Arriving at Athens Airport at 2:15 am

Go to Athens, Many hotels in Athens are open 24 hours a day.

No need to waste your 1st night in a hotel near the airport, there is only one, the Sofitel, and it is very expensive.

There is also a bus "X95" which operates 24/7 and can take you into the city center to Syntagma Square but I guess you won't want to take a bus at 3am.

So find a hotel in the city center and pre-book a taxi for example with Welcome Pickups, they are very reliable, speak English, the driver will be waiting for you with a sign with your name after the baggage claim exit. you will receive text messages informing you of the driver's name.

It will cost you around €60 (night rate)

https://www.welcomepickups.com/athens/

So you will wake up and have your first breakfast in Athens

Thank you!

So that would mean a few car-less days in Athens, which is fine. But then what would you recommend? Returning to the airport to hire a car? Or hire one somewhere in the city centre? I heard driving in Athens is not great.

Returning to Athens airport to rent a car is best. Then drive to Napflion to explore the Peloponnesean Peninsula. Not a bad drive when leaving from airport.

Thank you! So you would go south first rather than north?

The suggestion to head back to the airport to rent the car and head to Nafplion for a couple of nights is a great suggestion. Lots to do and see in Nafplion.
Some images
Nafplio https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/albums/72157632094108982

How many total nights (counting that first, partial one) will you be spending in Greece? That information will help folks give you viable suggestions. It would also be useful to know whether you're all-in or classical sites/ruins or are more interested in picturesque towns, etc. Do you want to see an island or two, or will prett coastal spots suffice? Mainland Greece (not Athens, obviously) is great with a car. It's manageable without, but your willingness to drive is advantageous.

My curiosity compels me to ask, 'where are you coming from that you arrive at 2:15 AM?'

Sure hope you got a really good deal on airfare to offset the hotel cost for a 'short night' of use ( ~3:30 AM to 11 AM)

Most car rental agencies in town are on Syngrou Fix avenue, close to the Acropolis Museum. But driving out of Athens can be very stressful if you're not used to it. There may also be traffic jams depending on the time.

Without going to the airport you can find other car rental agencies outside the city center. It all depends on where you want to go next and whether the car rental company is right for you.

If you go to Peloponnese (Nafplio, Delphi, Meteora, Olympia) there are several local car rental agencies and also Hertz and Budget in the Maroussi district, north of Athens. where you will not have to deal with the traffic in city ​​center.

Do a search on Google Maps for “rental car maroussi athens”

They are right next to the E94 or E75 motorways which go towards the Peloponnese.

This saves you from wasting time returning to the airport which is on the opposite side, to the south east of Athens.

Of course you will still have to take a taxi to pick up the car (twice cheaper than a taxi to the airport)

I guess that the OP could arrive in Athens from Nantes, France with a Volotea flight.....

Hi everyone,

Yes, flying from Nantes and it was an incredibly good deal which is why I nabbed it! I’ll be travelling with kids so hoping to so some of the Historical sites and a bit of easier hiking. Possibly some beaches too if there are some kid-friendly ones. No islands as I’ve been to all of the major ones previously. I’ll be staying 2 weeks total. My initial idea was to start by going North then loop back around West then South, but I can go in the opposite direction if you think that’s better.

Picking up a car on the city outskirts sounds good, especially if I can then leave it at the airport at the end of the road trip, otherwise I’ll have the timesink of dropping it off Athens then getting a taxi to the airport.

Remember that in August the temperature can be unbearable in Athens. 40°C or more (105F - 110F). There are a lot of tourists, noise, pollution. With children this will not be easy to manage.

And outside of towns, don't expect to hike during the day, or plan to be back before noon.

I don't know what you're referring to when you say "central Greece", but I'm sure you won't be able to see much in 2 days.
Going north then west and south doesn't mean anything. At best you could drive to Nafplio and stay there for a night (or two).
And if you want to see archaeological sites while enjoying the sea with the kids there are some nice seaside villages a few kilometers east of Nafplio, with beaches, accommodation, and restaurants.

See Tolo or Candia.

https://tinyurl.com/25rwtf2k

https://tinyurl.com/3bwustfu

From Candia or Tolo you can visit the archaeological sites of Mycenae and Epidaurus. But don't forget that there is almost no shade on these sites. You have to leave early so as not to be there after 11am.

EDIT-

deleted original comment as it was deemed irrelevant/incomprehensible.

2 days? I’m staying for 2 weeks… Did I mistype sthg somewhere?

Not sure I understand the glutton for punishment remark, I’ve been travelling for years with the kids to similar European destinations and not had any complaints or difficulties so far :)

And of course earlier flights were three to four times more expensive, completely unaffordable for someone on my income.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Sorry, it was me who missed this clarification in your 3rd message.

It remains to be clarified if you already have destinations planned heading north then west then east. With 10 days you have enough time to do quite a few things but don't try to do/see too much.

Most of what people go to Athens for is in a relatively small area making it very walkable.

The last thing you want to do is hire a car and drive around Athens.

I've heard some rental companies will pick you up at your hotel and then drive you outside the city to avoid the hassle of driving out of Athens Center.

The alternative is to take a taxi back to the Airport where there are car rental agencies.

Another option if you want to get up close and friendly with locals is the bus from Athens to Nafplio. Very inexpensive on clean buses and drops you off just outside the Nafplio Old Town.

Nafplio would be a wonderful town to base yourself in as it's near to many World-Class Archeological/Historic sites and so much more. Beautiful Old Town with narrow lanes, lovely architecture, shops, markets and tavernas, nice walking behind the town along the waterfront to a small pebble beach.

Check out the best web site for Nafplio and you'll find more than enough to keep you occupied:

https://visitnafplio.com/

No worries!

I honestly haven't got any further than Athens so far, but I know I at least want to go as far North as Meteora, then swing back round southwest into the Peloponnese before heading back to Athens.

Finding an ideal itinerary that includes Meteora and Peloponnese is a real headache because all these places are scattered and generally in mountain environments.
And the more you want to see, the more headache it will be.

This will mainly depend on your way of traveling.
Personally I like to take my time even if I miss places and I don't recommend the "road trip" style
But if that's your thing, that's up to you.

See exactly how many days you have by removing Athens

For example from Athens going north you can go to Delphi then to Meteora.
Delphi is about a 2.5 hour drive.
From Delphi to Meteora approximately 3h30

So if you want to visit Delphi and the Meteora monasteries it will take you 3 nights before leaving for the Peloponnese.

That certainly sounds feasible, JoLui, thank you!

Hear me out.

If you can manage driving 45 minutes at that late hour (it is 40 minutes to heart of Athens from airport so this is comparable), you can easily drive on deserted freeway-type roads (at that hour) to a beach on the most heavenly stretch of water imaginable. It's west of the airport on the Saronic Gulf near Corinth and is the place I always stay if I am arriving at night. It sets us up perfectly for all of the Peloponnese, many islands, or the northwest coastal areas.

Now, you would first have to arrange for a late-night car pickup (which is right outside the arrivals) and let the hotel know you'll be very late but other than that, you'll be on your way and in charge.

Thanks, Will!

Hi Will,

Curious, what town "west of the airport on the Saronic Gulf near Corinth" are you referring to?

Thanks!