Athens is a sprawling metropolis with an insatiable appetite for the
surrounding countryside, which it continues to devour at a rapid pace.
Still, the center of the city preserves the Acropolis and many other
ancient ruins scattered among Byzantine churches, Turkish buildings,
19th-century boulevards, and modern metropolitan gridlock. And the
work done to prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games should clean up and
make more user-friendly many parts of the historic center of town. The
one Athens landmark you have to locate and remember is S;ntagma
Square, the political, geographical, and traffic center of the city.
Introducing the neighborhoods
From S;ntagma Square, the Pláka stretches to the southwest; this
largely pedestrian- and tourist-friendly quarter is one of the most colorful
old sections of town. I recommend that you spend the bulk of your
visit here.
The southwest corner of the Pláka is bounded by the Acropolis Hill,
which draws visitors with its majestic Parthenon temple and other
famous ancient ruins from the time when Athens was the center of
Western civilization. The Monastiráki neighborhood, which features a
flea market and shop-lined street, lies north of the Acropolis and west
of the Pláka, next to the Ancient Agora.
North of the Pláka and S;ntagma Square, all roads lead to Omónia
Square, the hub of a district that was once the commercial heart of the
city. The square was redone for the Olympics, so returning visitors may
notice fewer car lanes choking the area with traffic.
Northeast of S;ntagma Square you find the shopping and residential
zone called Kolonáki. Although no longer the city’s trendy hotspot
(newer suburbs have stolen that title), the district is still a chic, happening
spot. Due south of S;ntagma Square is Mets, a trendy residential and
intellectual quarter.
The relatively undiscovered neighborhood of Makriyánni, south of the
Acropolis, is a moderately upscale area, full of good hotels, restaurants,
and shopping. Southwest of this neighborhood is an even bigger secret —
the Koukáki residential zone, with inexpensive hotels and a modest,
thoroughly Athenian restaurant scene.
Finding information after you arrive
The Greek National Tourist Organization (often shortened to the Greek
acronym EOT), at 7 Tsochas St., is open Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (%210-870-0000; www.gnto.gr). It offers maps and
information about Athens.
Getting Around Athens
I find that the best way to get around town is usually to use my feet
and hail the occasional taxi. Except for a few longer excursions to visit
museums, you may spend most of your time in or near the pedestrianfriendly
Pláka.
The traffic in Athens is worse than in any other European city. The hornhonking,
erratic driving, pollution, and daily congestion are worse in
Athens than even in Rome and Naples. Drivers routinely turn left from
the far right lane of a multilane boulevard, or use a string of empty parking
spots as their own personal passing lane. I definitely urge you not to
drive here.
By Metro (Subway)
The Metro (%210-679-2399; www.ametro.gr) system in Athens is clean
and efficient but not quite finished. Line one begins at Piraeus, Athens’s
seaport, and runs through central Athens before terminating north of
the city at Kifissia, an upscale suburb. Lines two and three make a large
X across the city, meeting at S;ntagma Square, and each is currently
being extended on either end. For tourists, the most useful stops are
S;ntagma Square, Akropoli, and Monastiráki, each of which is centrally
located and offers access to two of the Metro lines.
A single ticket costs 0.70€ (80˘); a day pass is 2.90€ ($3.35). Children
under 6 ride free. Buy tickets at machines and booths inside the stations.
Keep your ticket (good for one trip, including transfers, and valid for 90
minutes from the time you stamp it) with you until you exit the Metro.
By bus and trolley
Athens has several overlapping bus and bus-trolley networks. Blue
minibuses stop at red signs every two blocks. Both minibus 100 and
200 stop on the north side of S;ntagma Square before continuing to the
commercial district just north. The 200 minibus cuts a wider perimeter
around the district, though, and also stops at the National Archaeological
Museum, making it especially useful for visitors.
Bus and trolley tickets, which are sold in the Metro stations and at ticket
kiosks, cost .45€ (50˘) and are good for one trip only, no transfers.
Athens has expanded and reconfigured its public-transportation system
to accommodate the increased traffic that typically accompanies the
Olympics. Now that the Games are over, there may be even more changes,
as the city exhales its collective breath and returns to “normal.” Upon
your arrival in the city, pick up transportation maps to help you sort out
the bus and bus-trolley routes.
