What to pack for Athens in March

Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.

UV index hits 6.7 in March, high enough to burn exposed skin in a few hours.

Glare off the water and pavement intensifies at this UV level and latitude.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Minor cuts from ancient stone streets heal slowly without basic supplies.

This country runs on Type C or F. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Daylight lasts only 11.9 hours, so you'll photograph until the battery dies.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

International travel means carry-on is your only bag for the flight.

Eleven hours of daylight means long walks between sites and neighborhoods.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

For temples, mosques, and churches that check at the door.

Tap water is safe, so a reusable bottle cuts waste and saves money.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

Pickpockets work crowded sites like the Acropolis year-round.

Bags disappear in transit hubs and busy squares.

Urban hotels have small rooms and no closets.

Six rain days in one month keeps clothes damp longer than usual.

Ferry engines and street noise make sleep difficult without them.

Lips burn faster than the rest of the face when you're walking all day.

Six rain days means wet hands before touching your face repeatedly.

Charging ports are sparse in smaller museums and cafes around the city.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

Humidity at 68% and salt air from the coast degrade paper documents.

Luggage locks prevent theft during ferry trips to nearby islands.

Humidity and moisture from rain wreck toiletries left on bathroom surfaces.

Noise from traffic and ferries runs late into the night.