Athens/Piraeus for a First Timer.

Hello everyone.

and thank you for being so kind to post in this thread.

I know you post is going to be very useful to me and others.

I am looking for top ten things to do and do not miss (you can include food also)

in Athens/Piraeus

Thank you all.

Just some reading down the board would reveal things like Acropolis, the Museum, Sounion, Corinth and the Corinth Canal, etc. Note: you can't see all those in one standard day, they are too far apart.

Just some reading down the board would reveal things like Acropolis, the Museum, Sounion, Corinth and the Corinth Canal, etc. Note: you can't see all those in one standard day, they are too far apart.

what do you recommend in one day?

We did Corinth and the Corinth Canal in the morning. Plaka for lunch, and Acropolis in the afternoon.

But that is what interested us. No idea what interests you.

We did Corinth and the Corinth Canal in the morning. Plaka for lunch, and Acropolis in the afternoon.

 

But that is what interested us. No idea what interests you.

I had the best Greek food that I've ever had in by life in the Plaka. It was some-kind of Vegetarian eggplant entree dish: yummy.

The OP didn't state how long (hours) they will be in Athens, so hard to make any suggestions.

We did the Hop-on/Hop-off bus, which was nice. My only complaint is that we ran of of time. We had to get back our ship, the RCCL Splendour of the Seas, otherwise we would have explored the Plaka more and bought some of the packaged olives to take home.

It can get really hot up on the Acropolis, so you might want to do that before lunch.

we will be ther only one day on a cruise.

I would think about putting the Acropolis at the top of the list. Morning is good before the heat sets in.

we will be ther only one day on a cruise.

We did the Hop-on/Hop-off bus:

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/greece/athens.htm

Real convenient and cheap. When you get off the ship, go thru the terminal, go straight out to the street (don't turn right) thru the parking garage, turn left, go to the corner, and that's where you catch the bus. You can catch a red bus at the terminal, or on the street at the designated stops, every 1/2 hour.

IMO with a pedestrian-only central historic core, I am not sure what the HoHo bus accomplishes for you. This definitely is a city for walking if you want to explore the historic sites and lovely Plaka area.

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Athens guidebook out of the library and check out his suggestions for a day in Athens. The six historic sights ticket, which includes the Acropolis, Agora, etc. will suffice for the main highlights plus a trip to the new Acropolis Museum at the southern foot of the Acropolis.

Hello everyone.

 

and thank you for being so kind to post in this thread.

I know you post is going to be very useful to me and others.

 

I am looking for top ten things to do and do not miss (you can include food also)

 

in Athens/Piraeus

 

Thank you all.

Athens by taxi half day tour. Enough said.

I would think about putting the Acropolis at the top of the list. Morning is good before the heat sets in.

Absolutely go first thing in the AM before the heat and crowds. Make sure you wear shoes with really good treads as the marble steps are worn from age and very slippery with only a small area that has a hand rail.

I had the best Greek food that I've ever had in by life in the Plaka. It was some-kind of Vegetarian eggplant entree dish: yummy.

 

The OP didn't state how long (hours) they will be in Athens, so hard to make any suggestions.

 

We did the Hop-on/Hop-off bus, which was nice. My only complaint is that we ran of of time. We had to get back our ship, the RCCL Splendour of the Seas, otherwise we would have explored the Plaka more and bought some of the packaged olives to take home.

 

It can get really hot up on the Acropolis, so you might want to do that before lunch.

Hi Ron98GT,

We are travelling on RCCL SOTS on 23 August. What is the ship like? Also we are planning to do the hop on hop off in Piraeus/Athens. Is the bus pickup at the cruise terminal? As you ran out of time, what would you recommend to see/not see in our limited 7/8 hours in port? Also what was the mix of nationalities and ages on board the ship?:):)

Thanks for your comments.

Kerry & Steve

IMO with a pedestrian-only central historic core, I am not sure what the HoHo bus accomplishes for you. This definitely is a city for walking if you want to explore the historic sites and lovely Plaka area.

 

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Athens guidebook out of the library and check out his suggestions for a day in Athens. The six historic sights ticket, which includes the Acropolis, Agora, etc. will suffice for the main highlights plus a trip to the new Acropolis Museum at the southern foot of the Acropolis.

1. Sounds like you've never done a "HoHo" in a big city before, and Athens is big.

2. Sounds like you've never been to Athens.

3. Unlike you, we used the HoHo, so we do have experience and not just criticism.

3. As insulting as you are, we found the HoHo very useful and interesting.

4. The HoHo gets you from the cruise ship to the Acropolis rather quickly, with very little walking, no crowds, and no buses or cabs to content with. The HoHo also gets you from the Acropolis to the Plaka quickly and giving you a break. Not sure what you expect to see between the Acropolis and the Plaka, although the guide did mention a few things, it's not worth walking.

