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Athens
Hydra
Within a few minutes walk from the historical centre, where we recommend the AirBnB, you arrive at the amazing Panathenaic Stadium, also known as the Olympic Stadium, which…
If you’re travelling in the summer have a morning start for a trip to the Acropolis and to the Parthenon. Summer months are obviously busier than the cooler…
A must see on your visit to Athens, and where you should set aside some good time to wander, is the Ancient Agora, It is a large site…
Trip Information
April to June (Spring) and Sept to October (Autumn) are the best times of the year to visit Greece as its slightly less busy
than the summer months of July and August.
Spring, when we travelled, has longer sunny days and the weather is mild.
Nov to March (Winter) can be cold depending on which part of the island you are on as the North is much colder -3c to 15c compared to the South 7-20c.
Be mindful in the summer temperatures can be 35c or more especially in the built up areas.
Before you go
No visa is currently required to enter Greece for EU, UK and US travellers for tourist stays up to 90 days.
The EU has a common set of visa rules which apply to short stays (up to 90 days in any 180-day period) and for transit through international transit areas of airports in the Schengen area. The Schengen area applies to 29 European countries including Greece.
Schengen (pronounced Sheng-gan) is named after the small wine making village in Luxemborg where the agreement to abolish border controls was signed in 1985.
Please note;
It is expected in late 2026 that all non-EU citizens (UK, US etc) entering any country in the EU (this includes Greece) will need an ETIAS authorisation from the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. This will be required if entering any country in the EU.
It is just a pre-screening check and can be obtained via the official site EU Travel Europe.
The cost is expected to be £6 / €7 / $8 but will be free to those under 18 or over 70 and will be valid for three years. This info is subject to change so please check for updates via the ETIAS website.
Flight Arrival Information
Our trip to Greece was a London Luton flight to Athens International with Ryanair found initially
through our preferred holiday search engine Skyscanner but was booked directly with the airline.
You can book via Skyscanner but as we have accounts with multiple airlines our personal details ie Passport, address etc is already pre-loaded speeding up the booking process.
Flight costs were £300 / €360 / $389 per person but this included seat selection and one 20kg checked luggage.
Cheaper flights of circa £200 / €240 / $259 are available if choosing an early morning or later night flight or if you’re flexible on departure/arrivals airports.
Flight time to Greece is circa 4hrs direct from the UK.
Trip Information
Athens airport is modern with only two terminals and is easy to navigate. Baggage claim and Security/Customs through Athens International is generally quick and you can expect an exit from the airport within 30-60 minutes of arrival.
There are plenty of taxis outside the arrivals terminal but as this was a night arrival and our first trip to Athens we booked an Uber just as we walked out of the terminal and it was there within minutes.
The regular taxis (Yellow cars) are Ubers but booking via the Uber app lets you know exactly the cost and allows to make payment in your choosing.
Cost of a late night taxi into the Kallimarmoro area of central Athens
, where we were staying in an Acropolis View Airbnb (very close to the Panathenaic Stadium) was £36 / €43 / $46 and took around 20 minutes.
You can take the Metro Line 3 (Blue Line) which connects the airport to the city centre (Syntagma Square) with a one way ticket costing £8 / €9 / $10 and takes around 40 minutes. Tickets can be purchased at the airport ticket booths or via machines at the station.
Further details on public transport can be found here at Transport for Athens.
Arrival to our Airbnb in the Kallimarmoro area of Athens was around 10pm but as this is a lively European city the restaurants are open until late so we walked a few minutes to Varnava Square where they have live music and a great atmosphere with many families dining. A hearty meal of bread, olives, salmon, cod and roasted vegetables with a carafe of white wine was £36 / €40 / $46 and a great way to kick of our Greek adventure.
Euro at the time €1 = £0.85 / $1.07 US.
Use Xe Currency Converter either online or the App for the latest exchange rates for all countries.
Card payments are the easiest and most common form of payment in Greece and we recommend the use of Revolut for the best exchange rates with low to no fees.
Tipping is common in restaurants with an average 5-10% depending on the level of service and of course what you are prepared to pay so having some cash and coins to tip is advisable.
All the main sites, restaurants and shops will accept contactless payments.
Practical Advice & Tips
Just like in Rome, Paris, London and New York walking is the best way to experience a city but using public
transport does help getting around with ease and Athens has a very good metro and tram system.
The metro has three lines in Athens with stations across all the main neighbourhoods. We recommend the use of the Stasy website to plan your city trips.
The Blue line connects all the popular areas of the city centre and the Port of Piraeus as well as the airport. The tram is an excellent way to travel with Syntagma Square the central point to catch it.
Public transport tickets are available at any of the metro stations, tram and bus stops, train stations and newsagents and ticket prices are much cheaper than most major cities.
Ticket options include:
– 90 minute £1.20 / €1.40 / $1.50
– 24 hour £3.80 / €4.50 / $4.90
– 5 day £7.60 / €9 / $9.80
– 3 day tourist ticket (recommended) with return transport from the airport £18.50 / €22 / $24
Where to stay
There is a plethora of accommodation choices in Athens so it really comes down to budget and which area you prefer to stay.
We chose to stay in an Airbnb in Kallimarmoro, which is close to the Panathenaic (Olympic) Stadium, as the property has a large rooftop terrace and uninterrupted and amazing views of the Acropolis: Acropolis View Airbnb.
If you prefer a hotel over an AirBnB we recommend these hotels by budget:
£££££ The Dolli at Acropolis is a 1925 neoclassical mansion transformed into an amazing hotel with a rooftop restaurant and infinity pool with breath-taking views of Athens and the Panthenon.
££££ Ergon House located near Monastiraki Square is a modern stylish hotel with a fantastic restaurant and rooftop bar with views of the Acropolis. If you love food you’ll love Ergon as it has a large atrium area with bakers, butchers, greengrocers and fishmongers with chefs on hand to prepare the food you’ve purchased.
£££ Acropolis View Hotel a simple but lovely hotel with a rooftop
terrace with amazing views of the Acropolis with some rooms offering a balcony view.
££ Sweet Home Hotel is a charming hotel in the Plaka area with comfy beds, a great breakfast and is located in a quiet street but close to the main attractions and many bars, cafes and restaurants.
£ Phaedra Hotel is also located in Plaka near the Acropolis Museum and the Temple of Zeus. Basic but comfortable hotel that if you’re on a tight budget is a perfect stay for exploring Athens and it even has a rooftop terrace with views of the Acropolis.
What to do
You can buy tickets at the various sites around the city from ticket offices as you go but we recommend
buying a multi-pass from Headout.
The Headout site provides you with clear options of the things you might like to do, costs, reviews and ratings and also gives you timed slots for the Acropolis and access into multiple other sites around the city.
You can also purchase a multi-site pass from Hellenic Heritage who provide tickets for archaeological sites all over Greece from timed visits to the Acropolis and slopes to Crete and the Aegean Islands.
Athens is a unique and a must visit city being the birthplace of democracy, science, arts and western
philosophy with its wonderful blend of a modern metropolis and ancient history.
There are a plethora of islands to visit in Greece but we loved Hydra due to its proximity to Athens but still an unspoilt beautiful island with amazing food, atmosphere and breath-taking Saronic Gulf views.
If you want a place to relax with superb restaurants and bars or to source your own fresh food and wine for dining on your own sea view terrace then Hydra is a perfect destination to finish your Greek adventure.
Check out our highlights section for more details on some key attractions in Athens and a stay on the amazing island of Hydra.
