Athens

The extended opening hours of shops and stores for the Easter period will start on April 25.

The Athens Trade Association announced the proposed opening hours of Athens shops: from April 25 to Holy Thursday (May 2) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, April 28 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m, on Good Friday (May 3) from 1 until 7 p.m. and on Holy Saturday (May 4) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Athens will enforce traffic regulations this Sunday for the 41st Peace Marathon.

Between 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., there will be phased disruptions to vehicle traffic, along with no-parking and no-stopping zones on designated avenues and streets in Marathon - Nea Makri, Rafina - Pikermi, Pallini - Gerakas - Anthousa, Agia Paraskevi, Chalandri, and Psychiko - Filothei municipalities.

Athens Mayor Haris Doukas has issued an open letter to Minister of Environment and Energy Theodore Skylakakis, urging the suspension of a ministerial decision "envisaging the implementation of increased building heights." 

Strikes called by Greece's largest labor union halted ferries, disrupted public transport services and left some state-run hospitals running on emergency staffing levels in Athens and elsewhere Wednesday.

The General Confederation of Greek Labor, GSEE, led the strikes to press for a return of collective bargaining rights axed more than a decade ago during a severe financial crisis.

Stores in Athens will be in holiday mode beginning from April 25th ahead of Easter – Also open Sunday, April 28th

Malta-based airline Universal Air is next month starting five weekly flights to Greece, increasing the links between the two popular tourism destinations.

The carrier will link Valletta with Corfu three times per week and with Athens twice per week, it stated.

Changes in the tax framework for the short-term rental market have not deterred property owners, as the number of units in the center of Athens is constantly rising.

According to AirDNA, 18.5% more properties operated as short-term rental accommodation in the center of Athens in the year's first quarter, reaching 12,762, even though these months show the lowest demand.

A nationwide strike in Greece has brought the country's transport networks to a standstill, affecting railways, ferries, buses, taxis, and more. The strike, organized by railroad workers, sailors, and public transport drivers, and supported by various unions, is demanding higher wages, improved working conditions, and increased funding for public services, particularly healthcare.

Ships remained docked at Greek ports and train services were halted on Wednesday as transport workers joined a 24-hour strike by private workers to demand higher pay to cope with rising living costs.

Bus and taxi drivers also walked off the job for a few hours as part of the labor action called by Greece's largest private sector union GSEE.

Private-sector trade union federation GSEE is holding a 24-hour strike Wednesday, aiming to promote public urban transportation, demanding collective labor agreements and personnel hirings. The strike is expected to impact public transport services across Greece.