Late spring and fall are pleasant, with comfortable weather, no rain, and lighter crowds (except during holiday weekends). In summer, Athens is packed with tourists, and hotel prices can be high. July and August are the hottest months. Late October through mid-March is colder and can be rainy: During these months, some sights close for lunch and some tourist activities vanish altogether. Off-season hotel rates are soft; look for bargains.
Make sure your passport is up to date (to renew, see www.travel.state.gov). Call your debit- and credit-card companies about your plans (see below). Book rooms well in advance if you’ll be traveling during peak season or any major holidays. Consider buying travel insurance (see www.ricksteves.com/insurance). If traveling beyond Athens, research transit schedules (buses, ferries) and car rentals. If renting a car, bring your driver’s license and an International Driving Permit (sold at your local AAA office), though I’ve often rented cars in Greece without one.
Greece uses the euro currency: 1 euro (€) = about $1.10. To convert prices in euros to dollars, add about 10 percent: €20 = about $22, €50 = about $55 (bills over €50 are rarely used). (Check www.oanda.com for the latest exchange rates.)
Cash is highly preferable in Greece. Small businesses (some hotels, mom-and-pop cafés, shops, etc.) may require payment in cash. Withdraw money from a cash machine using a debit card, just like at home. Visa and MasterCard are commonly used throughout Europe. Before departing, call your bank and credit-card company: Confirm that your card will work overseas, ask about international transaction fees, and alert them that you’ll be making withdrawals in Europe. Many travelers bring a second debit/credit card as a backup. Try to withdraw large sums of money to reduce the number of per-transaction bank fees you’ll pay.
While American magnetic-stripe credit cards and newer chip-embedded cards are accepted almost everywhere in Europe, they may not work in some payment machines (e.g., ticket kiosks) geared for European-style chip-and-PIN cards. Be prepared to pay with cash, try entering your card’s PIN, or find a nearby cashier.
To keep your cash and valuables safe, wear a money belt. But if you do lose your credit or debit card, report the loss immediately. Call these 24-hour US numbers collect: Visa (303/967-1096), MasterCard (636/722-7111), and American Express (336/393-1111).
Athens’ airport is at Spata, 17 miles east of downtown (airport code: ATH, tel. 210-353-0000, www.aia.gr). B gates serve European/Schengen countries (no passport control), while A gates cover other destinations, including the US. Both sections feed into a main terminal building (with baggage claim, ATMs, shops, car-rental counters, and info desks).
To get between the airport and downtown Athens, you have several options:
Metro: Line 3/blue zips you downtown (Syntagma or Monastiraki stop) in 45 minutes (€8, ticket good for 70 minutes on other Athens transit, 2/hour, direction: Agia Marina, daily 6:30-23:30). From the main terminal, use exit #3, cross the street, go up the escalator, and cross the skybridge to the rail terminal. Buy tickets (machines take cash only), and follow signs to the platforms. Stamp your ticket in a validation machine before you board.
Bus: Express bus #X95 operates 24 hours daily between the airport and Syntagma Square (3-5/hour, 1 hour, €5, catch it outside exit #5, tel. 185, www.oasa.gr).
Taxi: A taxi stand outside exit #3 offers fixed-price transfers that include all fees (€38 to central Athens).
Athens’ two major bus stations—Kifissou (Terminal A) and Liosion (Terminal B)—are far from downtown and lack convenient Metro connections.
Terminal A, about three miles northwest of the city center, serves buses from the south, including the Peloponnese. To reach central Athens, it’s easiest to take a taxi (pay no more than €15).
Terminal B, which serves Delphi and other destinations in the north, is about a 15-minute, €8 taxi ride to the Plaka.
Most trains use Larissis Station, just north of downtown (on Metro line 2/red). Greek trains are of limited usefulness to travelers. The train does serves areas north of Athens well (such as Thessaloniki), but is essentially useless if connecting south to the Peloponnese.
