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Take pills: France warns tourists going to Greece

Ben McPartland
Ben McPartland - [email protected]
Take pills: France warns tourists going to Greece
Photo: AFP

With banks in Greece remaining closed and pharmacies running out of medication, the French government has moved to warn its citizens heading to that part of the Mediterranean.

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French tourists heading to Greece have been told to take plenty of cash and medication as both are in short supply in the crisis-hit country.

While thousands of Germans have reportedly cancelled trips to Greece in the last few weeks, it seems the French have not been put off by the ongoing financial crisis in the debt-ridden country.

But with an ongoing stand-off between the Greek government and the country’s creditors, the French government has been forced to warn the thousands who will head to the Greek islands this summer to take cash and pills with them.

“Due to the current risks of waiting times at bank machines and the fact that many do not function properly, it is recommended that tourists visiting Greece bring sufficient cash,” said the country’s foreign ministry.

Bank withdrawal limits in Greece are still currently set at €60. Even if this does not apply to tourists with foreign cards, the risk that visitors will “find themselves in difficulty” remains high said the ministry.

With more and more stores and hotels reportedly refusing payment by credit card, French tourists have been told to check ahead whether their bank cards will be accepted.

In addition, they’ve been told to take with them “all the necessary medication as well as the prescription”.

A report in Le Monde newspaper on Thursday claimed that while Germans and Scandinavians were being put off going to Greece in recent months, the number of French visitors has been on the up.

Figures revealed the French spend the most time and money in Greece of all nationalities.

Despite reports of 300,000 cancelled holidays, tourism chiefs in Greece say only 50,000 have been scrapped. Plus authorities says the country’s tourist industry has actually benefited from the recent terrorist attack in Tunisia, which has severely affected the country’s attractiveness to foreigners.

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