Athens is lovely. You may be scared by the less than pretty image it sometimes has. BUT the old city is beautiful to wander through. I like nothing better than eating a gyros and wandering up to the Acropolis hill and looking over the night lights of the city. It has its dirty noisy bits, but unlike many clean and tidy places, Athens has character.
Spend one or two days in Athens -- go see the Acropolis, the museum, and Plaka, and then get out. Go to the islands or the small villages and see the "real" Greece. Most Greeks will tell you the same. Outside of that, it's just a generic, noisy, and polluted city.
Athens is wonderful. Out of the many places we visited, Athens was by far my favorite. The historical places are so moving -- coming from such a young country (U.S.A.) the antiquity and ageless beauty almost took my breath away. The people go out of their way to be friendly and helpful. The food is fresh, prepared well, and delicious. Using the metro was easy and cheap -- signs and announcements are made in both Greek and English. Also the street signs are in both languages. Most everyone spoke English to some degree. I did not see any of the "less than pretty image." Everyone seemed proud of their city and projected a real happiness. The streets were clean, the metro stations beautiful, and the tourist office is great. We received a beautiful all-color tourist book on Athens for free, as well as numerous other pamphlets and helpful, informative staff. Overall, go to Athens! You will be richly rewarded in your Athens travel experience.
I've been many times to the Greek Islands before and I never expected that Athens would be something special, but God was I wrong. Athens is an amazing place to visit and live. The atmosphere is totally different than the U.K. The food there is delicious, people are so friendly, and girls are beautiful. I went there during August for one week and the weather was great. There are many beaches around Athens and you can be there from anyplace at no time! There are a thousand antique monuments. However, sixties apartments are all over the city, but that's not really a problem when in Athens, because it's such a unique place.
Athens was gorgeous and the food is AMAZING! The underground system isvery easy to navigate and all the people were incredibly friendly. Athens by far has the most character of any city I have visited.
Athens is the most polluted city ever visited. Nevertheless it has a lot of charm and is probably one of our favourite cities in Europe. Acropolis was not as expected -- Italian temples in Agrigento and Paestum are nicer ones.
Pella Inn Hotel in Athens … For the money, it's great! Remember, I said for the money. The rooms were clean but spartan. The shared washrooms were clean as well. The view, on the other hand, is superb! I had a clear unobstructed view of the Acropolis from my room. They have a little used rooftop patio which has superb views as well. The location is also ideal. Conclusion. If you're main goal is to find cheap, clean, and central accomodation in Athens then you should strongly consider this place. If you have a few more dollars to spend then you should consider the Attalos or the Cecil just down the street. Enjoy Athens!
Athens Backpackers & Studio in Athens … Athens Backpackers is one of the greatest hostels I've ever stayed in, and I've been touring Europe for months now. It's just as good as the hostels in Ireland (the best in Europe). Not only was the place clean, safe, and in a GREAT part of the city, but the staff were all so friendly. On my first day there, I asked how to get to Delphi, because I was interested in seeing it. The owner of the hostel actually organized a trip to Delphi just because I had asked, so a few of us went up in a car the next day and had a blast! It was much less expensive and much more fun than any tour could have been. Now for the location — AWESOME! I never had to take the underground Metro system, because I could walk everywhere. Not only that, but you can SEE the Acropolis from the roof of the hostel. And you're literally a 5-minute walk away. The people there were great. Overall, I had an amazing time and would highly recommend Athens Backpackers to anyone who's looking for hostels in Athens. Don't let…
HI - Athens - Aphrodite Hostel in Athens … The girls at this hostel are hot! I stayed at this hostel for three nights, the girls were a great laugh but there is one guy there who is a knob, but go to this hostel.
HI - Athens - Student & Travellers Inn Hostel in Athens … This hostel was a little more expensive than the others in the area, but it's in a great location and the staff are friendly. I stayed here in April 2002 and again in June 2002. They have dorms, which are not segregated by gender -- which was kind of a relief after sharing with some luggage-laden bimbos previously. A lot of the rooms have balconies looking out over the street and private bathrooms (four people in a dorm sharing one bathroom). I met some great people here.
Hostel Zeus in Athens … Hostel Zeus is the hostel to stay at while one is in Athens. David, the Scottish dude, was one of the most helpful employees there. He not only shared his knowledge of Athens with my friends and me, he also was nice enough to take me out with his buddies, where I met some natives. Also, his sense of humor will leave you in pain from all the laughing.
Chris & Soph Northern Backpackers in Athens … We had a fantastic stay here. We wanted to get away from the hustle of the centre, but be accessible. It was perfect! We slept really well, and it was only twenty minutes to the city. Knowing we were going back here at the end of the day was such a relief! The owners are the most hospitable people, and we will definitely stay here again upon return to Athens. We loved Athens, too!!
HI - Athens International Hostel in Athens … It was very easy to meet people, and the environment was extremely hospitable. One of the friendliest and most accommodating of the hostels on our trip!
HI - Athens - Aphrodite Hostel in Athens … We stayed in this hostel for 2 nights and found the staff to be more than helpful. The walking tour was awesome. Peter is the greatest. Nancy's breakfasts were great and Sue was super sweet. Thank you Aphrodite for the great experience you gave me in Athens.
Chris & Soph Northern Backpackers in Athens … A great time in a great hostel. It is VERY clean, has a super staff, and I had an all-round great stay!
Athens Backpackers & Studio in Athens … The family staff here rocks! The atmosphere rocked! The view of Acropolis from the rooftop rocked! I met so many cool people. It was very clean. And I didn't feel the need to lock the room. It was the best place ever. There were people who took us to clubs each night. (The club turned out to be this crappy place called Notorious, but we had fun anyway because of the people we were with.)
Chris & Soph Northern Backpackers in Athens … I stayed here for a week. There was easy transport from this hostel to all the sights of Athens, and the staff were welcoming.
Hostel Zeus in Athens … Hotel Zeus was great. I stayed for almost a week and it was an adventure. The reception guy took us out to hang with the locals. He was always hilarious, and made sure we were always having a good time. This is not a nice pretty frou-frou, la-di-da place. It's a place to stay for the night, and if you want a good time I'd definitely recommend it. I'd stay again in a heartbeat!
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