Tourist Information (TI): The Greek National Tourist Organization (EOT), with its main branch near the Acropolis Museum, covers Athens and the rest of the country. Although their advice can be hit-or-miss, it’s worth a stop to pick up their free city map, pocket public transportation map, Athens Live booklet, and their slick, glossy book on Athens. They also have information on museums and hours, entertainment options, and bus and train connections (April-Sept Mon-Fri 8:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00; Oct-March Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00 or possibly earlier, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00; on pedestrian street leading to Acropolis Museum at Dionysiou Areopagitou 18, Metro: Akropoli; tel. 210-331-0392, www.visitgreece.gr, info@gnto.gr).
Hurdling the Language Barrier: Although the Greek alphabet presents challenges to foreign visitors, communication is not hard. Most people in the tourist industry—and virtually all young people—speak English. Many signs and menus use both the Greek and Latin alphabets. For Greek survival phrases, see here.
Time Zones: Greece is generally one hour ahead of continental Europe and seven/ten hours ahead of the East/West Coasts of the US.
Watt’s Up? Europe’s electrical system is 220 volts, instead of North America’s 110 volts. Most newer electronics (including hair dryers, laptops, and battery chargers) convert automatically, so you won’t need a voltage converter—but you will need a special adapter plug with two round prongs, sold inexpensively at US and Canadian travel stores.
Numbers and Stumblers: What Americans call the second floor of a building is the first floor in Europe. Europeans write dates as day/month/year, so Christmas is 25/12/17. Commas are decimal points and vice versa—a dollar and a half is 1,50, and there are 5.280 feet in a mile.
Greece uses the metric system: A kilogram is 2.2 pounds; a liter is about a quart; and a kilometer is six-tenths of a mile. Temperature is measured in Celsius. 0°C = 32°F. To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, double the number and add 30.
Holidays: Many sights and banks close down on national holidays. Verify dates through the Greek National Tourist Organization (www.visitgreece.gr), or check www.ricksteves.com/festivals.
Pedestrian Safety: Streets that appear to be “traffic-free” often are shared by motorcycles or mopeds. Don’t step into any street without looking both ways. Athens’ marble-like streets and red pavement tiles can become very slick when it rains. Watch your step.
Internet Access: Bits and Bytes is in the heart of the Plaka (open 24 hours daily, just off Agora Square at Kapnikareas 19, tel. 210-325-3142).
Bookshops: Eleftheroudakis (ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΥΔΑΚΗΣ) is Greece’s answer to Barnes & Noble, with a great selection of travel guides and maps, along with a lot of English books (Mon-Fri 9:00-21:00, Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun, three blocks north of Syntagma Square at Panepistimiou/Eleftheriou Venizelou 15, tel. 210-305-8440). Public at Syntagma Square offers a reasonable variety of English books (tel. 210-324-6210).
Laundry: A full-service launderette is in the Plaka (closed Sat-Sun, Apollonos 17, tel. 210-323-2226). Athens Studios, in the Makrigianni neighborhood, operates a self-service launderette (daily, Veikou 3A, tel. 210-922-4044).
Because the tourists’ core of Athens is so walkable, most travelers don’t need the Metro or buses, other than for reaching farther-flung destinations (such as the airport or National Archaeological Museum). For information on all of Athens’ public transportation, see www.oasa.gr. Beware of pickpockets.
Purchase tickets at machines or from ticket windows. The basic ticket (€1.20, half price if over 65 or under 18) is good for 70 minutes on all public transit, including the Metro, buses, and trams, and covers transfers (pricier €8 ticket required for airport). A 24-hour ticket is €4; a five-day ticket costs €10 (neither includes airport). If starting and finishing at the airport, consider the three-day tourist ticket (€20), which includes a round-trip airport transfer on the Metro or Express bus #X95 as well as unlimited in-city public-transit travel.
The Metro is the most straightforward way to get around. Trains run every few minutes on weekdays and slightly less frequently on weekends (5:00-24:00, later on Fri-Sat, www.stasy.gr). To avoid a hefty fine, stamp your ticket in a validation machine—usually located near the ticket booth—before you board (multiride tickets only need to be stamped the first time).
