Inter-island ferries , a main unavoidable expense, are reasonably priced, subsidized by the government in an effort to preserve remote island communities. To give you some idea of prices, the cheapest cabin for the overnight journey from Athens to Sámos, an eleven-hour trip, costs about ¬37, while a deck-class ticket for the four-hour trip from Rhodes to Kós costs about ¬11. For ¬4-7 you can catch a short-hop ferry to the numerous small islands that lie closer to Rhodes, Kós and Sámos, the most likely touchdown points if you're flying to the Dodecanese or east Aegean on a direct charter; a cheap cabin from Pireás to Rhodes, one of the longest single ferry journeys in Greece, will set you back ¬47. Local ferries in the Cyclades are a bit pricier for the sea miles travelled; Páros or Náxos to Thíra in the Cyclades runs at about ¬9.

The simplest double room generally costs around ¬20.50-26.50 a night, depending on the location and the plumbing arrangements. Bona fide single rooms are rare, and cost about seventy percent of double rates. Organized campsites are little more than ¬4 per person, with similar charges per tent and perhaps 25 percent more for a camper van. With discretion you can camp for free in the more remote, rural areas.

A basic taverna meal with local wine can be had for around ¬9-10 a head. Add a better bottle of wine, seafood or more careful cooking, and it could be up to ¬20 a head; you'll rarely pay more than that. Sharing seafood, Greek salads and dips is a good way to keep costs down in the better restaurants, and even in the most developed of resorts, with inflated "international" menus, you'll often be able to find a more earthy but decent taverna where the locals eat.

Youth and student discounts
Various official and quasi-official youth/student ID cards soon pay for themselves in savings. Full-time students are eligible for the International Student ID Card (ISIC), which entitles the bearer to special air, rail and ferry fares and discounts at museums, theatres and other attractions. For Americans there's also a health benefit, providing up to $3000 in emergency medical coverage and $100 a day for 60 days in the hospital, plus a 24-hour hotline to call in the event of a medical, legal or financial emergency. The card costs $22 for Americans; CAN$16 for Canadians; A$16.50 for Australians; NZ$21 for New Zealanders; and £6 in the UK.

You only have to be 26 or younger to qualify for the International Youth Travel Card , which costs US$22/£7 and carries the same benefits. Teachers qualify for the International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC) , offering similar discounts and costing £6, US$22, CAN$16, A$16.50 and NZ$21. All these cards are available in the US from Council Travel, STA, Travel CUTS and, in Canada, Hostelling International; in Australia and New Zealand from STA or Campus Travel; and in the UK from CTS Travel ( www.ctstravel.co.uk ).

Several other travel organizations and accommodation groups also sell their own cards, good for various discounts. A university photo ID might open some doors, but is not as easily recognizable as the ISIC cards, although the latter are often not accepted as valid proof of age

The euro
Greece is one of twelve European Union countries which have changed over to a single currency, the euro (¬). The transition period, which began on January 1, 1999, was lengthy, however: euro notes and coins were not issued until January 1, 2002, with the Greek drachma ( dhrakhmí , the oldest currency in Europe) remaining in place for cash transactions, at a fixed rate of 340.75 drachmas to 1 euro, until they were scrapped entirely on 28 February, 2002. You will be able to exchange any leftover drachma coins into euros until March 2004, and any old drachma paper notes until March 2012, at branches of the Bank of Greece. For the most up-to-date exchange rates of the US dollar or the pound sterling against the euro, consult the very useful currency speculators' website, www.oanda.com . Rates at the time of research are: £1 = ¬1.60, US$1 = ¬1.08, Aus$1 = ¬0.53. You should not be charged commission for changing euro-denomination travellers' cheques in any of the twelve countries within the euro zone (also known as "Euroland").

All local prices in this guide are given in euros. Amounts were derived from the last known drachma price of late 2001, and usually rounded up - as the Greeks will almost certainly do, if the experience of decimalization in the UK is anything to go by. Also judging by past practice, Greek shopkeepers are unlikely to bother much with shortfalls of 10 cents or less, whether in their favour or yours.

Euro notes exist in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, and coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 euros

Banks and exchange
Greek banks are normally open Monday to Thursday 8.30am-2pm, Friday 8.30am-1.30pm. Certain branches in the major towns or tourist centres are open extra hours in the evenings and on Saturday mornings for exchanging money. Always take your passport with you as proof of identity and be prepared for at least one long line.

Outside these times, the largest hotels and travel agencies can often provide this service, albeit sometimes with hefty commissions. On small islands with no full-service bank, "authorized" bank agents will charge yet another extra fee (1-2 percent) to cover the cost of posting a travellers' cheque to the main branch.

The safest, though most expensive, way to carry money is as travellers' cheques . These can be obtained from banks (even if you don't have an account) or from offices of Thomas Cook and American Express; you'll usually pay a commission of between one and two percent, though it pays to be aware of any special commission-free deals from your travel agent or your home bank. You can cash the cheques at most banks, though rarely elsewhere. Each travellers' cheque encashment in Greece will incur a minimum commission charge of ¬1.20-2.40 depending on the bank for amounts of up to ¬60 equivalent, so you won't want to make too many small-value transactions. For greater amounts, a set percentage will apply. Make sure you keep the purchase agreement and a record of cheque serial numbers safe and separate from the cheques themselves. In the event that cheques are lost or stolen, the issuing company will expect you to report the loss forthwith; most companies claim to replace lost or stolen cheques within 24 hours.

Small-denomination foreign bank notes are also extremely useful, and relatively unlikely to be stolen in Greece. Since the freeing up of all remaining currency controls in 1994, a number of authorized brokers for exchanging foreign cash have emerged in Athens and other major tourist centres. When changing small amounts, choose those bureaux that charge a flat percentage commission (usually one percent) rather than a high minimum. There's also a small number of 24-hour automatic foreign-note-changing machines in a few resorts, but again a high minimum commission tends to be deducted.

In 1998, the Greek post office largely abandoned the business of changing money - a nuisance, as many tiny islands have a post office but no bank. If you have a UK-based Girobank account, you may still be able to use your chequebook to get money at some remote post offices. You may also find that main post offices (in provincial capitals) are the designated receiving points for Western Union money transfers.

Finally, there is no need to purchase euros before arrival unless you're coming in at some ungodly hour to one of the remoter land or sea frontier posts, or on a Sunday. Airport arrival lounges will always have an exchange booth or cash dispenser for passengers on incoming international flights.

 Travel Resources

         Lima Hotels
         Cusco travel guide
         Inca trail MachuPicchu
         Iquitos tourist information
         Off Season  Tours Peru
         Rome tourist information
         Italy hotels