City Information        Nytt resmål   Queensway Travel
Airport

Airport to City Centre

Taxis are the most practical method. The airport taxi ranks are in front of Arrivals at each terminal. Depending on traffic, the trip takes from 20-50 mins. The fare should be no more than €7, plus small airport & baggage surcharges. Fares go up by about 25% over the Christmas & Easter holidays, in which case the relevant notice should be plainly displayed inside the cab.

Orientation

A first-time visitor to Athens might be forgiven for viewing the modern city as a sprawling, confusing concrete & glass omelette. However, certain useful landmarks remain. The biggest, of course, is the Acropolis, which still dominates the skyline. Balancing it a few miles away is cone-shaped Lykavittos Hill. In between is Athens’ main shopping district around Syntagma Sq & Omonia Sq. Plaka, the famous Old Town, clings to the northern slopes of the Acropolis, while the shabby-genteel but ever-trendy Kolonaki quarter spreads around the southern slopes of Lykavittos. Arrow-straight Syngrou Ave links the centre with the coast & the port of Piraeus.

Excursions

Cape Sounion, at the tip of the Attic peninsula 70km south-east of Athens, is quintessential day-tripper Greece: sapphire sea, secluded beaches & fish tavernas nestling at the foot of olive groves, pine-clad hills &, in sharp relief, the Temple of Poseidon (open daily 1000-sunset, Dr800). Look out for graffiti carved by 19c British dilettantes (Lord Byron included). For full local Technicolor, take one of the hourly buses from the Pedion tou Areos park on Alexandras Ave; otherwise take a taxi (Dr10,000 one way) or hire a car & stop at the tavernas en route (Dr20,000 round trip).

Sprinkled off the coast like a smile in the sea are the Argosaronic Islands (Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Agistri & Spetses), the local getaway for weekending Athenians. If you have an extra day or spare weekend take the high-speed hydrofoil & catamaran from Piraeus. Maximum outward travel time: 2 hrs 30 mins.

Spetses has tons of class & historical interest, such as the house of the heroine of the 1821 revolt against the Turks, Laskarina Bouboulina. Onassis & Niarchos would sail their yachts there on the weekend, have coffee at the (newer) Dappia port. The old port is charming & there are great beaches a short distance away. Tip: for fresh fish, try Patralis restaurant. Agistri is small but wonderful. It’s quiet, hospitable & perfect if you have a weekend spare, as it’s very close. The tavernas serve delicious food (BBQ octopus right on the beach) & the waters are sparkling (incl infamous nude beach). Take a 45-min catamaran ride, cost Dr3,600 return. Mykonos is still a walk on the wild side. Catamarans get you there even faster now – 2 hrs on a Sea Jet for Dr12,000 – so a weekend is sufficient to exorcise the stress demons. Back on mainland Greece, the spa & gambling town of Loutraki, 60km to the west of Athens, is an option if you find yourself with a few spare drachma. A good resort atmosphere softens the losses. Buses leave nine times a day from the terminus at 100 Kifissou St, €5 one-way for the 90-min journey. If you like, alight at the Corinth Canal then jump on a local bus to Loutraki.

Around The City

Athens’ public transport takes some getting used to & is not exactly Europe’s most efficient. Taxis are essential, but such is the demand that at peak hours it is common to share a cab with total strangers going in roughly the same direction. When sharing a cab, you nevertheless pay full fare, usually around €2-3 for an average journey. Eagle-eyed cabbies will usually stop to ask where you’re going, but don’t be surprised if the driver lifts his chin in refusal & speeds off. As previously mentioned, the minimum cab fare has risen to €2. If the fare seems overly high, suggest stopping to discuss it with a policeman or the tourist police, as the authorities have cracked down on unscrupulous cabbies. Hotel staff can usually be counted on to telephone for an available radio-taxi, of which there are several good firms, but there will be an extra charge for these.

Buses & trolley buses – many of which are new – travel to all parts of the city & are among Europe’s cheapest. For information on timetables & how to get from point A to B, telephone 185, but buses are best used only in emergencies, since sardine-tin conditions are hardly conducive to business appointment alertness. Buses run from 0500 to about midnight. Tickets cost a flat rate of €0.50 & can be bought at news stands.

Until recently, Athens had a single commuter railway, which runs 20 miles between Piraeus & the leafy northern suburb of Kifissia & is a highly useful artery. Among other things, it gives you a thumbnail tour of the city, ancient & modern. Tickets cost a flat rate of €0.50 or €1 for a triple zone ticket. However, a proper underground metro system has recently opened in the city, and it breaths fresh air into the city's public transport system: fast, convenient & cheap, many of the stations exhibit ancient artefacts and modern works of art.

As many Greeks have earned themselves a trinket or two (i.e. new cars) courtesy of the lively Athens bourse, give yourself ample time to negotiate roads which are now even more congested.

What is Interesting - flygbilejtt - flyg stol Queensway Travel
The Acropolis: Athens’ enduring symbol has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The 5c BC Parthenon is the crowning glory, adjoined by other Periclean edifices & the Acropolis Museum. The view (smog permitting) is spectacular in all directions. If the Greek government gets its way, a new Acropolis museum will be ready in a couple of years to house the Elgin Marbles that have been sojourning in the British Museum for 200 years. Entrance from D Areopagitou Street, open daily 0800-1430 (winter); 0800-1800 or 1900 (summer – keep ear out for strikes in summer).

National Archaeological Museum: The treasure trove of 3,000 years of Greek civilisation. You’ll need several visits to take it all in. 44 Patission Street, open Mon 1030-1645; Tues-Sun 0830-1445.

Byzantine Museum: The Greek Middle Ages, plus priceless religious icons of the Byzantine era. 4 Neophytou Douka St, Kolonaki, open Mon, Weds, Thurs & Fri 1000-1600; Sat 1000-1500; closed Tues & Sun.

National War Museum: Great for military buffs, featuring everything from genuine Battle of Marathon helmets to jet fighters in the forecourt. Across the road from the British Embassy. 2 Rizari St, Ilissia, open daily 0900-1400; closed Mon.

Museum of Cycladic Art: Sculpture & artefacts from pre-classical Greece. 4 Neophytou Douka St, Kolonaki, open daily 1000-1600; Sat 1000-1500; closed Tues & Sun.

Where to Tour   - Lediga flygstolar     Queensway Travel
Thanks to the pedestrianisation of the inner triangle bound by the Acropolis, Syntagma Sq & Omonia Sq, walkers are now more likely to be asphyxiated by the stench of perfume from the upmarket shops on swanky Ermou St than exhaust fumes. At the far end is Monastiraki, a colourful area of churches, flea markets & narrow alleys that gives a rare glimpse of Byzantine Athens, including some superb views of the Parthenon. Not too far from Monastiraki is the up-and-coming Psyrri district, which was formerly known for its houses of disrepute but is now sought out for its quality tavernas, cool little bars & arty cafés, which seem to have sprung up in no time.

Plaka, the Old Town in the shadow of the Acropolis, boasts smart tavernas & bars as well as the cheaper establishments which nevertheless provide local atmosphere. For trend-spotting café society, head for Kolonaki Sq, in the perennially fashionable quarter clinging to Lykavittos Hill. Along with your cappuccino, you can get wise to what is being worn; the adjacent pricey boutiques will tell you how much you have to shell out for it.

The National Garden, just off Syntagma Sq, is Athens’ only recreational park, where palms mingle with less exotic shrubbery & a scattering of Greek & Roman ruins, plus a rudimentary zoo. Ducks & squawking peacocks join you on your stroll.