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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 Backpackers in Athens … I have been here a week and it's like home; they give so many extras it works out cheaper, and the location is perfect.
Chris & Soph Northern Backpackers in Athens … This is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in. It has great staff and it's good fun!
HI - Athens - Hotel Lozanni Hostel in Athens … Great hostel!! Loads of fun with friendly, informative staff and an awesome bar offering free shots EVERY night!!! Cheap prices for the big, comfortable rooms!! If you're planning on staying in Athens this is by far the best place to stay!!!
Pella Inn Hotel in Athens … I stayed at the Pella-Inn with my boyfriend at the tail end of the Olympic period in Sept 2004. Though Athens was still swarming with tourists, this hotel offered very reasonable rates for a double room with a balcony that boasted an incredible view of the Acropolis. The room itself was relatively large and best of all, it was clean. Air conditioning was included in the room price, and the Bulgarian receptionist whom attended to us was lovely, even when we roused her at 5 a.m. to checkout. Have a look at Eye Worry, the shop next door. If you're shopping for genuine Japanese table settings and other knick-knacks, you can find them here for a steal! Convenient location, particularly when stumbling home late at night from Monastiraki. Geia sas!
HI - Athens - Athens Easy Hostel in Athens … Clean rooms and pretty standard, but a good base point to get round Athens as round the corner from the subway and much cheaper than staying in Plaka. Good if you're on a budget.
Athens Youth Hostel Pagration in Athens … The hostel was difficult to locate, but once located, it was near many shops and places to eat and be entertained. A 25 minute walk from the Acropolis. There is no hot water anywhere, except in the shower, which are .5 euro for seven minutes of hot water. The rooms were clean, cable TV, 24 hr check in, common rooms, and free city maps. The only real complaint I have is the lack of hot water, no hot water faucets in the bathroom sinks or kitchen, only the showers.
Zeus Hostel in Athens … We stayed in Hostel Zeus in September. It was not to bad, it was clean. But it was situated on a very busy street so sleeping was hard. Also the showers were small and there was no where to get changed. The staff were helpful though.
Pagration Youth Hostel in Athens … had the worst time staying at this hostel. previously we've booked for two days, but we sent an email canceling one day accommodation to the person in charge couple of weeks before we arrive. He did not checked his email and claimed that we did not inform him earlier and asked for full payment from us. neither he wanted to hear any explanation nor admit his fault in not checking his mail box. we've informed them of our early arrival but we didn't get any response from them. when we arrived early, no one answered us until doorbell has been rang for few times. no one entertain us when we got inside the hostel. waited for an hour when some guess in the hostel woke them up for a change. hot water bath cost Euro 0.50 for seven minutes of bath, leave luggage for Euro 2 per day, be careful of extra charges while staying at this hostel. a lot of noise at night (when the door of other rooms open and close). the room's window is directly connected to the downstairs corridor and kitchen. voices…
HI - Athens International Hostel in Athens … This place had very cramped rooms, it's far from the center of the city, and there's not enough room to cook or space to eat. It's a really crowded hostel with dirty rooms and really, really dirty bathrooms. As far as hostels go it was decent, but I am sure there are places you could stay in Greece for a bit more that would be much nicer. I needed a shower after visiting here. The staff was nice, though, which was the only plus.
HI - Athens - Student & Travellers Inn Hostel in Athens … AVOID THIS PLACE!!! Never have I spent so much money for so little.
1. The owner advertises air-conditioning, and this is the main reason why I booked a reservation with this hostel. But when I checked in for 3 nights from May 10 thru May 12, I was told that NONE of their rooms were equipped with A/C. It is very very very hot in Athens during the month of May. Furthermore, they cannot even provide electric fans.
2. This hostel is located right in the middle of all the bars and restaurants. If you want a good night of rest, do NOT stay at this hostel. The noise does not go away until about 4am. I could not sleep my first night.
3. The room amenities are horrible. There is NO closet space, NO towel racks, NO place to hang clothes, and the water pressure is so weak.
4. The cost is 25 Euro per person per night. I have paid much less than this at other hostels. These "cheaper" hostels give you free breakfast, maps, and other tourist information. You will NOT get any…
HI - Athens - Aphrodite Hostel in Athens … I recently stayed at this hostel and found the staff to be very rude. Honestly this one bloke obviously thinks he is some sort of a god! Thanks for spoiling my holiday!
Hotel Fivos in Athens … This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed at in my life. Only after staying here a few days did I learn that it was a brothel several months ago. The rooms are extremely loud, the staff are unfriendly, and the whole thing is a real mess. There are many better hotels in Athens. The owners looked more like Mafia guys than hoteliers and were extremely rude throughout our seven days in Athens. In fact, we switched hotels after five days (and gave them two days notice) and they still charged our credit card. Very dishonest. DON'T STAY HERE!
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