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Athens Survival Guide

Acropolis, Athens, GreeceThis is the index page for my Athens Survival Guide. It will give you the tools to survive and thrive in Athens, Greece and enable you to have as much fun as I do and feel as comfortable as if you have been here before. You can read about hotels, restaurants, archaeological sites, nightlife, beaches and day-trips to nearby islands and beaches and towns on the mainland. My Athens Guide may not be as high tech as some of the other travel sites but I think you will find it to be the most fun to use and probably find it to be at least as helpful as the popular guide books, except this is free. I began this website in 1995 and I update it continuously. Use the menu below that will lead you to the various sub-menus on this page. This site is entirely hand-made and contains no cookies, no spyware or sneaky pop-ups or tricks that make you click on something you don't want. I have put ads at the bottom of the pages to not be a distraction and only ads for my own pages or businesses I know and trust. By supporting them you not only support me, but you will probably have a safer and happier trip to Greece.

If you have questions about Athens or Greece or are looking for something and you can't find it you can Contact Matt and I will reply pretty quickly since I pretty much live on my computer. If you like this site please share it with your friends on social media. There are Facebook share buttons on this and other pages. If you need assistance with putting together an itinerary try using my Create-an-itinerary Work Page where you can put together a plan for your Greece trip with the assistance of a Greek travel agent, with no obligation to buy. If you are just here to find hotels see my Athens Hotel Suggestions and remember that booking through my website helps support my work.

Please Help Support this Guide: You can send a donation through Paypal or you can use Venmo at venmo.com/Matt-Barrett-Greece. Any amount is helpful.
Thank you for your support!

Guide to Athens, Greece

Basic Athens Info

Where to Play and Stay

Travel Agents, Hotels etc

Getting Out of Athens:

Helpful Athens Info

Athens Photos & Articles

Other Greece Websites

Basic Athens Information

This section will get you started. It includes practical information like arriving at Venizelos Airport and getting into the city, to finding hotels in the best areas of Athens where you can walk to all the sites. It also includes recommended travel agents, using the metro and finding a good restaurant as well as the major reasons you are in Athens, which include the Acropolis, the museums and the most important archaeological sites as well as nightlife. Some of the important pages are duplicated in other sections as well.

Athens, Plaka
When To Go

Flying to Athens, Greece
Getting to Athens

Athens Venizelos Airport
Arrival in Athens

Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Hotels in Athens

Fantasy Travel, Athens, Greece
Travel Agents in Athens

Athens restaurant
Athens Restaurants

George the Famous Taxi Driver
George the Famous Taxi Driver

The Acropolis
Top 10 Things to See

National Archaeological Museum of Athens
Museums of Athens:

Acropolis, Athens
The Acropolis

Athens walking tour
A Walk Around Athens with Matt

Jazz in Psiri, Athens
Nightlife in Athens

Athens Metro
The Athens Metro

Athens Tram
The Athens Tram

Athens Bus
Athens Buses

Athens Photo Tours
Athens Photo Journeys

Athens shops
Shopping in Athens

Athens beer
Beer in Athens

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Where to Play and Stay in Athens

This section will tell you where to stay, where not to stay and why, and how to make your way through the various neighborhoods and districts of downtown Athens. It also includes important archaeological sites and parks, shopping areas and more. The bottom of each page has recommended hotels and booking information. Booking through my site helps support my work.

Plaka, Athens
The Plaka Guide

Athens Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square:

