Most shops are open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Many occupy the family home and, outside the biggest cities, open every day for as long as someone is up. Opening hours of public offices are generally from 9am to 5 or 6pm Monday to Friday, with an hour or so for lunch. In rural areas, the working day often starts earlier, say at 8am, and a longer lunch of a couple of hours is taken.

Banks do business from 9am to 1.30pm, Monday to Friday, sometimes closing at 1pm on Saturdays. Some banks extend business to 6pm during the week, though with reduced services - usually this means you can't change travellers' cheques after 1.30pm. Post offices are open Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 7pm, closing at noon on Saturdays, and telephone offices are open daily from 8am to 10pm; in rural regions and smaller towns, expect hours to be shorter for both services. Museums are usually closed on Mondays.