By taxi
Taxis are cheaper in Athens than in any major European city — if you
pay close attention to avoid getting charged improperly high rates. Taxis
are the simplest way to get from doorstep to doorstep, and they occasionally
provide the added bonus of a white-knuckle thrill ride. The
charge for taxis is .75€ (85˘), plus .26€ (30˘) per kilometer. If you leave
the city limits, the per-kilometer charge rises to .50€ (60˘). The fee for
luggage is .30€ (35˘) per piece. The night rate (between midnight and
5 a.m.) is .50€ (60˘) per kilometer. The surcharge for stopping at the airport
is 2€ ($2.30).
The number of unlicensed cab drivers around Athens is increasing.
Usually, these pirate cabbies (many from Eastern Europe) don’t drive
the standard gray Athens taxi, but a similar gray car. Making sure your
cab driver has a meter and a photo ID is a good idea. Make sure the
meter rate reads “1” — it should only read “2” if you’re going well outside
the central city. And don’t be shocked if your driver picks up other
passengers during your ride. A taxi can carry other customers to destinations
that are on the way, but everyone pays separately. Just check
the amount on the meter when you climb in, and pay the difference
when you get out.
You can hail a taxi on the street or call %210-363-6508, 645-7000, or
222-1623. You pay a small surcharge of 1.30€ ($1.50) when you call a
taxi.
By foot
Many of Athens’s tourist attractions are concentrated in the city center,
and some areas, such as the Pláka, are pedestrianized, so expect to see
much of the city on foot. A new 21/2-mile cobblestone promenade (part
of that “unification” of Athens) wends its way around the base of the
Acropolis and past many ancient ruins. A word of warning: Drivers here
are aggressive, so as a pedestrian, be especially cautious.
Staying in Athens
Almost all the hotels in Athens are simple and basic. Although you can
find some pretty shabby places if you stick to the low end of the price
ladder, you’ll find plenty of clean options if you look around. If you want
to stay near the sightseeing and nightlife, the Pláka or Monastiráki are
your best bets. The Koukáki and Makriyánni residential zones have
plenty of good, clean hotels, which are cheaper than those in the city
center. The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, 24 Stadiou St., 4 blocks north
of S;ntagma Square (%210-323-7193 or 210-322-9912; www.grhotels.
gr/english.html), can help you book a hotel anywhere in Greece.
You should steer clear of only one area: the downtrodden Omónia Square
zone. Once a haven for budget inns, most people now find it too seedy.
Hoteliers increased their prices for the Olympic Games. Although those
prices should have been in place only for the games, there’s no knowing
how long it will take for rates to return to pre-Olympic (read: more reasonable)
levels.
Note: Hotels can ask you for a deposit of 25 percent of one night’s stay.
In the tourism off-season, by all means bargain.
Athens’s top hotels
Acropolis View Hotel
$$$ Makriyánni
This nice hotel, snuggled into a quiet side street on Philopáppou Hill, has
small and unspectacular, but modern rooms with televisions and airconditioning.
A few rooms even live up to the hotel’s name. But if your
room lacks a view, head up to the roof terrace, where you can get outstanding
Acropolis vistas, especially at sunset.
See map p. 539. 10 Webster St. (off Rovértou Gálli, 2 blocks down from its intersection
with Dionysíou Aeropayítou). % 210-921-7303. Fax: 210-923-0705. Metro:
Akropoli. Bus/trolley: A2, A2e, A3, 1, 5, 9, 15, 40, 57, 110, 126, or 230. Rates: 100€–160€
($115–$184) double. Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V.
Andromeda Hotel
$$$$$ Embassy District
The city’s only boutique hotel is easily the most charming in Athens, with
a staff that makes you feel like this is your home away from home. Rooms
are large and elegantly decorated. The only drawbacks: It’s a serious hike
(20 to 30 minutes) or a ten-minute taxi ride to S;ntagma, and few restaurants
are in this residential neighborhood.
See map p. 539. 15 Timoleontos Vassou St. %210-641-5000. Fax: 210-646-6361. www.
andromedaathens.gr or www.slh.com/andromeda. Metro: Megaron. Bus: 1,
3, 7, 8, 13. Rates: 435€–465€ ($500–$535) double. Rates include breakfast. AE, DC,
MC, V
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