medical care in Greece upon presentation of an E111 form, available from most post offices. "Free", however, means admittance only to the lowest grade of state hospital (known as a yenik?nosokom ), and does not include nursing care, special tests or the cost of medication. If you need prolonged medical care, you should make use of private treatment, which is as expensive as anywhere in western Europe - this is where your travel insurance policy comes in handy. The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have no formal healthcare agreements with Greece (other than allowing for free emergency trauma treatment).

There are no required inoculations for Greece, though it's wise to ensure that you are up to date on tetanus and polio. The water is safe pretty much everywhere, though you will come across shortages or brackish supplies on some of the drier and more remote islands. Bottled water is widely available if you're feeling cautious.

Specific hazards
The main health problems experienced by visitors have to do with overexposure to the sun , and the odd nasty from the sea. To combat the former, don't spend too long in the sun, cover up limbs, wear a hat, and drink plenty of fluids in the hot months to avoid any danger of sunstroke ; remember that even hazy sun can burn. For sea-gear, goggles or a dive mask for swimming and footwear for walking over wet or rough rocks are useful.

Pharmacies, drugs and contraception
For minor complaints it's enough to go to the local farmak . Greek pharmacists are highly trained and dispense a number of medicines which elsewhere could only be prescribed by a doctor. In the larger towns and...

Doctors and hospitals
You'll find English-speaking doctors in any of the bigger towns or resorts; the tourist police, hotel staff or even your consulate should be able to come up with some names if you have any difficulty. For an ambulance ,...