WHUDeano 4:37 Mon Oct 21
Athens
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Hello lads, off to Athens on Thursday for a week with the wife and two boys (3 & 1). Haven't got anything specific planned, just decided after a few to have a random city break in the sun somewhere that the missus hadn't been too before. I know Greece quite well - used to go island hopping every summer back in my late teens/early 20s, but have only had a day or two in Athens to see the Acropolis and then head on.
Does anyone have any tips on decent places to visit around the city, also keen on getting to a nearby island for a night or two as well if anyone has any experience of islands within an hour or two boat journey. Cheers!
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
GSCS
10:00 Thu Oct 31
Aegina
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Deano, Did you go to the monastery,(Cathedral Of Saint Nectarios) when on the island ? Did you see the hill with 365 churches on it ?
Aegina is one of the best places to visit out of season if you want to sit and do nothing, but a great place to be in the summer as plenty of the wealthy Athenians have second homes there.
The seafood at Perdika is some of the best I have tasted in Europe.
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WHUDeano
9:35 Thu Oct 31
Re: Athens
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Got back home last night and have to say, it was a fantastic little family holiday. After the first couple of days of adapting to Athens (and the 'fuck off airbnb" graffiti I noticed on the way in), we all absolutely loved it. One big tip to others is the island Aegina, I've island hopped around many in the past but this one is only an hour from Athens & completely blew me away. Clear water, shallow seas (not the most amazing sand), perfect for young children & the seafood was verging on world class.
No idea how it would be in the high season, but for an October trip (just before the place closes down for the winter), what a great place to visit.
Thanks to all for the tips & advice given, happy to point others in the right direction if they are interested in replicating our trip during the off season...as with all Med destinations, June & September are the best, and if you're lucky May & October might be great too.
Cheers again lads.
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arsene york-hunt
10:13 Thu Oct 24
Re: Athens
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Apparently I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles it is the anthem of the Athens prostitute community.
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WHUDeano
10:06 Thu Oct 24
Re: Athens
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Cheers for all the comments lads, arrived this afternoon. First thing i noticed was the poverty, I’ve spent many years in Asia, including many months travelling far and wide in countries such as Cambodia & India, and the general state of Athens really quite shocked me in places.
Wandered over to some of the lively parts mentioned here by others this evening and enjoyed ourselves, though to be honest, my favourite cities to spend time in are the raw & rough ones, but with so many beggars & homeless, it honestly felt like riverside Phnom Penh at times for those who know the place.
Def going to write off one or two of our nights booked here and just use it as a base for our luggage to explore other near by places. Having two very young children prevents most things, but planning on doing 1 or 2 nights on some near by islands, currently thinking Aegina & Hydra, but open to suggestions.
Cheers again for all the advice and info, wife & kids all tucked up in bed after the long day or travel & I’m just sitting back on our balcony overlooking the acropolis with a bottle ouzo, so def can’t complain.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
1:19 Wed Oct 23
Re: Athens
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https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=they+say+of+the+acropolis&view=detail&mid=F2346FD52BD61F9917ECF2346FD52BD61F9917EC&FORM=VIRE
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joe royal
12:58 Wed Oct 23
Re: Athens
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Got a cab from Athens airport to the city a couple of weeks ago , fixed price €38.
Driver didn’t have any change tho.
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svengordonbenettsson
10:06 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Best to pre book a taxi through your hotel fixed price. We like the express bus or for syntagma the train is good from the airport
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gph
9:47 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Got massively ripped off (or rather, the company I was working for did) by my taxi driver from the airport, who wouldn't give me my luggage back until I coughed his ridiculous fare.
The taxi driver back reckoned that there were loads of crooks working the airport as taxi drivers, and his fare was about a quarter of the fare out, even including the tip.
Only been to Athens as a stop-over for a two-part flight to Northern Greece, and came back on a direct flight, so can't really say anything about the city.
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svengordonbenettsson
9:18 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Love Athens. Agree about monastiriki and plaka. Fabulous wandering Some good record shops in market. From syntagma take a cab to mount lycabettus part way up take. Cab or cable car or walk to top. We've walked all the way from syntagma but it's a fair slog. Nice to walk back though. Couple of decent tavernas up there and stunning views. As for islands poros is nice but hydra a bit further is car free and easily doable in the day from pireaus port. If you fancy a bit of time in pireaus go to the other harbour/ marina. 15 minute walk through shopping area and the marina is very nice..enjoy
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ray winstone
2:32 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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I love Athens, wandering around Plaka and Monastiraki is a great way to spend some time and as well as all the usual touristy things, the meat market is also a sight to behold.
Syntagma is cool, you can see the government buildings and the Evzones doing their changing of the guard.
If there are 4 of you, taxi's are cheaper than trams/buses if you're going to pay a visit to Piraeus or Glyfada.
I have a few friends there so I'm a bit biased but think it's a great city to spend a few days.
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easthammer
3:20 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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As others have said Athens main attractions can be done in a day or two.
A vist to the old Olympic Stadium built for 1896 games might be okay. Don't bother going to the newer stadium it is a weed invested dump. If you have a car and the kids could take it you could drive three hours to Olympia itself.
But with young kids I would get the train (20 minutes) to Piraeus there are some decent beaches just along the coast. It is still in the C20s
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Darby_
2:19 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Athens is pretty boring. I like the island of Kea near Athens but I’m not sure kids would enjoy it.
This ‘lake’ is pretty good.
https://www.athensguide.com/vouliagmeni.html
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bruuuno
1:19 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Total shit hole
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Gavros
12:31 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Ive been all over greece as well and im forewarning you that Athens is quite shit. The acropolis, a fairly small old town and the 1908 (or thereabouts) olympic stadium shape like a rich tea biscuit and youre wbout done. Two days max and move on.
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joe royal
12:21 Tue Oct 22
Re: Athens
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Go old school - buy a lonely planet guide off E bay .
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WHUDeano
10:27 Mon Oct 21
Re: Athens
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Cheers lads looking forward to it, spent near on a decade living the life of riley working online and touring south east asia. After a few years back in old blighty i just want a bit of sunshine & natural beauty - hence my keeness on a boat trip to the islands. Any random 'off the beaten trail' tips anyone can give would be great, love drinking and eating in the real areas, don't really care if it's rough if the beers are cheap and the food is good.
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yogib
7:27 Mon Oct 21
Re: Athens
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I know a taxi driver there who would probably take you to the Athens attractions in a day - he took me around for €100 but that was 5 odd years ago
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HairyHammer
7:06 Mon Oct 21
Re: Athens
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A trip to Greece eh, or as some like to call it, A sod off and souflaki. Actually no one ever said that ever.
Have a great time, obviously lots of history there, don't mention the Turks or say Turkish coffee not unless you want the top of it to be extra frothy anyway.
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Scraper
6:34 Mon Oct 21
Re: Athens
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"centre of Athens with its endless tourist nick-nack"
You clearly have not been to central Athens, as it's nothing of the sort.
28 degrees today btw!
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torino hammer
5:02 Mon Oct 21
Re: Athens
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Sounds like you have a good plan as the historical sites can be covered in a couple of days and as city breaks go there isn't a great charm about the centre of Athens with its endless tourist nick-nack shops and touristy restaurants.
There are islands you could get to as the metro goes to the port of Piraeus where you could visit the islands of Aegina or Poros easily.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
4:50 Mon Oct 21
Re: Athens
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They say of the Acropolis, where the Parthenon is...
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