Athens, Greece
Area around Acropolis
To get you all ready for your European summer, this month’s post is about Athens. Athens is the port hub for all Greek island adventures, where most of you will start your journey through Greece. To all my friends going to Greece this summer, and in the future, be sure to bookmark this post because these spots are some of my favorite.
If you’re entering Athens from the airport, you’ll have about a 45-minute taxi or 30-minute train ride to get to the city. There is no need to rent a car, and frankly, unless you feel confident in your driving, I would not mess with driving in Athens. The taxi fare from the airport to downtown Athens is around 50 Euro and the train is about 10. Tourists need to beware of taxi scams in Athens because it happens quite frequently. Be sure to ask the fare amount to downtown Athens, and use your best judgment on the pricing from there. I recommend taking the train to avoid the cost and the mess outside the airport. If you’re traveling with large suitcases, I suggest taking the train to a stop near your accommodation and getting a taxi from there to your hotel.
When spending your holiday in Greece, I would give Athens 3 days maximum. There is a lot of culture and history within the city, but its beauty lies within the quaint neighborhoods. If you’re visiting Athens for the first time, stay in the Plaka area. This part of the city is covered in pedestrian-only zones, shops, and night markets. It’s safer in comparison to other parts of Athens and closer to the Acropolis and Temple of Hephaestus, which are must-sees.
For those of you who have never been to Greece, be sure to visit the night-markets. These streets are filled with vendors selling leather shoes, trinkets, jewelry, and knock-off luxury bags. If you want to come back from your European vacation with a new Louis Vuitton bag stop by the market and get a dupe for only 20 Euros. One summer I bought a pair of “Adidas” tennis shoes for 15 euros and they looked just like the real thing!
Night Market
Whenever you are in Athens be sure to watch out for petty crimes and pickpocketing. Some of the areas to avoid in Athens are Omonia, Vathi, and Kolokotroni Squares.
Klepsydra Restaurant
As for restaurants, unless you are going to fancy restaurants in the Plaka area in July/August, you most likely will not need reservations. Below, I will link two restaurants that I recommend everyone try. If you take anything from this post, go to the restaurant Klepsydra. It is in the Plaka neighborhood and has a scenic view over Athens within walking distance of the Acropolis. The other restaurant is Rosalia, in the Χαυτεία neighborhood of Greece. This area is more authentic and gives tourists a real impression of Athens. The restaurant and surrounding area make for a perfect lunch spot.
Rosalia Restaurant
For accommodation, one of the hotels I recommend outside of the Plaka area is Athens Mosaico Suites & Apartments. It is family-friendly, affordable, spacious, and has a rooftop Acropolis view. This place has close metro access, but it’s one downside is there are not a lot of shops and nice restaurants in the surrounding area. If you don’t mind spending a little extra money, any air b-n-b or hotel within the Plaka area should be safe and within walking distance to shops or restaurants.
Mosaico Suites
My final tip is for transportation leaving Athens for the islands. When you are traveling throughout Athens, you can use the metro, bus, taxi, or even walk. I would recommend using the metro because it is easier to understand where your next stop will be and very inexpensive. Depending on the amount of time you will be in Athens, you can buy a variety of different time-block metro tickets. When you are leaving the Athens Piraeus Harbor to catch the ferry, you should get to the harbor at least 45 minutes early to ensure you get a good seat on the ferry and are not rushed. If you are planning on traveling on the ferry overnight or for many hours, you can pay extra for nicer seats, though it’s definitely not needed. If you are young and trying to travel cheap, you can get there early and lay out at one of the booths inside.
Don’t skip out on Athens before you venture to the islands, and have fun!
‘til the next trip,
leez
