Please sign in to post.

Ferry/Metro questions

Posted by (Apex NC) on

hi Fam!

Two quick questions. It will be our first time in Greece in two weeks! So excited! As i've been submersing myself in articles/hints/tips/facebook groups, etc. i'm starting to see some conflicting info and want to hive this mind.

  1. Flying into Athens. Arrive 6pm. Was planning on Metro to central Athens (we're staying in Plaka). read so much that it was fine; safe, nice, etc. then saw a few posts about phones or luggage being stolen etc. We're pretty careful travelers, and i think i'll be more aware after reading those posts, but what say you? metro or taxi? and i read, if taxi, make sure driver agrees on price prior to departure?

  2. We're booked on the overnight Minoan ferry (Festos Palace one of the slow big ferries) from Heraklion to Piraeus. I suffer from sea sickness on smaller boats...how are the big ones on the water during the end of May? I know no one can predict the weather, but in general.

Thanks! this forum has been INCREDIBLE!

Posted by
1865 posts

In the metro, and especially on line 3 from the airport you must take the usual precautions and watch your luggage, pockets and personal belongings and everything will be fine. Anyway if you are targeted by a pickpocket it is because he has spotted a weak point. They are not looking for difficulty.

However, for a first time in Athens and after a long flight a taxi would not be a bad option. The price to go to town is €40 (flat rate) all inclusive. And the taxi will drop you off in front of your hotel. You can also pre-book a taxi, for example with Welcome Pickups, an English-speaking driver will be waiting for you with a sign with your name. This is a few euros more than the flat rate.

As for the Festos Palace, it will depend only on you and your ability to stay more than 9 hours on a ferry.

Unless a very bad weather you will not realize that you are on a boat.

https://youtu.be/kd_907PRxmY?feature=shared

Posted by
7 posts

Thank you JoLui! You and @Janet from Philadelphia have been wonderfully insightful and helpful, (along with many others!). Thank You!

Posted by
24 posts

Also listen for how they pronounce place names (stations, etc). For example, Syntagma is SIN-dug-ma...airport is ero-DROM-yo...Piraeus is pi-RA-yas to name a few (and of course that semi-readable Greek alphabet!) when listening to automated announcements on the train/bus, reading tickers and signs, etc.

Two words you'll see a lot (and use) in transport are:
1. Προς (Pros , "toward, or in the direction of") as in the prefix pro- (i.e. pro-capitalism, etc)
2. Εξοδος (Exodos/Eksodos, "exit") as in the word exodus

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
3327 posts

if you are bothered by seasickness, i'm puzzled why you consider ferry to Pireaus at all, when flights take 45-50 minutes? Is it because you waited until late, and all Chania - Piraeus flights for that day were full? Just wondering.

Posted by
7 posts

it's a great question @janet.

my travel companions are not bothered by the sea, and we wanted to experience the Aegean a bit. All i had read early on/most of the time as we were planning the trip said that on the big ferries you can hardly feel the movement.

So, my last post was more a recency bias/two-week before the trip panic-induced thing - since in the last two weeks i've read some posts where people were getting sick from the ride. (Upon further digging, turns out some of those were catamarans...and all were much smaller boats).

my sickness has been tempered somewhat through the years; doc says i can overcome if by testing/training my inner ear imbalance in small steps - i can't sail or do small boats it seems, but rode the ferries in San Francisco and it was fine. the Bay was pretty mild that day, though.

anyway, i realize it wasn't probably the smartest move i've ever made :)

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.