Greece in cash.
The Acropolis at first light, Santorini's blue domes, tavernas where retsina flows from the barrel. Island Greece still lives largely on cash — the note opens the best tables.
Helvetica Exchange prepares your EUR travel envelope at Rue Pierre-Fatio 19, 1204 Geneva (Rive district) — the posted rate, no separate commission, Monday–Friday 08:30–18:30 and Saturday 09:00–17:00. Reserve and your rate is held for 3 hours during opening hours; ID from the LBA thresholds.
The cities, chosen.
Athens
Twenty-five centuries in the open air, and neighbourhoods crackling with life.
Acropolis & Parthenon — At opening (8 am) for raking light and silence.
Plaka & Anafiotika — The hidden Cycladic village beneath the rock — white lanes, free.
Santorini
The caldera born of a volcano — black cliffs, white villages, legendary sunsets.
Oia at sunset — The world's most photographed dusk — come two hours early for a wall seat.
A caldera cruise — Catamaran to the volcano, sulphur-spring swim included.
Crete
A continent as an island: Minoan palaces, the Samaria gorge and raki on the house.
The Palace of Knossos — The Minotaur's labyrinth, dolphin frescoes.
Samaria Gorge — 16 km descending between 500 m walls, the sea at the end.
Getting around.
Blue Star ferries hop the islands (€30–60 a leg), domestic flights serve Santorini and Crete. Athens has a modern metro; on the islands, scooter or KTEL bus.
Cash & banknotes.
Hotels take cards; village tavernas, kiosks and island taxis often don't — or 'with regret'. €60–100 in cash a day makes you welcome everywhere; May–June and September give golden light at gentle prices.
| Rate reservation | held 3 hours, during opening hours |
| Counter hours | Mon–Fri 08:30–18:30 · Sat 09:00–17:00 |
| Commission | none — the margin lives in the posted rate |
Before you go.
Do the islands take cards?
Hotels yes; village tavernas, kiosks and island taxis often not, or reluctantly. €60–100 of cash a day makes you welcome everywhere.
When to go without the crowds?
May–June and September–October: warm sea, golden light, relaxed prices. Santorini in August is an open-air metro.
Indicative amounts — rate reservable for 3 hours · Rue Pierre-Fatio 19, Geneva · Guide complet en français