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Athens Hotels

Athens Hotels 

If you're looking for hotels in Athens you've come to the right place. At travelsupermarket.com we compare thousands of Athens hotels from over 50 leading hotel websites. We compare prices of a wide range of accommodation from budget cheap hotels in Athens to 5 star luxury hotels so you're sure to find something suitable. If you already have a hotel in mind you can also search by hotel name.

To find great deals on hotels in Athens just fill in the search form below, selecting your required dates for arrival and departure, number of rooms and guests and your preferred star rating. Then just hit the search button and let us do the rest. We are independent, unbiased and our service is free.

What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Overview

Overview

Hot, passionate and chaotic, at first sight the classical capital of Western civilisation appears to be buried under concrete but further exploration reveals ancient temples, Byzantine churches, neoclassical townhouses and a hedonistic late-night party scene.

See

Dominating the city skyline, the 2,500-year-old temples of The Acropolis cast their shadow over the ancient Agorá, a landscape littered with ancient ruins. East of here lie the pretty cobbled streets of Plaka. A short stroll away Syntagma is buzzing with traffic, commuters and shoppers. Athens is ancient and modern, brash but human.
Spend

High-street clothes and shoe shops line pedestrianised Ermou, while Kolonaki remains the exclusive domain of designer wear. Shop for souvenirs in Plaka, or create a grungy “just-back-from-the-islands” look with sarongs, tie-dye T-shirts, sandals and beads from the open-fronted stores of Monastiraki bazaar.
Get Out

When temperatures soar, head for the beaches of the Attica Coast. The smartest, complete with sunbeds, parasols, cocktails, sushi and massages (with prices to match), are at Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Lagonissi. In the city, the National Gardens offer lush Mediterranean greenery and a momentary escape from urban bustle.
Culture

Through the summer, the Hellenic Festival showcases classical music, dance and theatre in the 5000-seat, 2nd-century Odeon of Herodes Atticus, while rock concerts boom into the star-filled sky from the hilltop Lykavittos Theatre. Each neighbourhood has its own open-air cinema (films are in original version with subtitles) complete with a bar.
Eat & Drink

Plaka serves touristy traditional Greek fare below the Acropolis. For a fresh approach to Greek cuisine, visit the modern tavernas in the districts of Gazi and Psirri. Business lunches take place in smart Kolonaki, while the most atmospheric seafood restaurants are by the water in Piraeus.
New Perspective

See the entire city in one go from its highest point, the summit of Mount Lykavittos (295m), then take a breather in Orizontes restaurant and café. If the hike up looks too steep, board the funicular.

Prepare

Prepare

Bring lightweight clothes, sun cream, sunglasses, and bags of patience. Aspirins may come in handy too.

Athens Year

Celebrate carnival Greek-style with Apokries (Feb-Mar), lace up your running shoes and participate in the gruelling 26-mile Athens Marathon (Oct-Nov) and cheer in the winning driver at the finishing line of the Acropolis Rally (May-Jun). Watch international music, dance and theatre performances at the Hellenic Festival (Jun-Sep) and dance to the best of contemporary European rock at the three-day Rockwave Festival (Jul).
Public Holidays

New Year's Day (1 Jan), Epiphany (6 Jan), first Monday of Lent (Mar), Independence Day (25 Mar), Easter Monday (Apr/May), May Day (1 May), Whit Monday (Jun), Assumption Day (15 Aug), Ohi Day - celebrates Greece's proud “No” to Mussolini's request that the country surrender to Italian forces (28 Oct), Christmas (25-26 Dec).
Weather

June to September are the hottest months (averaging 22–32°C). April and October have sporadic rain, though it is still possible to eat and drink outdoors. December to February is generally mild with occasional cold spells and rare, but not unheard of, snow showers. Athens had a bad reputation for pollution; the smog is still there, but is notably less dense because of restrictions on the number of vehicles allowed into the city centre.
Electricity

220V AC, 50 Hz, round two-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+30 (national), 210 + seven-figure number (Athens).
Money

Euro (€) is the currency.
GMT

+ 2 (+3 in summertime)
Athens Tourist Info

Greek National Tourism Organisation website

Fit In

As temperatures soar through the summer, Athenian women celebrate with unashamedly revealing attire, especially at night. Men are slightly more conservative, dressing casually but neatly, always sporting trousers, not shorts, unless at the beach.

Get Around

Get Around

The city centre lies between the hills of the Acropolis and Lykavittos, with the parliament building on Syntagma Square smack bang in the middle.

The main transport hub is Syntagma. From here, most of the main sights are within 20 minutes' walking distance. The city's two highest points, Lykavittos and The Acropolis, are visible from many places, making excellent orientation references. The coast lies 8km south of the centre.

From Syntagma, the pedestrian street of Ermou leads west to Monastiraki and then continues to Gazi. Quaint, touristy Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, south of Ermou, and the popular night-time district of Psirri lies north of Ermou. Moneyed Kolonaki lies northeast of Syntagma, at the foot of Lykavittos.
Foot

Walking is often the quickest way to get about in the city centre, as well as being a great way to discover the unexpected. Start from the Acropolis metro station and wander along the 4km of tree-lined, pedestrianised, Archaeological Promenade. It links all the city's main archaeological sites.
Bus and trolleybus

Athens' white-and-blue buses are cheap, frequent, and cover an extensive network, but they are also crowded, which is why many people opt for a taxi instead. The yellow trolley buses link all the main points such as Syntagma and Omonia.
Taxi

Athens' yellow taxis are among the cheapest in Europe, and their drivers among the most erratic. If you hail one from the street, it is not unusual to share the ride (but not the cost) with other passengers.
Metro

The metro provides the quickest way to reach the outlying suburbs - the port at Piraeus to the south, smart Kifissia to the north, and the airport to the east. There are just three lines, and the stations are clean and modern thanks to the 2004 Olympics renovation work.
Tram

Inaugurated for the 2004 Olympics, the tram line from Syntagma in the city centre to Glyfada on the coast offers a fast, cheap and comfortable way of getting to the beach.
Transport Tips

A Day Ticket covers one trip to or from Athens airport and gives unlimited travel on public transport (bus, trolleybus and metro, but not the tram) in the city centre for 24 hours after validation.
Time Travel

In the Syntagma and Acropolis metro stations, displays of archaeological finds unearthed during construction work take one back through the millennia, while the high-tech Olympic sports complex (metro station Irini), constructed for the 2004 Games, points towards the future.
Athens Transport Link

Athens Urban Transport Organisation website

Highlights

Highlights

From philosophers to statesmen, athletes to architects, actors to tyrants, Athens tells the story of the birthplace of western civilization.

Kick off at the starting point of it all, The Acropolis, with its 2,500-year-old marble temples. Saunter through the pretty cobbled streets of Plaka, lined with neoclassical buildings and souvenir shops, then visit the archaeological site of the ancient Agorá.

Move north across town to the world class National Archaeological Museum, packed with Ancient Greek marble statues, frescoes, jewellery and ceramics, near Victoria metro station. Or, for a run through Greek artistic development from pre-history to the late 19th century, look in at the Benaki Museum, east of Syntagma.
Sightseeing Tips

The Archaeological Sites of Athens block ticket is valid for four days and allows access to the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus, the Agorá, Kerameikos - where the potters of the city lived and worked 2500 years ago - the Roman Forum and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It can be purchased at any one of these sites. The Benaki Museum is free and open until midnight on Thursdays.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.