Hello,
My husband, adult son and I will be traveling to Athens the middle of January. We have never been there so was looking to get any recommendations on where to stay. We do like the hotels that we have stayed at on previous RS tours so the hotels do not have to be fancy. We will probably not rent a car so want to be near public transportation. We have been looking at taking trips to Delphi and Meteora but not sure what the weather would be like that time of year. Has anybody traveled to Athens that time of year and can give me any ideas about traveling to Delphi or Meteora. We will also hopefully see all the sights around Athens. Thanks for any input.
Posted by
464 posts
In Athens we stayed at the AthensWas hotel on Dionysiou Areopagitou street. It is a shady pedestrian street in Makrigianni and only 1 block from the New Acropolis Museum and 2 blocks from the Acropolis. There are several other hotel possibilites in this area also. It was nice to be able to walk to the Acropolis and to the Plaka area. The Akropoli Metro is nearby so you can get to other places in Athens by public transportation as well.
Posted by
France Southwest
2318 posts
About the weather, as it is not an exact science, nobody will be able to tell you months ahead what the weather will be like.
Statistics will tell you that January is generally a bit rainy and temperatures can range from 0°C to 15°C.
You won't need a car in Athens, the majority of archaeological sites, museums and places to see are centrally located around the Acropolis and within walking distance. Many streets are pedestrianized in this area. In addition, public transport, metro, bus, trams, are very efficient, inexpensive and easy to use. There are also many taxis.
Regarding Athens Go to https://www.thisisathens.org/
for more information of all kinds
Plaka is the preferred area for a stay of a few days.
Look on a map of Athens or on Google Maps within a 500 meter circle around the Acropolis and Syntagma Square. In this circle you will find dozens of possibilities of Hotels of all categories.
Apart from the Plaka district,
East of Syntagma Square is the Kolonaki district which is a bit more upscale with chic cafes and embassies.
To the west is Monastiraki Square and then the Psiri district, which are very lively districts, especially at night.
South of the Acropolis Museum is the district of Makrigianni then Koukaki which is quieter and more "local" but offers fewer accommodation options.
I go to Athens frequently but never to a hotel, so other members of this forum will surely have good addresses to give you in these areas. See if it fits your budget and preferences. Otherwise go to booking.com and other usual specialized websites.
Avoid the area around Omonia Square (north) where it is not advisable to walk around at night.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
3397 posts
I also favor the area mentioned by Organizer ... Other hotels right in that area, just below the Acropolis "precinct" are Airotel Parthenon(just 100 yards away), Hotel Hera. Hotel Phillipos, and its upscale sister Hotel, Hotel Herodion. The latter has a rooftop terrace restaurant w Parthenon view but probably not open in midwinter. With all these hotels offseason, you can ask for (and probably get) upper floor roms with Acropolis view, sometimes with balconies. This side of Acropolis is away from the heavy-traffic boulevards, most of streets are car-free there's a lovely pedestrianized promenade on s. side of Acropolis, where the Acropolis Museum faces. On warmer & sunny days, in late afternoon, many local families use this for their pre-dinner "volta" (walk), with baby carriages, kids on trikes, lovely scene.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1700 posts
We stayed at the Airotel Parthenon recommended by Janet. The location is excellent. About 5-10 minute walk from the Acropolis. Right around the corner from the Plaka. Tons of restaurants nearby. We walked everywhere, including to the Monastiraki neighborhood, the Athens Flea Market, and the Athens Central Market. Walked to the Parliament building to see the Changing of the Guard.
My only minor complaint about the hotel is that its included breakfast buffet is mediocre. But if you tire of it, there are plenty of restaurants nearby where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast.
Posted by
Brighton, UK
1419 posts
I’ve done a day trip from Athens to Delphi in January and we had sleet on the site. It’s north of Athens and the altitude makes it colder. Having said that we were glad we had gone: we were cold but it was atmospheric! Delphi is a ski resort in winter although the actual skiing takes place higher up.
My advice would be to leave it until you are actually there and check the weather then. It’s easy enough to book a day or two before and there’s no reason to make the decision now. If it’s a cold January, and there is lots of snow in the north, then you could probably still so it but it would be a long day. The coach would obviously travel more slowly in bad conditions.
I’d be more doubtful about Meteora as the monasteries are more spread out and so there is more travel once you are there. I may be prejudiced though. I’ve only ever done it in April and it was snowing then!
Alan
Posted by
Moncton NB
1117 posts
In the Plaka, I can recommend Hotel Phaedra. Inexpensive, well-located, clean "Rick Steves type" hotel right in the heart of the Plaka. Balconies with views of the Acropolis. https://hotelphaedra.com/
To get to Meteora, you can theoretically take a train, but it takes a few connections and most of a day. We drove and it was an easy drive (once you get out of Athens), and we liked having the freedom a car gives you in the Meteora area. To see more of Meteora, take a tour from Visit Meteora. https://visitmeteora.travel/