I have made reservations for my family and me to stay at The Marblous Hotel before our cruise. I am hoping that was a good choice or if there are any other hotels that would be in a better area and/or less expensive. I am considering doing a tour, picking us up when we fly in and then dropping us off at our hotel when the tour is done. Or, I need to book transportation from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to the cruise ship terminal. What are the pros and cons of that idea? I DO NOT want to use Welcome Pick-ups for anything. Their driver in Barcelona went to the wrong cruise terminal when we got off our cruise. We wasted a long time waiting for him and were very rushed when we ended up taking a taxie to the airport. They charged me and I had to dispute that charge. We are a family of 7. Thank you.
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
3732 posts
The Marblous Hotel is literally right next to Syntagma Square. At the airport, take the metro or bus X95. You'll arrive at Syntagma Square about 40 minutes later, and then it's just a short walk.
Bus X95: €5.50
Metro: €9
Taxi (flat rate): €40 with a maximum of 4 passengers
Athens itself could easily desserve a 4 days tour, so once you've checked into your hotel, you might as well make the most of being in the city center. Almost everything is within walking distance.
Note regarding Welcome Pickups: it's a Greek company, so using it in Spain seems strange to me, as I always prefer local businesses I would never use WP anywhere but in Greece.
In Greece, only drivers with a taxi license are authorized. Regardless of the service or app you use, you will always be dealing with an official taxi. (With the exception of some private minivan services).
Posted by
Tinos, Greece
42 posts
Very short sighted to totally dismiss welcome pickups. When only used in a different country.
Posted by
Big Island of Hawaii
862 posts
I have read many favorable recommendations about Welcome Pickup. And, according to their website, they are in 357 destinations worldwide. So, they may be a company that started in Greece, but they are not just focused in Greece any longer.
Posted by
Athens, Greece
39 posts
Don’t dismiss Welcome Pickups, I have used them in Santorini & Athens, both offered helpful tips (which I declined on the Athens ride as I live here 🙂), good communication & drivers. I usually use public transport to & from the airport but on the odd occasion I have the need I have used transport services, Welcome Pickups have been the best of them when you consider the service & pricing.