Athens Vacations


	The temptation -- especially for visitors heading to the islands -- is to get through Athens as quickly as possible. This is a mistake. To fully experience Athens is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid squalor, tradition and modernity side by side. Athens is home to 4 million people -- 40% of Greece's population -- and suffers from all the problems of a big city, and then some: stifling heat and air pollution in summer, noisy traffic jams, and characterless cement apartment blocks. But take the time to explore, and you will discover pockets of incomparable charm. Athens is an intriguing crossroads, blending elements of Middle Eastern and Western cultures. Underneath the confusion and modern clutter lies a palpable Mediterranean warmth that can be most appealing. Athens related links: Athens Hotels \| Athens Vacation Specials Athens Family Vacations \| Athens Honeymoon Vacations Europe Vacations

Weather & When to Go

The best time to visit Greece is late spring and early fall. In May and June the days are warm, even hot, but dry, and the sea water has been warmed by the sun. The evenings, which seem endless, are pleasant enough to dine alfresco. For sightseeing, exploring the cities or countryside, or hitting the beach, this is the time. Greece is relatively tourist free in the spring, so if you don't like crowds, and the beach and swimming aren't high on your agenda, April and early May are a good time to visit. Carnavali, usually in February just before Lent, and Greek Easter, with its religious processions, are the highlights of the season.

September and October are a good alternative to spring and early summer, especially in the bustling cities where bars, theaters, and other cultural institutions reopen. Throughout the rest of the country, things begin to shut down in November. Transportation to the islands is limited in winter, and many hotels outside large cities are closed until the beginning of April. Unless you are going to Greece in pursuit of winter sports, try a different season.

Climate: Greece enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Chilliness and rain begin in November, the start of Greece's deceptive winters. Any given day may not be very cold -- except in the mountains, snow is uncommon in Athens and to the south. But the cold is persistent, and places are often not well-heated. Over the course of a few days you will feel chilled to the bone. Spring and fall are practically perfect, with warm days and balmy evenings. Toward the end of June and throughout July the temperatures climb, pushing the 100°F (38°C) mark. In the south a hot wind may blow across the Mediterranean from the coast of Africa. The air quality in Athens, which is surrounded on all sides by mountains (except in the direction of the harbor), can be unhealthy on especially hot days, and air-conditioning is far from ubiquitous. The situation is alleviated somewhat in August, when millions leave the city and the brisk northwesterly meltemia start to blow, cooling the city and many of the islands to a comfortable temperature.

Attractions & Excursions

Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are conveniently close to the modern city center. You can easily stroll from the Acropolis to the other sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. The layout of central Athens is simple: Three parallel streets -- Stadiou, Eleftheriou Venizelou (familiarly known as Panepistimiou), and Akadimias -- link two main squares, Syntagma (Constitution) and Omonia (Concord). The Acropolis and Filopappou (two craggy hills sitting side by side), the Ancient Agora marketplace, and Kerameikos (the first cemetery) form the core of ancient Athens.

The city's Asian character after the 400-year Ottoman rule is still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the Acropolis. Climbing up the Acropolis slopes is the Plaka quarter, whose tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions and tavernas suggest the city's gracious 19th-century's lifestyle. The area around the tourist hub of Syntagma Square and the commercial district of Omonia Square, is distinctly European. The most modern neighborhood downtown, chic Kolonaki, is nestled at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus. Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: In the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, and in the south is down-to-earth Piraeus, with its bustling harbors and Saronic Gulf views.

Many of the sights you'll want to see are within a fairly small central area and easily explored on foot. The price of public transportation has risen steeply in recent years, but it is still less than most other Western European capitals. However, riding the buses, trolleys, or the lone subway line during rush hours is definitely not recommended, nor is driving in Athens unless you have nerves of steel.

Entertainment

Bars are the staple of Greek nightlife, with new establishments opening every week. In summer, many of the most popular spots, especially dance clubs, move to temporary venues along the coast (check with your hotel concierge on seasonal whereabouts of clubs). Frequented by the under-30 crowd, these clubs are usually huge, lively, and packed. Getting to them can be a nightmare, especially on weekends, when the coastal road, Poseidonos, becomes a kilometers-long traffic jam. Parking requires creative maneuvers, and given the penchant for drinking and driving, pedestrians should be cautious when crossing roads.

Most bars stay open at least until 3 AM. Drinks are rather steep (around EUR6) but generous, and often there is a surcharge on weekend nights at the most popular clubs, which also usually have bouncers, aptly called "face-control" by Greeks. Foreigners usually get in automatically; large groups of single men may have some trouble on a busy night. Most clubs and bars do not take credit cards for drinks.

Many tourists think Greek social life centers on large clubs, where live bouzouki music is played and patrons get their kicks by smashing up the plates. This practice, called spasta, is now prohibited. Instead, plates of flowers are sold for scattering over the performer or your companions when they take to the dance floor.

The Greek equivalent of the urban blues, rembetika, is rooted in the traditions of Asia Minor and was brought to Greece by refugees from Smyrna in the 1920s. At these thriving clubs, you can catch a glimpse of Greek social life and even join the dances. Most of the clubs are closed in the summer, so call in advance.

Films are shown in original-language versions with subtitles, a definite boon for foreigners. For times and addresses, check the Athens News or Kathemerini in the International Herald Tribune. Unless theaters have air-conditioning, most close June-September, giving way to therina, open-air cinemas that declined in popularity after the arrival of television. Recently, there has been a resurgence in their appeal, and about 75 now operate in the greater Athens area.