Makrianni
Makrigianni and Koukaki

Monastiraki, Athens
Monastiraki Flea Market

Psiri, Athens
Psiri Nightlife

Athinas Street
Athinas Street

Ermou Street
Ermou Street

Aeolou Street, Athens
Aeolou Street

Thission
Thission

Athens Meat, Fish and Vegetable Market
The Athens Market

Gazi
The Gazi

Lykavettos and Kolonaki
Kolonaki and Lykavitos

Platia Agia irini
Agia Irini Square

Ancient Agora, Athens
The Ancient and Roman Agoras

Kerameikos, Ancient Cemetery of Athens
Kerameikos Ancient Cemetery

National Gardens of Athens
The National Gardens

Acropolis, Athens
The Acropolis

Ambelokipi
Ambelokipi

Omonia Square
Omonia Square and Beyond

Exarchia, Athens
Exarchia

Metaxourgeio, Athens
Metaxourgio

Nikis Street
Nikis and Voulis Streets

Athens parks
The Great Outdoors

Athens Beaches
Beaches of Athens

Faliron, Athens coast
Coastal Athens

Kifissia
Kifissia: Cool Northern Suburbs

Kypseli
Kypseli

Mount Lykavettos, Athens
The View from Lykavettos

Temple of Zeus
Temple of Olympian Zeus

Panathiniako Stadium, Athens
Panathinaiko Marble Stadium

Patission Street, Athens
Patission Street


Immigrant Neighborhoods

Iera Odos
Iera Odos

Athens shops
Shopping in Athens

Nea Smyrni, Athens
Nea Smyrni

Stavros Niarchos Center
Stavros Niarchos Center

Rafina Taxis, ferry boats
Rafina

Pireaus ferry
Pireaus

Lake Vouliagmeni
Lake Vouliagmeni Healing Springs

Varkiza
Exploring Attica

Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Hotels in Athens

Air BnB style apartment
Athens Apartments

Plato and Socrates
Plato's Academy

Aristotle
The Lyceum of Aristotle

Island of Poros
Islands Near Athens

I have several pages for researching and booking hotels in Athens and all over Greece. First read my Athens Hotels Page which is a part of my Athens Guide. Also see my Best Hotels in Central Athens page. If you want to stay outside of the center of Athens, like on the beach, then see my Best Hotels in the Athens Suburbs and Coast. If you are looking for a house, villa or Air BnB style accommodations then see my Central Athens Apartments Page and my Athens Coast Villas Page. If you have particular needs you can use the Athens Hotel Search which is done through my cooperation with Booking.com. You can also book directly with the hotels using my Book Athens Hotels Directly Page. Of course if you are planning to visit Athens, the islands and do some mainland tours and will need tickets, transfers and other assistance you will be better off working with a reliable Greek Travel Agency who will put everything together and make sure it all runs smoothly.

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Services in Athens

This section includes recommended hotels and travel agents, taxi drivers and other businesses in Athens. The hotel section tells which areas to stay at and which to avoid. I included a few interesting tours as well. These are the people who have supported my work for the last 20 years so please consider booking with them. You won't find better.

Fantasy Travel, Athens, Greece
Travel Agents in Athens

Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Hotels in Athens

Hotel Attalos
Athens Hotel Attalos

George the Famous Taxi Driver
George the Famous Taxi Driver

Tours and Transfers

Dennis Limo Service
Limousine Service

Tours and Transfers

Billy's Bus tours
Billy's Bus Tours
Group Tours and Transfers

Gold jewelry
Gold and Jewelery

Melissinos: Poet Sandalmaker of Athens
Melissinos: Poet-Sandalmaker

Swift Car rentals, Athens
Swift Car Rentals

Athens Synogogue
Jewish Walking Tours

Acropolis
Athens Walking Tour


Athens Sightseeing Tour

Athens Tour Guide
Personal Tour Guide

Athens Wine Bar
Food and Wine Day Tours

Athens By Night
Athens By Night Tour

Helicopter Tours
Helicopter Tours & Transfers


Fantasy Travel's VIP Vacations

Santorini church
Fantasy Travel Special Offers

Kostas, Athens Walking Tours
Kosta's Athens Walking Tours

Athens food
Athens Walking Food Tour

Athens Philosophy workshop
Philosophy and History Workshops

Athens Mythology Tour
Athens Mythology Tour

Athens art gallery
Athens Art Galleries

Wineries
Wineries of Attica

Athens Street Food and Art Walking Tour
Street Food and Art Walking Tour

Athens Wine Tasting
Athens Wine Tasting

Athens Bike Tour
Athens Bike Tour

Legal Assistance in Greece
Legal Assistance in Greece

Day Sails from Athens
Day Sails from Athens

Off Road in Greece
Off Road Trips in Attika

Bringing A Group? Helpful work-page for Churches, schools, cultural organizations coming to Greece

