Athens/Piraeus for a First Timer.

Hi,

 

I found VirtualRain's post for you:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1728335&highlight=athens+diy

 

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 :)

Your opinion, but I STRONGLY DISAGREE with it. The DW & I rode the "Hop On/Off" in Athens this last May, we enjoyed it, & glad we did it. We got on/off very close to where the shipped docked. No problems getting on/off at different stops. No problems with traffic. Plenty of room on the bus to relax. It may not be for you, but we've done HO/HO bus tours in many cities around the world and have always enjoyed them.

So, if you've done an HO/HO somewhere else and enjoyed it, do it in Athens. If you tried a HO/HO tour before and didn't like - don't do it in Athens. That simple.

Taking the subway system would have been a real PIA, a waste of time, & I'm glad we didn't attempt it: my opinion, that simple.

where we should eat local greek food?

any advice?

There is a great place for Gyros just outside of the Monastiraki Metro station (if you're coming out of the station it's on the left "corner" of the square....mind you, I'm not sure how many exits there are in the station).

They had sit down and take away. The restaurant inside was packed & we were pressed for time, so we chose the takeaway....gyros were something like 2 euros each! And they were absolutely delicious!!

Enjoy Athens!

We had a stop in Athens a year ago and used Athens Walking Tours, specifically this tour:

http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/The-Acropolis-And-New-Acropolis-Museum-Tour

We paid a little extra to be picked up at, and returned to, the ship in a taxi, as mrdeb was uneasy about taking the subway.

If you have mobility issues, this won't be for you, but if not - we saw a ton of stuff and our guide was very knowledgeable.

Your opinion, but I STRONGLY DISAGREE with it. The DW & I rode the "Hop On/Off" in Athens this last May, we enjoyed it, & glad we did it. We got on/off very close to where the shipped docked. No problems getting on/off at different stops. No problems with traffic. Plenty of room on the bus to relax. It may not be for you, but we've done HO/HO bus tours in many cities around the world and have always enjoyed them.

 

So, if you've done an HO/HO somewhere else and enjoyed it, do it in Athens. If you tried a HO/HO tour before and didn't like - don't do it in Athens. That simple.

 

Taking the subway system would have been a real PIA, a waste of time, & I'm glad we didn't attempt it: my opinion, that simple.

Just trying to give the OP different options, & supply him with some facts, such as the sights are within easy walking distance from one another, & that there are some sight you cannot get to other than on foot, for example, you won't see Anafiotika, on a hop on hop off bus, & there are also many other smaller sites that you'd miss out on.

I do understand that for some people, a hop on hop off bus works out well, we used one in Barcelona, where the sites are pretty far from one another.

I'm not trying to insult your travel method, just giving some other options.

Have just seen previous posts- I am a hoho lover, have used it in many cities. However, it takes a lot longer than the subway and is a lot more expensive. It is more convenient if you want to do it in as little effort as possible. Just my opinion, but I feel Athens is a city where anyone can comfortably use the public transport to do what they want, no problem.

Put the Acropolis at the TOP of our list.

I also recommend the new Acropolis Museum, which is near the Acropolis. You can get there by taking the METRO to the Acropolis station.

You can walk to the METRO station from your ship. Another choice if you have a group of four is to take a taxi from the ship directly to the Acropolis, so you arrive before the tour buses.

There are other sites to see after you visit those two.

Here are some ideas.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g189400-Activities-Athens_Attica.html