Shopping

The main shopping districts are in the area bounded by Syntagma, Monastiraki, Omonia, and Kolonaki. For serious retail therapy, most natives head to the shopping streets that branch off central Syntagma and Kolonaki squares.

Syntagma is the starting point for popular Ermou -- now a pedestrian zone lined with hundreds of stores and adorned with the occasional street performer -- which leads down to Monastiraki. Streets parallel and perpendicular to Ermou make up this shopping area: Mitropoleos, Voulis, Nikis, Perikleous, and Praxitelous among them.

Much ritzier is the Kolonaki quarter, with boutiques and designer shops on fashionable streets near the square like Anagnostopoulou, Tsakalof, Skoufa, Solonos, and Kanari. One of the main hurdles is figuring out when shops in Athens are open. Shops may stay open from 9 AM to 9 PM in summer, though most close Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoons around 3 or 4. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, many shops close between about 3 and 5. In winter (October-mid-April) hours are slightly reduced.

The souvenir shops in Plaka are usually open from early morning until the last tourist leaves. Originally set up by the government to provide employment for veterans, the sidewalk kiosks called periptera are the Greek version of a convenience store. Those in central squares are often open until very late, and they are occasionally open around the clock.

Shops on Pandrossou sell small antiques and icons, but keep in mind that many of these are fakes, and you must have government permission to export genuine objects from the Greek, Roman, or Byzantine periods.

Greece is known for its well-made shoes (most shops are clustered around the Ermou pedestrian zone and in Kolonaki), furs (Mitropoleos near Syntagma), and its durable leather items (Pandrossou in Monastiraki).

Athens has great gifts, particularly handmade crafts. Better tourist shops sell copies of traditional Greek jewelry, silver filigree, Skyrian pottery, onyx ashtrays and dishes, woven bags, attractive rugs (including flokati, or shaggy goat wool rugs), and little blue-and-white pendants designed as amulets to ward off the mati (evil eye). An inexpensive but unusual gift is a string of koboloi (worry beads) in plastic, wood, or stone. Reasonably priced natural sponges from Kalymnos also make good presents. The price is set by the government, so don't bother to bargain.

Try the central market on Athinas for tasty local foods including packaged dried figs, pistachios, pastelli (sesame seed and honey candy), and olives.

Dining

Whether you sample octopus and ouzo near the sea, roasted goat in a turn-of-the-20th-century taverna, or cutting-edge cuisine in Athens's latest restaurants, dining in the city is just as relaxing as it is elsewhere in Greece: waiters never rush you, reservations are often unnecessary, and no matter how crowded, the establishment can always make room for another table.

The best of Athens's restaurants have recently made enormous strides in quality and style, thanks to the new influence on native dishes by foreign cuisines, particularly French, Italian, and Japanese. Indeed, you may have a hard time finding a traditional taramosalata (roe dip), as many chefs are eager to take Aegean-inspired cuisine and tweak it a notch higher: boar with watermelon chutney, anyone? So forgo the ubiquitous moussaka and opt instead for the newer-than-now nouvelle house specialties -- for a while, at least. After all, native Greek food can be sensational, as you'll find out if you taste Iman Bayildi ("the cleric fainted" -- presumably because the eggplant with garlic and tomato was so delicious). Don't hesitate to try the barrel wine, inexpensive and often quite good. If you can't understand the menu, just go to the kitchen and point at what looks most appealing. This is a good idea especially in tavernas, where not everything on the menu may be available at the time you order. In most cases, you don't need to ask -- just walk to the kitchen (some places have food displayed in a glass case right at the kitchen's doorway), or point to your eye and then the kitchen; the truly ambitious can say "Bo-ro na dtho tee eh-he-teh steen koo-zee-na?" or "May I see what's in the kitchen?" When ordering fish, which is priced by the kilo, you will often go the kitchen to pick out your individual fish, which is then weighed and billed accordingly. At some rustic places, like Margaro in the port of Piraeus, you may wind up in the kitchen for another reason: when it's crowded, the staff asks you to prepare your own salad. Most places serve lunch from about noon to 4 and dinner from about 8:30 to at least midnight.

In the last three weeks of August, when the city empties out and most residents head for the seaside, more than 75% of the restaurants and tavernas popular among the locals close, though hotel restaurants, seafood restaurants in Mikrolimano, and tavernas in Plaka usually remain open.

Lodging: Hotels & Accommodations

Athen's luxury hotels are located in the heart of the city. Many hotels can be found bordering canals and are within proximity to many attractions.

Enjoy an Athens vacation package at the top luxury hotels!
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	Climb the Hills Climb the hill rising from the central neighborhood of Plaka to tour the majestic Acropolis and Parthenon, two of the most important Greek ruins in all history. Archaelogical Museums Hire a guide to go behind the scenes and bring history to life among the many displays and galleries at the Archaeological Museum, the most complete permanent display of artifacts, vases, statues, weaponry, coins, and jewels of early Western civilization. Port of Piraeus Explore the Port Piraeus and enjoy a glass of ouzo and some fresh-grilled seafood along Mikrolimano while the sun sets over the Saronic Gulf and islands of Salamania and Aegina. Kolonaki Tour the chic Kolonaki neighborhood of Athens, located below the forested slope of Mount Lucabettus, the most exclusive quarter in the city for business, shopping, and entertainment. Dine Sip a glass of local liqueur while enjoying some typical mezedes followed by a dessert of baklava, and linger with the locals who are sure to break into dancing and singing as the evening wears on.


	Astir Palace Vouliagmeni Hotel Grande Bretagne King George II Palace Hilton Athens NJV Athens Plaza Sofitel Athens Airport St. George Lycabettus Electra Palance Hotel

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