Athens has three Metro lines. The older and slower Line 1 (green) stops at Piraeus (boats to the islands), Thissio (good restaurants and nightlife), Monastiraki (city center), Victoria (10-minute walk from National Archaeological Museum), and Omonia (15-minute walk from National Archaeological Museum). Key Line 2 (red) stops include Larissis (train station), Syntagma (city center), Omonia (National Archaeological Museum), Akropoli (Acropolis and Makrigianni/Koukaki hotel neighborhood), and Syngrou-Fix (Makrigianni/Koukaki hotels). Line 3 (blue) stops at Keramikos (near Gazi), Monastiraki and Syntagma (city center), Evangelismos (Kolonaki museum neighborhood), and the airport (requires a separate ticket—see here).
Validate tickets in the orange machines as you board (buy tickets in advance, either from a special ticket kiosk or at a Metro station—you cannot buy tickets from the driver). In general, I’d avoid the slow, crowded buses, with these exceptions: bus #035 (from Athinas street, near Monastiraki, to National Archaeological Museum); bus #224 (from Syntagma Square to National Archaeological Museum); bus #X95 (from airport to Syntagma Square); and bus #X96 (from airport to Piraeus). Bus info: www.oasa.gr.
Despite the vulgar penchant some cabbies here have for ripping off tourists (especially at the cruise terminals), Athens is a great taxi town. Its yellow taxis are cheap and handy (€3.50 minimum charge covers most short rides in town; after that, it’s €0.74/km—tariff 1 on the meter, plus tolls, fees for bags over 10 kilograms/22 pounds, and surcharges for trips to/from the train and bus stations, and Piraeus; airport fee included in airport flat rate). You’ll pay 50 percent more between midnight and 5:00 in the morning and outside the city limits (tariff 2). Hotels and restaurants can order a taxi (“radio taxi”), but there’s a €2-4 surcharge (if cabbies try to charge more than that, hold firm). Uber is also an option for people who use it at home.
Making Calls: To call Greece from the US or Canada: Dial 011 (our international access code), then 30 (Greece’s country code), and then the local number. To call Greece from a European country: Dial 00 (Europe’s international access code), then 30 followed by the local number. If you’re calling from a mobile phone, you can enter a + instead of 00 or 011 (press and hold the 0 key). To call within Greece, just dial the local number. To call from Greece to another country: Dial 00, the country code (for example, 1 for the US or Canada), the area code and number. If you’re calling European countries whose phone numbers begin with 0, you’ll usually have to omit that 0 when you dial.
Mobile Phones: Many US mobile phones work in Europe. Expect to pay around $1.50 a minute for phone calls, 50 cents to send text messages, and 5 cents to receive them. Most providers offer a global calling plan that cuts the per-minute cost of phone calls and texts, and a flat-fee data plan that includes a certain amount of megabytes.
Unless you have an unlimited-data plan, you’re best off saving most of your online tasks for Wi-Fi. You can access the Internet, send texts, and even make voice calls over Wi-Fi. Most hotels offer free Wi-Fi, and you’ll also find hotspots at cafés (when you order something, ask the waiter for the Wi-Fi password). To avoid using data roaming on your phone, go to your Settings menu and disable “data roaming” or “cellular data.”
You can also buy a phone in Europe, which costs more up front but is cheaper by the call. You’ll find mobile-phone stores selling cheap phones (for as little as $20 plus minutes) and SIM cards, at Athens’ airport, major train stations, and all over Athens. Or try the electronics store Germanos (ΓΕΡΜΑΜΟΣ).
For more information, talk to your service provider or see www.ricksteves.com/phoning.
The most convenient post office is at Syntagma Square (open daily, bottom of the square, at corner with Mitropoleos). A smaller neighborhood office is in Makrigianni (Dionysiou Areopagitou 7).
Hours: The hours for sights in Greece are often in flux, and with government spending cuts, some sights have reduced hours. I’ve listed the posted hours, but check locally for the most up-to-date information.