5. If you tried a HoHo, you would know that the HoHo gets you to the major tourist sites where you can then walk around. The HoHo also gives you a break, so you can sit down and relax. You can see just as much as if you walked around all day, but in less time.

6. You have a guide on board, supplying information that your not reading in Rick Steves book. You can always read Rick Steve, or any other travel book, but it's nice getting first hand information from someone who lives there.

7. Try to keep an open mind.

7. Not all of us are 20 years old and up to walking and standing all day like you. Not all of us live in your world, so try to have a little understanding and a little less criticism. If you prefer walking all day, state that, but you don't have to degrade what we did, enjoyed, found useful, and recommend to others.

1. Sounds like you've never done a "HoHo" in a big city before, and Athens is big.

2. Sounds like you've never been to Athens.

3. Unlike you, we used the HoHo, so we do have experience and not just criticism.

3. As insulting as you are, we found the HoHo very useful and interesting.

4. The HoHo gets you from the cruise ship to the Acropolis rather quickly, with very little walking, no crowds, and no buses or cabs to content with. The HoHo also gets you from the Acropolis to the Plaka quickly and giving you a break. Not sure what you expect to see between the Acropolis and the Plaka, although the guide did mention a few things, it's not worth walking.

5. If you tried a HoHo, you would know that the HoHo gets you to the major tourist sites where you can then walk around. The HoHo also gives you a break, so you can sit down and relax. You can see just as much as if you walked around all day, but in less time.

6. You have a guide on board, supplying information that your not reading in Rick Steves book. You can always read Rick Steve, or any other travel book, but it's nice getting first hand information from someone who lives there.

7. Try to keep an open mind.

7. Not all of us are 20 years old and up to walking and standing all day like you. Not all of us live in your world, so try to have a little understanding and a little less criticism.

You might want to re-read the post you responded to -- I certainly don't seem to see what you see in CintiPam's response. :confused: (And I know she has been to Athens.)

I have done HOHO buses in several major cities and for a large number of them, I would not recommend them for cruisers with only a day to spend in port. This includes Rome and Barcelona in particular, where there can be long waits for the next bus should you get off and then need to get back on. (And at times the buses are so crowded that you cannot always get back on the next bus unless some people are getting off and you happen to be first in line....)

In Athens I have not done the HOHO from Piraeus into Athens itself, but within Athens, the main sites are indeed virtually adjacent to each other. If you haven't walked it on your own, you might not realize it. But once you walk down the Acropolis hill, it is just a FEW steps (across the street) to the Agora and to the Plaka, as well as a few steps across a different street to the Acropolis Museum.

Due to the pedestrian nature of much of the center, the HOHO has to avoid some areas, thus taking a longer route around (and perhaps making passengers think it is longer than it actually is between places?)

Now if someone is really unable to walk around, the HOHO may make good sense. But if you aren't physically challenged, the walking in Athens (other than the somewhat strenuous trek to the Acropolis hill, which you have to do either way) really isn't so bad.

For folks whose game plan includes getting to the Acropolis as quickly as possible before the tours arrive, I would still recommend getting a taxi from the port entrance direct to the Acropolis. The cost is about 20 euro for up to four passengers, there is no waiting and no stopping. From there, walk around the other major sites of interest (plenty of people on this forum have provided a "plan" of what they did. Then take a taxi or the metro back to the ship at the end of the day.

Two last points on the subject of HOHO (and tour) buses: 1) they are often subject to the incredible traffic that clogs the main areas of older cities, with their pedestrian zones and smaller streets. I have often found myself walking FASTER than the HOHO buses can drive in Rome. 2) In any city I've visited, I notice far more things walking than I do riding. I know some people feel different, but HOHOs don't really give me a sense of being "in" the city, but more like I'm seeing a film of being in the city. YMMV.

Of course, the choice is yours as to how to plan your time. But to come back so negatively at someone who merely suggests considering another option is poor form, in my opinion...

Hi Ron98GT,

 

We are travelling on RCCL SOTS on 23 August. What is the ship like? Also we are planning to do the hop on hop off in Piraeus/Athens. Is the bus pickup at the cruise terminal? As you ran out of time, what would you recommend to see/not see in our limited 7/8 hours in port? Also what was the mix of nationalities and ages on board the ship?:):)

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Kerry & Steve

1. SOTS is a small ship.

2. Highly recommend my time dining which we did not do, but should have. Early dining is too early, when your getting get off the ship in the ports. Late dining was too late,since you get to bed/sleep late, and you just didn't want to get up early to eat breakfast and get off the ship.