Join Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guides Group on Facebook for comments, photos and other fun stuff. If you enjoy this website please share it with your friends on Facebook. If you are appreciative of all the free information you get on my websites you can send a donation through Paypal

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Getting Out of Athens

Most people come to Athens because they are going to the Greek Islands and this section will tell you about the islands near Athens and how to get to them and those further away. It also has sections on mainland day-trips and overnight trips, and various services who can get you out of Athens and hotels all over Greece. For those of you who are going to the Greek Islands I suggest you visit my Greek Island Guide too.

Santorini, Greece
The Greek Islands

Island of Poros
Islands Near Athens

Aegina
How to Go to a Greek Island


Greek Cruise Page

Santorini, Greece
Fantasy's Greek Island Hopping

Rafina
Day-Trips from Athens

Pireaus ferry
Ferry Boats & Pireaus

Beach st Nafplion
Nafplion and the Argolis

George the Famous Taxi Driver
George the Famous Taxi Driver

Day Sails from Athens
Day Sails from Athens

Saronic cruise
One-Day Saronic Islands Cruise

Nafplion, Greece
The Argolis with George

Faliron, Athens coast
Coastal Athens

Sailing in Greece
Sailing in Greece

Kea, Greece
Island of Kea
: 1 Hour from Athens

Lavrion
Port of Lavrion

Temple of Poseidon, Sounion
Temple of Poseidon at Sounion

Fantasy Travel, Athens, Greece
Travel Agents in Athens

Evia, Greece
Evia

Toucan, Athens Zoo
Attika Zoological Park

Peloponessos
Greek Mainland

Off Road in Greece
Off Road Trips in Attika

Greek driver
Driving in Greece

Ancient Corinth
Greek Mainland Tours

Athens Beaches
Beaches of Athens

Fantasy Travel, Athens Greece
Fantasy Travel

Matt Barrett
Matt's Itinerary Suggestions


Matt Barrett's Favorite
Hotels
in Greece

Hotel Grande Bretagne
Search all
Hotels in Greece

Licensed Guides in Greece
Licensed Archaeological Guides
all over Greece

Santorini Hotel
Book Hotels Directly with Owners

Villas in Greece
Villas and Air BnBs in Greece

Pireaus Hotels
Pireaus Hotels

Corinth Canal
7 Day Grand Tour

Nafplion
5 Day Classical Tour

Delphi
4 Day Classical Tour

Delphi, Greece
Tour to Delphi

Epidavros, Greece
Tour to Myceneae/Epidavros

Meteora, Greece
Delphi/Meteora Tour

Varkiza
Exploring Attika

Helicopter Tours
Helicopter Tours & Transfers

Athens Coast Bike Tour
Athens Riviera Bike Tour


Aegina E-bike Tour

Cornith, Nemea Bike Tour
Corinth/Nemea E-bike Tour

Athens Taxi
Leaving Athens

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Other Helpful Athens Info

This section has a lot of important stuff, some articles written in a fun and whimsical fashion and other articles quite dry and boring but nonetheless useful. I have also included some of the articles that are featured in the sections above but are just as suited to this section. In fact the stuff I want you to read because I think it is important to you (or to me) I may have listed two or three times in this index.

