Great time in Greece

This locale has been high on the “must visit” list, chiefly because of its vast and fantastic history. Also, hearing countless stories of Greek gods in one form or another as a child and teenager, only compounded the allure to visit. Coupled with its ties to modern day politics, sports and civilization as a whole, there is much to be appreciated in visiting this phenomenal country. It doesn’t help that Greece has many scenic and panoramic views that will leave your jaw dropping to the ground. Whether in its capital city or one of Greece’s numerous islands, unforgettable views await at almost every turn.

Navigating around Athens is not as difficult as one might initially imagine and although there will be the odd time that you’ll be trying to read something that might as well be in Greek…because it is! You’ll find that most signs of importance will also be written in English. As well, many locals speak enough English to help you get what you need or where you need to go. Just be weary of the traffic on the main streets as everyone seems to be in a rush!

The subway and trams are very user friendly and provide access to any place of interest in the city. Buying individual tickets is easy enough but you can also buy a pass that has numerous tickets preloaded onto it, depending on how often you need to use public transport. If you are keen to walk, the city is easily walkable but be warned, a certain level of fitness is required as the heat (depending on when you are there) will add to your weariness.

If you’re keen on a meal or a beverage, there is a restaurant virtually anywhere you look. At the base of the Acropolis (Athens’ main attraction which is the hill that holds up the Parthenon and a number of other historic structures) restaurants create a perimeter surrounding the area. Mixed with small shops with items ranging from souvenirs to pretty much anything else you might need, you’re more than likely to find it here. Each restaurant will engage in light chit chat such as asking where you’re from, in order to get you into their restaurant and if you’re concerned with price, rest assured that you can have a decent meal at almost all of these places for a comparable price to almost any of Canada’s mainstream dining establishments. If you are a bit more budget conscious, you can find numerous eateries that are littered throughout any of the side streets away from the city centre and Acropolis and can expect to pay well within single digit euros for a decent meal. Beverages, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic are the same as anywhere else, less expensive at the stores and you can expect to pay a premium in restaurants. If you are also cooking your own meals, keep in mind that most supermarkets are closed on Sundays.

There are a profusion of hotels around the main areas but if you’re like us and would prefer to live like a local, there are also a number of Airbnbs that will get you close enough to the action and have you feeling more at home. We lucked out with a 2 bedroom flat that was close enough both to the metro stations as well as the city centre and we easily found our way around in the first couple of days.

Sightseeing to any of Athens’ ancient monuments is easy and although the Acropolis is the main attraction for 20 euros, for 30 euros, you can get a pass that will grant you entrance to 7 of the main archeological sites. Be warned though that it will not get you into the museums. It is most likely that you will not get all of this done in a day so rest assured, they give you a bit of time to do these sites. The pass is good for 5 days and will give you only one time entry into each site, no re entry privilege. They do offer some “free admission” days and although we were there on one of those weekends, the lady at the ticket counter advised us against it if we actually wanted to see anything. She said that it is ALWAYS incredibly busy during those days and we would most likely only see people because of all the hopefuls who have the same idea.

There are beaches in Athens and many of them are accessible by tram and although they are nice, they pale in comparison to Greece’s island beaches; however, if a beach is what you’re craving, these will do the job just fine. They have private beaches where you will have to pay for a spot on their sand and use of seats and umbrella as well as a few public beaches where you get nothing but a view. We easily spent a few hours there and had plenty of space but keep in kind, we were here during the off season.

When arriving at the airport, we were very worried that we would be scammed by taxi drivers but that being said, it is quite regulated as there is a taxi queue where the standard rate to the city centre is 38 euros per fare. I checked the meter as we drove and at the end of trip, it was just under 30 euros and it took about 40 minutes to get to our destination. If you are feeling a bit more bold, you can take the city bus. We did this the second time we landed at Athens airport from a trip back from one of its islands and since we didn’t have any checked baggage, we took the X95 city bus. This took about 1 hour and cost 5.50 euro per person. You can also take this to the airport as well but just know you will have to haul your luggage on and off the bus as this IS a standard double length city bus. Both departure and arrival points are at Syntagma Square which is in the heart of the city and next to most hotel accommodations and public transport stations such as the tram line and subway station.

Walking around the city is amazing during the day with the views of its ancient history standing in plain sight but it’s equally as lively at night as the narrow streets are always teeming with foot traffic so make sure to explore your interests as you will not be left unsatisfied when you are finished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYFiGudDt3s