What to Expect: Important sights have metal detectors or conduct bag searches that will slow your entry. Others require you to check (for free) daypacks and coats. To avoid checking a small backpack, carry it under your arm like a purse as you enter. Photos and videos are normally allowed, but flashes or tripods usually are not.
Audioguides and Tours: In Greece, audioguides are rare, but good guidebooks are available.
I’ve produced free 
audio tours of many of Athens’ best sights. With a mobile device, you can take me along as you tour the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, National Archaeological Museum, and the city of Athens itself. You can download Rick Steves Audio Europe via Apple’s App Store, Google Play, or the Amazon Appstore.
You can usually hire a live local guide at the entrance to major ancient sites or museums at a reasonable cost (prices are soft and negotiable; save money by splitting the guide fee with other travelers).
Ancient Sites: Archaeological sites are meticulously monitored. Don’t cross any barriers or climb on ruins. Posing with ancient statues—or even standing next to them for a photo—is strictly forbidden.
Many major attractions have both an archaeological site and a museum. Visiting the museum (artifacts and scale models) helps you imagine the ruins in their heyday; touring the site gives you the lay of the land. I like to see the site first, but crowds and weather can help determine your plan.
Churches: Many churches have divine art and free entry. Churches encourage a modest dress code (no shorts, bare shoulders, or miniskirts), but few enforce it.
Discounts: Many sights offer discounts for seniors, families, and students or teachers with proper identification cards (www.isic.org). Always ask. Children under 18 sometimes get in for free or cheap. Some discounts are only for EU citizens, but it’s worth asking. All museums and archaeological sites run by the Ministry of Greek Culture, including the Acropolis, are free on national holidays and every first Sunday from November through March.
Theft: Be wary of pickpockets, especially in crowds. Avoid carrying a wallet in your back pocket, and hold purses or small day bags in front, particularly at the following locations: Monastiraki flea market, Central Market, changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, major public transit routes (such as the Metro between the city and Piraeus), at the port, and on the main streets through the Plaka, such as Adrianou and Pandrossou. I keep my valuables—passport, credit cards, crucial documents, and large amounts of cash—in a money belt that I tuck under my beltline.
If you run into trouble, call the Tourist Police for 24-hour help (tel. 171 or 1571). They serve as a contact point between tourists and other branches of the police and can also handle disputes with hotels and restaurants (office open 24 hours daily, south of the Acropolis in Koukaki at Veikou 43, tel. 210-920-0724).
To replace a passport, you’ll need to go in person to an embassy or consulate (for contact info, see here). File a police report, either on the spot or within a day or two; it’s required to submit an insurance claim for lost or stolen rail passes or travel gear, and it can help with replacing your passport or credit and debit cards. For more information, see www.ricksteves.com/help.
Medical Help: Dial 112 for a medical emergency. If you get sick, do as the locals do and go to a pharmacist for advice. Or ask at your hotel for help—they’ll know the nearest medical and emergency services.
Most shops catering to tourists are open long hours daily. Those serving locals are open roughly 9:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, have shorter hours on Saturday, and are closed on Sunday. Afternoon breaks are common, and some places close early a few nights a week.
Shopping Neighborhoods: The main streets of the Plaka—especially Adrianou and Pandrossou—are crammed with crass tourist-trap shops (with room to bargain, especially if buying several items).
The famous Monastiraki flea market stretches west of Monastiraki Square, along Ifestou street and its side streets. You’ll see plenty of souvenir shops, but the heart of the market is Avissinias Square, filled with antique shops selling furniture, household items, jewelry, dusty books, and knickknacks. There’s something going on every day, but the market is best and most crowded on Sundays, when store owners lay out all of the stuff they have been scouting for all week. If buying here, make sure to bargain (Sun flea market open 8:00-15:00, packed with locals by 10:00, Metro: Monastiraki or Thissio).
For upscale shopping at mostly international chain stores, stroll the pedestrianized Ermou street between Syntagma Square and Monastiraki. Many locals prefer the more authentic shops on the streets just to the north, such as Perikleous, Lekka, and Kolokotroni. You can also find upscale fancy boutiques in the swanky Kolonaki area.
