According to elaineqho, Chios (Greek: Χίος) is an island in the eastern Aegean Sea that is part of the North Aegean Islands. The North Aegean Islands are a region of Greece (Europe). The capital of Chios is Chios of the same name. A number of major cities on Chios are: Vrontados, Marmaro, Pyrgi and Armolia.
Chios is mountainous with a rocky coastline. There are many small bays with clear blue water. The nature of the island is mostly low with many olive, almond, nut and citrus trees. Many tourists visit the island to hike, climb or explore one of the 70 caves. The island is also known for the windmills in the capital and the mastic villages in the south. These so-called mastic villages were built in the time when resin extraction from mastic bushes still had a large share in the economy. However, there are still many mastic bushes that form resin for the production of chewing gum, toothpaste and cosmetic products. See baglib for European parliament.
Where is Chios located?
Travel information of Chios
Official name: Chios
Continent: Europe
Area: 904 km²
Capital: Chios
Country code: GR, GRC
Population: 54,030 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 1,297 m (Pelineo)
Distance (Amsterdam – Chios): 2,257 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hour
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on Chios that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Chios, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Chios. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Chios? You will find an extensive collection at travel bookstore De Zwerver.
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay on Chios at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Chios has a Mediterranean climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees and in the summer months around 25 to 30 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Chios can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Chios can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Chios. This avoids the relatively cold winter period with a lot of precipitation.
Language
Greek is the official language on Chios. In addition, a lot of English is spoken because of tourism.
Would you like to translate from or into Greek for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Greece: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Greek Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Greek Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Chios.
Money and Currency
On Chios, payment is made with the euro (EUR).
An overview of all ATMs on Chios can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on Chios are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -22% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (33% cheaper), food (18% cheaper), imported beer in catering (14% more expensive), cigarettes (36% cheaper) and public transport (50% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
On Chios it is customary to tip, even if this is already included in the bill. Good service is about 5-10% tip.
Time difference
On Chios it is 1 hour later than in the Netherlands.
Summer time on Chios is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for Chios can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On Chios you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on Chios.
An overview of all ferry connections between the various Greek islands can be found on GTP.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Chios.
Electricity
On Chios the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity on Chios can be found on our electricity page (look under Greece).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112 or 100
– Tourist Police: +30 22710 81539
– Fire Brigade: 112 or 199
– Ambulance: 112 or 166
Tap water
The water from the tap is drinkable, but due to the high chlorine content in many places, we recommend drinking bottled water.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Chios can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Chios can be found on Abyznewslinks (under “Voreio Aigaio – North Aegean”).
Internet
Websites from Chios end in.gr.
Chios official websites: chios.gr and visitgreece.gr.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone on Chios is 0030 or +30.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Chios? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Chios Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Chios.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Chios.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Chios.
Public holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays on Chios can be found on Beleven.org.
You will find an overview of all school holidays in Greece (Chios) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on Chios, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Chios?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Chios. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on Chios can be found on Protected Planet.
Chios is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Chios? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and medicines, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported from Chios.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business on or do business with Chios, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Chios, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Chios.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum allowed blood alcohol level is 0.5 for cars and 0.2 for motorcycles and novice drivers up to 2 years old.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Chios is only 8 km away from Turkey?
…The smaller nearby islands of Psara, Antipsara and Oinousses belong to Chios?
…A large wildfire in 2010 destroyed a large part of the nature on Chios?
…There are mastic trees on Chios that cannot be found anywhere else in the world?
…The name Chios is derived from the Greek word chioni (snow)?