Stroller in Athens
Strollering Through Athens

View from Acropolis
Maps of Athens

Matt Barrett Travel Tips
Cure for Jet-lag and Insomnia

Gay Athens, Greece
Gay Athens/Gay Greece

Parthenon
Top 10 Things to do in Athens

Apokreas in Athens
Apokreas: Carnival Season

Athens, clean Monday
Winter in Greece

Easter in Athens
Easter in Greece

Athens Santas
Christmas in Athens

Athens bakery
Breakfast in Athens

Cafe Foibos, Kypseli
The Best Coffee in Athens

Greek wine barrels
Retsina and Greek Wine

Komboloi-worry beads
Gift Shopping

Greek music Babis Tsertos
Favorite Greek CDs

Ouzo King
Ouzo

Kapni Karea church
Weekend in Athens

The Evzone
Bookstores and Books

Monastiraki, Athens
24 Hours in Monastiraki

Barbounia-red mullet
Eating Seafood in Pireaus

Athens walking tour
A Walk Around Athens with Matt

Greek food
Guide to Greek Food

University of Athens
Practical & Practically Useless Info

Patsa
Patsa: Elixer of the Working Class

Learn Greek
Learn Greek

Greek statue
The Curse of Eleusis

KTEL Athens Bus
Bus Schedules and Fares

Lake Vouliagmeni
Lake Vouliagmeni Healing Springs

Greek Salad
Greek Food Pronunciation

Athens in the rain
Rain in Athens?

Demonstration in Syntagma 2008
Demonstrations and Riots

George the Famous Taxi Driver
George the Famous Taxi Driver

Parthenon Marbles
The Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles

Fantasy Travel, Athens, Greece
Travel Agents in Athens

Amvrazi & Vrettos
Amvrazi & Vrettos: Journalists

Athens News
Newspapers in Athens

Athens police
Crime and Scams

Dancing in Athens
Dancing in Athens

Acropolis Rally
The Acropolis Rally

Athens boots
Packing for Greece

Yoga and Healing in Athens
Yoga and Healing


Immigrant Neighborhoods

Matt Barrett
Greece Itinerary Suggestions

Athens Stray Dog
Stray Dogs: An Athenian problem

Athens Classic Marathon
The Athens Marathon

Athens Souvlaki shop
Souvlaki: Greece's Gift to Fast Food


Staying in Contact


Matt's Greece Travel Tips

Tank wheelchair for Greece
Information for Wheelchair Users

Socrates: Greek Rock Group
Socrates Drank The Conium

Athens Grocery
Cost of Food

Agia Irini Church, Athens
Churches & AA Meetings

If you have an idea of what you want to do in Greece use my Create-an-itinerary Form It's fun.  You fill out the form and choose the islands and how many days you want to stay, any tours, and what your budget is and click send and in a few hours a travel agency replies with a plan for you.

Questions? e-mail me

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Photo Tours of Athens and Other Stuff

These are photos I have taken over the years and several articles that I could not decide where else to put them. Many of these pages are linked to from other pages above but some are not. There are also links to photo albums on some of my other websites. In fact you can see most of my best photos by going to www.greecetravel.com/photos

Parthenon
On The Acropolis

Parthenon Interior
Inside the Parthenon

Matt Barrett
Matt's Greece Travel Blog

Omonia Square, Athens 1960
Greece in the Sixties Photos

Athens Graffiti
Graffiti of Athens

Athens Fish market
Athens Market Photos

Panathiniako Stadium, Athens
Panathinaiko Marble Stadium

Psiri, Athens
Psiri Photo Album

Monastiraki, Athens
24 Hours in Monastiraki

Plaka
Plaka Photo Album

Kerameikos, Athens
Kerameikos Photo Album

Evzones
Everyday Athens

Temple of Zeus
Temple of Olympian Zeus

Greece Comics
Matt's Greece Cartoons

Athinas Street
Old Athens Postcards

Bank of Greece
In Search of Old Buildings

Zorba the Greek
Filmed in Greece

Matt Barrett
Matt Barrett for Athens Mayor?