3. We weren't happy with the food choices or quality in the MDR and we are not buffet people. There never was filet steak or lobster on the menu. One nite they had strip steak? on the menu so I attempted to try it. I ordered the steak medium rare and 3 time they brought it out well down. When I finely got a medium, I could not cut it with a table knife. When the waiter gave me a steak knife to cut the steak, I could not chew it, because it was so tough. Moral: stick withe seafood, especially the sea bass.

4. Since we luv food and wine, I always to the chefs table with my wife. Highly recommend it.

5. If possible, try the package that includes the Chefs Table, Azumi's, and Chops.

6. Definitely try Azumi's at least once for the HOT Rock dining. It's not that expensive, food was great, and it was a great experience.

7. When our ship became available for booking, all the balconies were booked, no balconies were ever available, so I booked a JS about three days after booking started and I'm glad I did, because the price I paid, $3900 for 2 people almost doubled by sail date to $7600. So book early.

8. Some electrical supply company in the USA pre-booked the balcony cabins for there clients through-out the US, so the cruise had a lot of other people from the states. We also had a number of people from New Zealand and Australia: surprising. I would think that on your cruise you'll find more Europeans.

9. For Athens, try to get off the ship as soon as possible, you''ll need the time and we were too pokey/slow. Get into and thru the terminal as fast as possible, where you need to exit at the front of the building where the parking lot is, along with buses and cabs. This is NOT where you catch the HoHo bus, so we lost more time here not knowing any better. Walk straight out of the terminal and head to the side walk along the street and turn left. When you exit the terminal, Do Not turn right, which is tempting. After you walk a couple of hundred feet, there will be a parking lot on your left, with different colored buses, from different tour companies. Yours will be the red bus. Take advantage of the discount and purchase your HoHo tickets online. People in the parking lot will be trying to sell tickets, but walk up to one of those people near the red bus and show them your tickets before you board the bus. Since the buses run every half hour, you want to get on a bus and to the Acropolis ASAP.

10. You want to walk up the stairs to the Acropolis and the small ticket building will be on you left, but you can't see the line from the sidewalk, because it's on the other-side.

11. You want to leave as much time as possible to catch a bus to the Plaka to eat and have enough time to board a bus to see the other sites. There is NOT enough time to walk from site to site. Plan on: 1/2 to get to the Acropolis, 1/2 hour to get back, 3 hours for the Acropolis, 1-1/2 to eat, walking thru the Plaka, and a little time left for other site seeing. 7-8 hours will/did go way too fast.

12. Carefully watch what time the last bus leaves the Acropolis back to the ship.

13. We had a rear facing AFT balcony, which was huge. Don't pass one up if you can get one.

14. We found it strange that there was no bathrooms on the MDR deck, which is also the Casino deck. So don't waste your time looking for one.

15. We stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice for 3 nites before boarding, which was great. We used the Alilguna Blue to get to the ship, which was very convenient.

16. Ask about getting a galley tour. That was interesting and fun.

17. I prepaid for the water package and the wine package. We always had plenty of bottled water and wine with dinner.

18. No problems with the staff. No sanitary problems, everything seemed clean. Don't forget a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

19. I paid for the on-board WiFi, which was convenient check email and the status of my home alarm.

20. They seemed to stop breakfast in the MDR rather early, so I never did get to try it.

21. I never boarded a ship with so little problems, but I heard from some people that it was it or miss. At times bus loads of people would show up and then it slow down to a trickle, like when we boarded. having a suite made little difference.

22. In Argostoli, wish I would have taken a cab to the other side of the island to site-see. The food was good in Argostoli, but that was it.

23. Don't sure what else to say about the SOTS. If you have any specific question, feel free to ask.

24. Oh yeah, we took the train to Rome after the cruise, I can tell you about disembarking and getting to/on the train if need be.

:)Thank you Ron,

We thoroughly appreciate all your comments and tips. Looking forward to the trip, forgot to mention when we finish the SOTS cruise we leave straight away on NCL Norwegian Jade, so it will be interesting to compare the two. We are also Vegas lovers having been several times. Might catch up with you next time we are there for a drink or two!

Thanks again,

Kerry & Steve:)

Excellent advice about the Acropolis and also de Hop on bus, and all the advice about what to do and where I should go.

I truly appreciate the help and taking the time to post in this thread.

If you have a recommendation about where to eat local food that will be great.:):):)

1. Sounds like you've never done a "HoHo" in a big city before, and Athens is big.

2. Sounds like you've never been to Athens.

3. Unlike you, we used the HoHo, so we do have experience and not just criticism.

3. As insulting as you are, we found the HoHo very useful and interesting.

4. The HoHo gets you from the cruise ship to the Acropolis rather quickly, with very little walking, no crowds, and no buses or cabs to content with. The HoHo also gets you from the Acropolis to the Plaka quickly and giving you a break. Not sure what you expect to see between the Acropolis and the Plaka, although the guide did mention a few things, it's not worth walking.

