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Athens hotel

#1) I arrive Athens 11pm Oct 29th and need to be back to airport to fly to Paros by 730 the next morning. Any suggestions on a decent, clean hotel to stay 1 night near the airport? #2) I arrive back in Athens at 9am on Nov 7th and will leave Nov 8th on a 6am flight. Would like to see at least the Acropolis and whatever else I might be able to fit in. Any suggestions again for a hotel and also should I hire a day guide to show us around or try to do it on our own? Just want to fit in as much as I can in the few hours we will have. Thanks!!

Posted by
1383 posts

Lea #1) The nearest reasonably priced hotel to the airport is the Peri http://www.perishotelapt.gr/ They are pretty much in the middle of nowhere but offer transfers back and forth' We've stayed there and the rooms are fine and the people helpful. The alternative is an expensive hotel on the airport itself or an hour each way into the centre. #2) It depends on how tight your budget is, and whether you are happy to pay 35 euros for a taxi in the morning. I would probably stay at the Attalos. http://www.attaloshotel.com/ You can then get the metro from the airport to Monastiraki on the way in and get them to order you a taxi for the morning. The Attalos is a five minute walk from Monastiraki station and Monastiraki is a good starting point for the sites. Given the time you have I wouldn't get a guide. The major sites are close together and you will cover more ground if you just wander through them and take in the atmostphere. Alan

Posted by
83 posts

You might consider the Sofitel. It's right in the Athens airport. Short walks from airport Metro stop and flight departure area. Nice way to avoid potential early morning transfer problems. Their website shows $172/night for your first date and $135 for your second. Perhaps too pricey. Alan's post is good advice. Suggest you use a guidebook instead of a guide.

Posted by
3115 posts

Because your morning flight out of Athens leaves so early, meaning you have to be at the airport around 4am, a taxi will cost more than €35. I believe the night rate is €50 but your hotel can arrange it for you and give you the exact fare.

Posted by
255 posts

Definitely Hotel Attalos for a great view of the Acropolis! I've stayed there three times, the last time with 4 high school teen-agers and it was great.
You might try Free Athens Walking Tours and see if they can do an Acropolis tour. We loved them, too. It says free but they depend on tips. Recommended tip is 5 euro per person. We tipped 50 euro, it was that good. http://www.athensfreewalkingtour.com/index.php

Posted by
3311 posts

For your Athens hotel stay, there are many fans of Hotel Attalos. However I find that Hotel Metropolis is (1) as cheap or cheaper, (2) closer to the Metro Green Line station at Monastiraki, AND closer to the 24/7 airport express bus at Syntagma Square (it's located on Metropolis St, halfway between the two), and (3) instead of being on a dreary street as Attalos is, Hotel Metr. is directly across from the Cathedral (= Metropolis) and its nice green park. Attalos has a roof view of Acropolis... but u have to buy a drink at its bar to loiter up there. Hotel Metropolis rooftop open to all, you bring up your own libations. Its front balcony rooms on 3rd & 4th floor are the best and VERY afforable http://www.hotelmetropolis.gr/ As for "day guide" the Free Athens Guide thing is great if it's still going in Nov ... last year it was not. For D-I-Y, if u have "Smartphone" u can download free Rick Steves step-by-step guide to both the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora, just below it.

Posted by
1383 posts

Hate to disagree with Janet but it isn't true that you have to buy a drink to sit on the Athos roof (assuming you're a resident.) We stay there a lot and have never had any suggestion of this. In fact we were there last weekend and had no problems bringing up sandwiches and drinks and sitting at one of their tables. Just thought it was worth setting the record straight :) Alan

Posted by
203 posts

Hotel Attalos says it has a "breakfast room". Does that mean there is a free breakfast?

Posted by
1383 posts

Not free. It depends on the deal you get. Some prices are 'breakfast included'. Worth checking when you ask about room price. The breakfast, from memory, is around 7 euros and is fine. Whether you want to get breakfast included is obviously a matter of personal preference. We generally have breakfast in if we are setting off somewhere early in the morning but, if we are going to be around town, go out and pick something up in one of the several nearby sandwich shops. Alan

Posted by
973 posts

What Alan said about the Attalos is also my experience, but even tho you CAN catch the sub to the airport for a 6am flight, not sure I would stay there the night before such an early flight. The view of the Acropolis is "pinch-me!" good and we drank OJ for rehydration, kids were also present at the rooftop terrace with perfectly fine vibes.
We found a bakery/coffee shop half a block away with better croissants than the Attalos, but you probably won't be at the hotel for breakfast anyway. Very nice staff at the Attalos, take your earplugs tho if you get a lower floor.