Travelling to Athens and islands nearby

Hi there,
At this time of year anything catering to tourists in the islands will be closed, and as this is not a time for the beach you will have NOTHING to do. It is a bit like coming to a ghost town, very depressing.

What you could do is to go to some of the real close islands, Aegina or Poros, takes about an hour from Pireus, I have also heard Kea is nice but never been. But these islands are not the typical Cycladic islands, with white houses, but has a different feel and atmosphere. They are popular weekend retreats for the Athenians. You could also look into Syros which has a beautiful capital city (well, town) again not the white little cubes, but what is called neo-classic style. It is a "real" town, so should be interesting on its own.

Alternatively you can go to some nearby places on the mainland, for example Delphi and Arachova, the former for the archaeology, the latter is a ski resort, but also a pretty village (both in the same area) or Nauplion, a small town southwest of Athens, close to Mycene and other famous archaeological sites, although the town itself is worth the trip. Again, popular for Athenians. You can reach these places with the KTEL bus service, or rent a car.

Enjoy your trip Reply to this

Hi,
There are many interesting things to do in Athens besides Plaka and Acropolis. You should definitely visit the Acropolis museum in combination with the actual site. There are some very good museums, for example the Benaki musuem (they have several buildings, I very much like the Islamic Art Museum, though it is a bit tricky to find), the museum of Cycladic Art, the Byzantine museum and the National Archaeology (the gold treasure from Mycenae is just amazing), you can check them out if they are interesting to you. There is a Planetarium that people have recommended but I have never been. The Kolonaki area is the chic area, with expensive boutiques. Climbing the Lycabettos hill gives you the best views. You should also visit the Syntagma square with the house of Parliament (with the picturesque guards dressed in skirts), and the National garden.

There is also a very pretty little monastery called Kesariani which is up on the Hymettos mountain, you can go there by bus and then walk, or take a taxi (they are quite cheap but do check that the meter is on). Of course only if the weather is good. If you like modern art there are always lot's of exhibitions going on.

There are lots of shopping in Athens, though I don't think it is particularly cheap. I have never been to the outlet, it would take you at least 1 hour to get there by the airport bus from the center.

For the evening go to Thisseon, for the many cafeterias and the night view of the Acropolis. Nearby Psiri is the party district.

If you only have 3.5 days I would suggest you take the boat to Aegina, it is an easy day trip. I would take the regular ferry from Pireus. To Pireus take the surbuban train from Monastiraki. It is a long trip to go to Delphi for just one day, but you could check if there are tours, it is a great place to go.

Do also check out the metro stations especially Syntagma and Acropolis, they give a nice glimpse into history.
Have a good time. Most of the city is quite safe, but do look out for pickpockets in the tourist spots. Reply to this

Hi! Here is a video of us being silly in south Africa and Greece. Enjoy!


This is our travel blog to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Quite abit of info in it.

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I agree, I made the mistake of visiting Crete in the winter, and while it was nice to have the island to ourselves, basically nothing was open. One little restaurant, virtually none of the bars/rental places/etc. Athens was better, as it's a full-fledged city, but a lot of the islands are mostly tourist-driven and so just shut down when it's cold. Reply to this