This page may contain affiliate links, see our disclaimer here.

Athens Travel Information

Athens Travel Information - everyone has their own relationship with Athens Αθήνα. We love Athena. We say it is definitely worth spending time to get to know her.

---

Intro to Athens

Athens Travel Information - if you are coming to Crete for a quick visit or an extended stay, it is most likely you will have the opportunity to stay in the ancient capital, so we have put together this guide for you, to enjoy your Athens stopover.

Here are some of our tips on what to see and how to spend your time in Athena, and some lovely hotels to choose from, tips on getting around in the city and highlights of festivals.

See more about the climate in Athens here

If you choose a hotel in one of these areas, you will be in walking distance of the major downtown sights and fantastic restaurants and cafes. Athena will be at your doorstep.

Our suggestion is to choose a hotel in Plaka. See the top hotels we have chosen here. This area has the feeling of a village right in the heart of Athens, and is away from all the hubbub, right at the base of the magical Acropolis with the ancient Parthenon.

Here in Plaka are some of the best restaurants and tavernas in Athens, with music and atmosphere.

Close by is the airport bus station, Syntagma Square and the Athens Cathedral, museums, Parliament House and Ermou Street, a principle shopping street.

The enclave of Plaka is serviced by both Syntagma and Monastiraki Metro stations, from where you can easily travel to Pireaus to catch your ferry to Crete. The modern metro system in Athens is the way to get around, and the way to get from the airport to the city, making a quick Athens stopover possible.

Leave plenty of time to visit the Acropolis, to wander up the hill, take in the view, to see and learn about each of the monuments and ruins, and visit the various museums.

Leave time because there are always crowds, especially in summer, and if you are relaxed and have plenty of time you won’t be bothered by those sweating, rushing hordes speeding past you. You get to stop and enjoy the view and the immensity of it all.

Athens Travel Information - there is plenty more to see at the Acropolis than the Parthenon, including the stunningly beautiful Caryatids of the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike.

On the graceful hillside of the Acropolis are the Theatre of Dionysos and the simply breathtaking Theatre of Herodes Atticus, with its white marble amphitheatre.

What many people don't realise before they arrive in Athena is that at the base of the Acropolis is the Ancient Agora (above), the former market. It is now a park dotted with ruins and trees, including the beautiful Stoa of Attalos, the Temple of Hephaestus, and the picturesque Holy Church of the Apostles from 11th century.

The agora is a green space in the middle of the chaos of Athena, and certainly worth a good exploration.

---

Athens Travel Information
Guided Tour Suggestions

---

Athens
Kifissia in the North

---

Athens Museums

Athens Travel Information - soak up the history of the ancient and modern world here in the capital of Greece. There are so many museums and so much history to explore; it is hard to decide which ones to visit. If you are just stopping over in Athena for a quick visit we recommend two extensive collections, right in the centre of the city.

Located at 2-4 Makriyianni Street only 300 meters from the Acropolis, it is easy walking from Plaka. Entry is 10 Euros and the museum is open from 8am to 8pm daily except Mondays. Nearest metro station is Acropolis.

Queues can get very long in busy season - we suggest going through the museum with a guide to get the most out of it.

Take a guided tour of the Acropolis Museum and the Acropolis - 3 hours

---

Located at 44 Patission Street, this museum is, again, easy walking distance from Plaka.

Entry is 12 Euros from April to October and less in other months. The museum is open at varied times on different days, so be sure check the website: namuseum.gr

'Skip the Line' Ticket Entry - National Archaeological Museum

---

Choose Your Tour

There are plenty more tours in and around Athens to choose from.

---

Athens Travel Information
The Port of Pireaus

Athens Travel Information - most ferries to Crete leave Pireaus in the evenings and travel overnight, so you will have plenty of time for a good day exploring Athens. Relax and enjoy, and of course leave plenty of time to get to the ferry, remember it is quite a walk within the large port of Pireaus to your departing ferry.

Pireaus is the largest passenger port in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It accommodates over 39 million people each year. For those coming in from other ferries, it is handy to know that there are good services available at the port, like left-luggage, a 24 hour café with internet and a little bus to take you along the dockside.

When coming from the metro to take the shuttle bus, cross the road on the new pedestrian footbridge, with lifts, and to your right there is a shaded waiting-room. Next to this there are shuttle buses that take you around to the Anek or Minoan or Blue Star moorings. Just tell the driver which boat you are taking. Below is a map noting the departure docks for the major ferries.

---

Choosing a hotel for your Athens stopover

We recommend the relative quiet and charm of Plaka (above) - see more about choosing a hotel and our selection of small hotels here.

---

Athens Travel Information
Getting Around

Athens Travel Information - getting around Athena is easy with the modern Metro. Coming from the airport, which is 27 km out of the centre of town, you have options of taxi, metro, local bus service or regional train service. See information at:

• ametro.gr for the Metro
• aia.gr for Athens International Airport

To pre-book a taxi transfer - this service provides a driver and transport to meet you at the airport, put your luggage in the vehicle and take you to your destination with a pre-arranged price. This service is especially handy for groups or families, with a minibus service available. We prefer it for peace of mind.

Check transfer prices here

---

Athens Travel Information
Festivals

The Hellenic Festival, with events in and around Athena, including Epidauvros, from May to September, this festival is the epitome of summer in the Greek year.

Also known as the Athens Epidauvros Festival, it encompasses so many art forms from ballet, theatre, opera and contemporary dance to exhibitions and workshops of all rich varieties.

---

Athens Travel Information
Guides and Books

The only guidebooks we have ever needed for Athens are the Lonely Planet guide to Greece, and the Lonely Planet Encounter Guide to Athens.

Some interesting reading about Greece and Athens is included below, 'Winds of Crete' is a little dated (1974) but well worth the read for its authenticity. 'North of Ithaka' tells of one woman's return to Greece from the diaspora.

'Greek Fire' (2001) by Nicholas Gage is an easy to read account of the relationship between opera singer Maria Callas and shipping icon Aristotle Onasis. The journalistic eye for detail and history makes it an excellent backgrounder for visiting Greece.

'Eurydice Street' (2004) by Sophie Zinovieff is a down-to-earth and realistic account of one woman's relocation to Athens, her discovery of all things Greek, and her intelligent integration into Athens life, together with her husband and two children.

---

Athens Travel Information
On to The Greek Islands

---

Flights to Athens

---

Athens Travel Information
My Athens

---

Videos of Athens

The video below features the Acropolis Museum.

The restoration work undertaken at the museum is highlighted below.

---

---

About the Team

Yiásas!
Anastasi, Apostoli & Katia are the
We Love Crete team
We just love sharing our passion for Crete, Greece and travel
About us