What and Where to Buy: Serious buyers tell me that Athens is the best place in Greece to purchase fine jewelry, particularly at the shops along Adrianou (haggling OK). For something a bit more specialized, visit Byzantino for pricey handmade replicas of museum pieces, along with some original designs (Adrianou 120, second location at the corner of Pandrossou and Aiolou). Olympico creates their own modern pieces in the Greek style, along with museum copies. They also sell pieces made by artisans from all over Greece (Adrianou 122).
Melissinos Art, the famous “poet sandal-maker” of Athens, sells handmade leather sandals that you can customize (just off Monastiraki Square at the edge of Psyrri, Ag. Theklas 2).
Icons and other Greek Orthodox objects can make good souvenirs. For the best selection, visit the shops near the cathedral, along Agia Filotheis street (most are closed Sat-Sun).
All over Athens you’ll see specialty food stores selling locally produced edibles, such as olive oil, wine and liqueurs, mustards, and sweets like boxed baklava, loukoumi (a.k.a., Greek delight), and jars of “spoon sweets” (jam-like spreads). The best place to shop for these is where the locals do—near the Central Market. Specialty grocers and spice shops cluster around Athinas and Evripidou streets.
Sizes: European clothing sizes are different from those in the US. For example, a woman’s size 10 dress (US) is a European size 40, and a size 8 shoe (US) is a European size 38-39.
Getting a VAT Refund: If you spend more than €120 on goods at a single store, you may be eligible to get a refund of the 23 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT). You’ll need to ask the merchant to fill out the necessary refund document, and then process your refund through a service such as Global Blue or Premier Tax Free, with offices at major airports. For more details, see www.ricksteves.com/vat.
Customs for American Shoppers: You are allowed to take home $800 worth of items per person duty-free, once every 31 days. You can also bring in a liter of alcohol duty-free. As for food, you can take home many processed and packaged foods (e.g. vacuum-packed cheeses, chocolate, mustard) but no fresh produce or meats. Any liquid-containing foods must be packed (carefully) in checked luggage. To check customs rules and duty rates, visit http://help.cbp.gov.
Athens is a thriving, vibrant city...and Athenians know how to have a good time after hours. For events, look for publications such as the English-language version of the daily newspaper Kathimerini (www.ekathimerini.com) and the bimonthly Greek lifestyle magazine Odyssey (www.odyssey.gr). Note that although bars are supposed to be nonsmoking, many places don’t adhere to this rule. Expect to leave most bars smelling of smoke.
Nightlife Neighborhoods: Your best bet is to get out of the touristy Plaka/Monastiraki rut. A peaceful pedestrian lane circles the Acropolis, providing a delightful place for an evening stroll. This promenade is what I call the “Acropolis Loop” (consisting of Dionysiou Areopagitou to the south and Apostolou Pavlou to the west; see here). As the sun goes down, it’s busy with locals (lovers, families, seniors, children at play) and visitors alike. The promenade cuts through the Thissio district, just beyond the Agora, where the tables and couches of trendy clubs and cocktail bars clog the pedestrian lanes under the Acropolis.
In seedy-chic Psyrri (immediately north of Thissio), crumbling, graffiti-slathered buildings coexist with hip nightclubs, touristy tavernas with live traditional music, and highly conceptual café/bars. Gazi—the center of Athens’ gay community—feels more local and authentically lively—but young. You’ll find clubs, bars, and restaurants on the streets spiraling out from its main square (which, conveniently, surrounds the Keramikos Metro stop).
Outdoor Cinema: Screenings, which take place most nights in summer, come with folding chairs and small tables for your drinks (roughly June-Sept, sometimes in May and Oct). Try one of these venues: Aigli Village Cinema (at the Zappeion in the National Garden, tel. 210-336-9369, www.aeglizappiou.gr), Cine Paris (in the Plaka, overlooking Filomousou Square on the roof of Kidathineon 22, tel. 210-322-2071, www.cineparis.gr), and Cine Theseion (in Thissio at Apostolou Pavlou 7, tel. 210-347-0980, www.cine-thisio.gr).