5. If you tried a HoHo, you would know that the HoHo gets you to the major tourist sites where you can then walk around. The HoHo also gives you a break, so you can sit down and relax. You can see just as much as if you walked around all day, but in less time.

6. You have a guide on board, supplying information that your not reading in Rick Steves book. You can always read Rick Steve, or any other travel book, but it's nice getting first hand information from someone who lives there.

7. Try to keep an open mind.

7. Not all of us are 20 years old and up to walking and standing all day like you. Not all of us live in your world, so try to have a little understanding and a little less criticism. If you prefer walking all day, state that, but you don't have to degrade what we did, enjoyed, found useful, and recommend to others.

Wow, yes, greater Athens is big, but the core historic area is very small and much of it is pedestrian-only. In what way was I insulting? I suggest you reread you excessive response, which was extremely insulting.

It's fine if you prefer the HoHo; I simply feel differently.

I have been twice to Athens and spent several days each visit. For me, the green line metro right to the center worked great, and a taxi when I had luggage.

You might want to re-read the post you responded to -- I certainly don't seem to see what you see in CintiPam's response. :confused: (And I know she has been to Athens.)

 

I have done HOHO buses in several major cities and for a large number of them, I would not recommend them for cruisers with only a day to spend in port. This includes Rome and Barcelona in particular, where there can be long waits for the next bus should you get off and then need to get back on. (And at times the buses are so crowded that you cannot always get back on the next bus unless some people are getting off and you happen to be first in line....)

 

In Athens I have not done the HOHO from Piraeus into Athens itself, but within Athens, the main sites are indeed virtually adjacent to each other. If you haven't walked it on your own, you might not realize it. But once you walk down the Acropolis hill, it is just a FEW steps (across the street) to the Agora and to the Plaka, as well as a few steps across a different street to the Acropolis Museum.

 

Due to the pedestrian nature of much of the center, the HOHO has to avoid some areas, thus taking a longer route around (and perhaps making passengers think it is longer than it actually is between places?)

 

Now if someone is really unable to walk around, the HOHO may make good sense. But if you aren't physically challenged, the walking in Athens (other than the somewhat strenuous trek to the Acropolis hill, which you have to do either way) really isn't so bad.

 

For folks whose game plan includes getting to the Acropolis as quickly as possible before the tours arrive, I would still recommend getting a taxi from the port entrance direct to the Acropolis. The cost is about 20 euro for up to four passengers, there is no waiting and no stopping. From there, walk around the other major sites of interest (plenty of people on this forum have provided a "plan" of what they did. Then take a taxi or the metro back to the ship at the end of the day.

 

Two last points on the subject of HOHO (and tour) buses: 1) they are often subject to the incredible traffic that clogs the main areas of older cities, with their pedestrian zones and smaller streets. I have often found myself walking FASTER than the HOHO buses can drive in Rome. 2) In any city I've visited, I notice far more things walking than I do riding. I know some people feel different, but HOHOs don't really give me a sense of being "in" the city, but more like I'm seeing a film of being in the city. YMMV.

 

Of course, the choice is yours as to how to plan your time. But to come back so negatively at someone who merely suggests considering another option is poor form, in my opinion...

Thanks, Cynthia. I never have been so attacked for simply posting that exploring the historic areas by foot works better because of the abundance of pedestrian-only streets in that area.

We were first time visitors to Athens and saw a lot in only one day from the cruise ship. The key is getting a very early start. Check out my blog on my day in Athens along with pictures.

winenchocolate dot com

where we should eat local greek food?

any advice?

Any of the restaurants/cafes in the Plaka - awesome!!

Any of the restaurants/cafes in the Plaka - awesome!!

thanks!!!

Hello everyone.

 

and thank you for being so kind to post in this thread.

I know you post is going to be very useful to me and others.

 

I am looking for top ten things to do and do not miss (you can include food also)

 

in Athens/Piraeus

 

Thank you all.

Hi, here's a link to what we did in Athens:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1510979&highlight=athens

You also might want to search for virtualrain's Athens DIY posts, very helpful,

& I believe he included photos.

I also think cruisemom 42 has some excellent Athens tips

Hi,

I found VirtualRain's post for you:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1728725

Also, Cruisemom42 replied to your thread, I suggest you click on her name to view her past posts on Athens, her advice is invaluable.

My opinion of Hop On/Off bus in Athens is that it's a horrible waste of your time, unless you have real physical limitations. Traffic is horrible, & the subway system is clean & fast.

Hope this helps you :)

Edit to Add: I know that one poster said there is not enough time to walk from site to site, but there really is, do a search of "DIY athens" on this board, & you will get a good idea of what you can do in your time frame.