Which area to stay in Port or Plaka area

[ladocevita]

Trying to decide if we should stay 2 nights pre cruise near the port or stay in the Plaka area? We will have 2 carry on and 2 luggage. I do have a hotel in the Plaka area tentatively booked but can cancel without penalty. Thoughts?

[pdmlynek]

Plaka.  Definitely Plaka.  

 

Two nights will give you enough time to do a day and a half of sightseeing in downtown Athens.  There is enough stuff to do a week within a mile of Plaka, so you do not need to take transportation anywhere; everything is walkable.

 

You can catch an Express bus to the ship from Syntagma Square, or for about 15-20 EUR you can catch a taxi.  For Plaka <-> airport, use either a bus or the metro.

 

Good luck!

[cruisemom42]

Stay in Athens, not in Piraeus. 

 

I enjoy Athens far more in the evenings than during the day. It seems to have more character then. 

 

And if you're doing any sightseeing it is far more convenient doing it from a central location. Don't worry about getting to the ship -- Piraeus is just a short taxi ride from central Athens (exact timing depends on the time of day and traffic, but generally 20-30 minutes).

[ladocevita]

So metro to Plaka area and Xbus to port ?

[Hlitner]

Perhaps the OP is not quite clear on their options.  The "Port" is located in the city of Pireaus which is about 7 congested road miles from Athens.  Athens is a large city and the Plaka is simply one relatively small neighborhood within the city.  Most hotels are not located in the Plaka but there are many hotes within walking distance.  

 

You most certainly want to stay in Athens (not the Plaka) if you are there for two nights.  There is no compelling reason for most folks to stay in Pireaus.  Getting to your ship (port) from Athens is not very difficult and can be done via taxi, Metro (Green Line), or some transfer company.   Athens is a wonderful place to visit for a few days and it is a tourist-friendly city with decent public transportation and plenty of taxis (who are not always very honest).    Like Cruisemom, we do enjoy Athens in the evening although we also like the city during the day (if it is not too hot).

 

Hank

[travelingman]

@Hlitner, don't know what you have against the Plaka area.  We have enjoyed staying there.  It is close to pretty much everything and a fun area to walk around with some good restaurants.  Plus some of the ruins are right there in it.

 

Stan

[carlmm]

I certainly about staying in Athens vs Piraeus. If it is actually the Plaka or someplace very close, is in my opinion less important. I would just advise against every, albeit maybe more upscale, hotel which is not in comfortable (!) walking distance.

 

[carlmm]

Just to add: It is not like Piraeus has nothing to offer but Athens has so uncompsrable more important sights.

If one has already toured Athens intensively, Piraeus can be nice for a day or two. There are couple of museums and churches and a theater. The restaurants at the smaller ports are a favourite of many, Mr wealthy, people from Athens.

Edited July 27, 2022 by carlmm

[iancal]

Never stayed in Piraeus even though we have been through it multiple times.   We have stayed  in Athens several times. 

 

Last time, for a change, we stayed in Glyfada.  Midway between the two.  Streetcar or bus into Athens.  Xbus to Piraeus.  Nice quiet area. Beach.   Some good restaurants.  We enjoyed it. 

[KarefreeKaren]

Will be in Athens two nights post cruise.  Looking for centrally located hotel—normally would select the Hilton, but noted it is closed.  Prefer larger property, 4+stars, with nice restaurant and bar area in a safe, quiet location as I travel solo. 

[cruisemom42]

32 minutes ago, KarefreeKaren said:

Will be in Athens two nights post cruise.  Looking for centrally located hotel—normally would select the Hilton, but noted it is closed.  Prefer larger property, 4+stars, with nice restaurant and bar area in a safe, quiet location as I travel solo. 

 

I've traveled solo and stayed in Athens a number of times. I would suggest you not get too fussed about the number of stars as European ratings are somewhat different than US (stars relate more to onsite amenities than overall luxury of lodgings).

 

I have two favorites. Close to the Plaka, the Acropolis museum and Acropolis entrance is the clean and modern Athens Gate hotel. Almost every room has a view of either the Acropolis or the Temple of Zeus in the other direction. Great rooftop restaurant/bar where breakfasts are held.

 

If you like history and want to splurge, I can also highly recommend the Grande Bretagne hotel which sits on Syntagma Square (near the palace and changing of the guard).  It's a traditional hotel (and I'm sure it must be 4 stars at least) and one where many famous people stayed over the years, including Heinrich Schliemann who lived on the top floor for years while excavating various sites and having his own neoclassical mansion built in Athens....   The GB has a fabulous rooftop bar with a view (not as close as the Athens Gate but equally impressive) where breakfast is held. They also have a great bar off the lobby usually with live music in the evening.

 

 

[KarefreeKaren]

45 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I've traveled solo and stayed in Athens a number of times. I would suggest you not get too fussed about the number of stars as European ratings are somewhat different than US (stars relate more to onsite amenities than overall luxury of lodgings).

 

I have two favorites. Close to the Plaka, the Acropolis museum and Acropolis entrance is the clean and modern Athens Gate hotel. Almost every room has a view of either the Acropolis or the Temple of Zeus in the other direction. Great rooftop restaurant/bar where breakfasts are held.

 

If you like history and want to splurge, I can also highly recommend the Grande Bretagne hotel which sits on Syntagma Square (near the palace and changing of the guard).  It's a traditional hotel (and I'm sure it must be 4 stars at least) and one where many famous people stayed over the years, including Heinrich Schliemann who lived on the top floor for years while excavating various sites and having his own neoclassical mansion built in Athens....   The GB has a fabulous rooftop bar with a view (not as close as the Athens Gate but equally impressive) where breakfast is held. They also have a great bar off the lobby usually with live music in the evening.

 

 

Thank you so much for your suggestions!  The Athens Gate looks very nice and will book it.  The GB looks beautiful, but don’t think I need to splurge that much!!!!  All the best, Karen

[irvington]

I loved the Athens Gate when we were there last summer - amazing location and views, very nice people working there. What cruisemom42 says about the Grande Bretagne has me intrigued since I love archaeology - I have a (law) conference there in a few years and assumed I would stay somewhere nearby to avoid the high cost, but now I'm thinking I might need to splurge.

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, irvington said:

I loved the Athens Gate when we were there last summer - amazing location and views, very nice people working there. What cruisemom42 says about the Grande Bretagne has me intrigued since I love archaeology - I have a (law) conference there in a few years and assumed I would stay somewhere nearby to avoid the high cost, but now I'm thinking I might need to splurge.

 

Sometimes you can find decent prices at GB, particularly if you book ahead, so keep watching. 

 

It's a real treat -- very "Grande" in the sense of old-world furnishings and decor. Don't expect streamlined modern. 

 

The bar I mentioned off the lobby has a fantastic tapestry of Alexander the Great dating from the 18th century.