Rooftop Bars: A touristy-yet-appealing way to spend an evening is at one of Athens’ many rooftop bars, all with views of floodlit monuments. Try the A for Athens hotel or 360 Cocktail Bar (both on Monastiraki Square), the rooftop restaurant and bar of the Grande Bretagne Hotel (across the street from Syntagma Square), or the Thissio View restaurant and bar (Apostolou Pavlou 25).
Folk Dancing: The Dora Stratou Theater hosts Greece’s best folk-dance company (late May-late Sept, daily except Mon and Tue, on southern side of Filopappos Hill, tel. 210-324-4395, after 19:30 call 210-921-4650, www.grdance.org).
Festivals: Athens’ biggest party is the Athens & Epidavros Festival, highlighted by performances at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Tickets for the June-July festival generally go on sale three weeks in advance; same-day tickets are also sold at the theater box office (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 9:00-15:00, closed Sun, in the arcade at Panepistimiou 39, opposite the National Library, tel. 210-327-2000, www.greekfestival.gr).
Bus Tours: The well-regarded Hop In (tel. 210-428-5500, www.hopin.com), CHAT Tours (tel. 210-323-0827, www.chatours.gr), Key Tours (tel. 210-923-3166, www.keytours.gr), and GO Tours (tel. 210-921-9555, www.gotours.com.gr) offer tours within and outside of Athens. Various options are a bus-plus-walking tour of Athens (with guided Acropolis visit); a night city tour that finishes with dinner and folk dancing at a taverna; and day-long tours to Delphi and to Mycenae, Nafplio, and Epidavros.
Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours: For a city overview and an easy way to reach outlying sights, consider hop-on, hop-off buses from CitySightseeing Athens (€18, tel. 210-922-0604, www.citysightseeing.gr) or Athens Open Tour (€17, tel. 210-881-5207, www.athensopentour.com). The main stop is on Syntagma Square, though you can hop on and buy your ticket at any stop—look for signs around town.
Tourist Trains: Two trains do a sightseeing circuit through Athens’ tourist zone. Catch the Sunshine Express on Aiolou street along the Hadrian’s Library fence at Agora Square or near the entrance to the Acropolis Museum (€5, departs hourly 9:30-22:00, Oct-April Sat-Sun only, 50-minute loop, tel. 211-405-5373, www.athensbytrain.gr). The Athens Happy Train stops at the bottom of Syntagma Square or at Monastiraki Square (€6, 2/hour 9:00-24:00, 1-hour loop, hop-on, hop-off privileges at strategic stops, tel. 213-039-0888, www.athenshappytrain.com).
Walking Tours: Athens Walking Tours offers several walks, including an Acropolis and City Tour (€38 plus entry fees, daily at 9:30, 3 hours) and their combo Acropolis, City Tour, and Acropolis Museum Tour (€54 plus entry fees, daily at 9:30, 5.5 hours, tel. 210-884-7269, mobile 694-585-9662, www.athenswalkingtours.gr, Despina).
Local Guide: Effie Perperi is a fine private guide (€50/hour, mobile 697-739-6659, effieperperi@gmail.com).
This Pocket guide is one of many books in my series on European travel, including Rick Steves Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese. I also produce a public television series, Rick Steves’ Europe, and a public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves.
My mobile-friendly website, www.ricksteves.com, offers thousands of fun articles, videos, photos, and radio interviews organized by country; a wealth of money-saving tips for planning your dream trip; monthly travel news dispatches; my travel talks and travel blog; my latest guidebook updates (www.ricksteves.com/update); my free Rick Steves Audio Europe app, an online travel store, and information on European rail passes and our tours of Europe.
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Knowing a few phrases of Greek can help if you’re traveling off the beaten path. Just learning the pleasantries (such as please and thank you) will improve your connections with locals, even in the bigger cities.
Because Greek words can be transliterated differently in English, I’ve also included the Greek spellings. Note that in Greek, a semicolon is used the same way we use a question mark.
