone of Greece and the difficulties of calculating the time difference with the Russian Federation. Time zone and time in Greece Local time in Greece

Greece has long become more than popular among Russian tourists, as a country with an impeccable level of service and as a beach holiday destination. 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. They live in the UTC+02:00 time zone all year round.

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 useful information will save 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 not by a melodious female voice announcing the exact time, but by the voice of the police station on duty.
• 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!

The capital of Greece and the capital of Russia are separated by almost 3,000 kilometers! It is no wonder that the physical distance between Athens and Moscow entails a distance in time. But even here, not everything is simple: to find out what the clock hands show in Moscow, in Athens you can’t just add 1-2 hours... Come with me, I’ll explain what’s what. ;)

The insidious transition to summer/winter time has confused all the cards and provokes confusion for ordinary tourists. Russia has abandoned this idea for a year now, but it doesn’t even think about it. :)

Since it adheres to one time zone all year round (UTC +3), and winters at UTC +2, switching to UTC +3 in the summer, in the summer time the clocks in Athens and Moscow will show the same value, so everything here is clear and familiar and convenient. :) In winter, in Athens the hands are moved back 1 hour, but in Moscow the human hand does not touch them, which is why there is a difference of one hour. If you are traveling from Athens to Moscow when the country is in winter time, turn the clock hand 1 hour forward, that’s all. ;)

By the way, the most convenient way to travel such a distance is by plane. Fortunately, there can be no problems with this:

• the 2113th flight from Aeroflot airline flies daily and non-stop from Athens to Moscow;
• on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, Ellinair flight 808 follows the same route;
• Aegean Airlines flight 972 will help you get from Athens to Moscow any day except Tuesday and Friday.

The island of Crete, which has a legendary past and a mega-popular tourist present, became a holiday destination for my husband and me last year. I assume that if you find yourself 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 in Greece as a whole), unlike in Russia, 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, but in winter you need to add 1 hour to Moscow time. That is, if in winter in Crete it is 12:00, then in Moscow at the same time of year it is 13:00 on the same day. :) Agree, even if you visit this island in winter, significant problems with the natural internal biorhythm should not arise.

I even dare to state that such a time difference is not felt at all by both adults and children. This is probably one of the reasons why Russian residents love to vacation in Greece so much.

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

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

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

I hope your holiday was successful and... welcome home! ;)

• Where to stay: In the most developed in terms of tourism, as well as the most central and numerous archipelago of the Aegean Sea - the blessed Cyclades, the variety of hotels of which will satisfy every taste. On the islands of the Saronic Gulf, tourists will find a remarkable entertainment industry, while on the Ionian Islands and the Dodecanese archipelago, nature and beach holiday fun are in the right balance. The Eastern Sporades are very beautiful and secluded, while the Northern Sporades and the North Aegean archipelago are even too secluded - people come here mainly on excursions. Everything that 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 lurk among the cozy bays of the rugged coastline, centuries-old olive groves hide the ruins of ancient civilizations, the snow-white walls of houses shine in the sun, and the 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 with your own eyes the greatness of Athens, Sparta or Meteora.
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