Psiri, Athens
Old Psiri Photo Tour

Monastiraki, Athens
Old Flea Market Photo Journey

Shopping in Athens
Old Shopping Photo Journey

athens restaurant
Matt's Best of Athens Page

Mask of Agamemnon
National Museum Photo Tour

Greek Independence Day
Greek Independence Day Photos

Nov 17 Athens, Greece
History of Greece

Nea Peramos
Pahi-Megara

Laiki Agora
Laiki Farmers Markets

Athens Market
Old Market Photo Journey

Aristotle
The Lyceum of Aristotle

Rembetika Music
Rembetika Music

Byzart Greek Jewelry
Byzart Ancient Greek Jewelry

Olympico Greek Jewelry
Olympico Greek Jewelry

Byzantino Jewelry
Byzantino Jewelry

Fokionos Negri, Kypseli
Life in Kypseli Photo Tour

Kaisariani Monastery
Kaisariani Monastery

Naxos Cheese Shop
Naxos Cheese Shop

Street People of Athens
Street People of Athens

Cheese market in Psiri
Naxos Cheese Market in Psiri

Snow on the Acropolis
Great Snowstorm of 2002

Mount Lykavettos, Athens
The View from Lykavettos

Greece 4 Kids
Greece 4 Kidz


Traveling with Children

Grave in Athens cemetery
The 1st Cemetery

Karagioziz
Karagiozis Puppet Theater

Ioakovidis
Art and Artists

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Please Help Support this Guide: When I had to find a way to support my web sites I had 2 choices. I could use modern advertising technology like most sites use with pay-per-click ads all over my pages and spy-ware that collects information and posts the ads each individual reader is most likely to click on. Or I could choose to promote a handful of travel agents, and a reliable hotel booking system and keep my sites relatively ad free. No obnoxious pop-ups, fake news articles, or gathering of information through cookies. I chose the second. If you book through the links on my site I will receive a commission which supports my work. But if you book elsewhere, (like Air BnB for example) but still find my website useful I ask you to send a donation through Paypal or you can use Venmo at venmo.com/Matt-Barrett-Greece
If you prefer to send a check you can
email me. Any amount helps. Thank you for your support!

If you find my Athens Survival Guide useful and you would like to show your appreciation why not let people know about the site on the numerous travel boards on the internet or linking to it from your blog or website. Because I don't have the big advertising budgets of the major travel sites many people don't find me until after they have made all their plans and wish they had found my information sooner. Help spread the word about Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guides. If you found my guides helpful and want to help me continue my work, please support the services I recommend. Without their help these pages and this website would not exist. You can also help by liking me on Facebook and sharing.

If you wish there was some simple way you could donate to helping the needy in Greece see www.greecetravel.com/donations

Join Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guides Group on Facebook for comments, photos and other fun stuff.

You can keep up with my day to day activities and thoughts in and out of Greece as well as current events and updates at www.greecetravel.com/matt-blog

Links Exchange Page
(Yes I will link to you if your page has value but if it is totally irrelevant please don't bother me)

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The Athens Survival Guide is Copyright 1995-2017 and updated continuously by Matt Barrett, most recently probably today!

Booking.com Greece Travel BannerFind hotels in Athens by location, price, whether or not it has a swimming pool, and see photos and reviews by using this link to Booking.com. Excellent prices and many hotels you can book and then cancel with no cancellation fee. For those who want to book without using a travel agency this is the best way to do it.

Ferryhopper logoUse Ferryhopper to find all direct and indirect ferry routes for the islands of Greece, Spain, Italy & Turkey, compare ferry companies & prices, and book cheap ferry tickets with no hidden fees in one go!

Help Support Matt's Greece Guides
Do you enjoy using my site? Have you found it entertaining as well as useful? If so please show your appreciation by booking hotels through the travel agencies and the links found on my Hotels of Greece site. The small commission I make on the bookings enable me to keep working and in most cases you won't find them any cheaper by searching elsewhere. You can find hotels in Greece by location, price, whether or not it has a swimming pool, and see photos and reviews by using this link to booking.com which also contributes to my website when you book.

Join Matt Barrett's Greece Travel Guides Group on Facebook for comments, photos and other fun stuff. If you enjoy this website please share it with your friends on Facebook. If you are appreciative of all the free information you get on my websites you can send a donation through Paypal or Venmo