5 Things to Know Before Travelling to Athens

Updated: Mar 21

Athens, the capital city of Greece is located on mainland Greece, and is a multi cultural ,vibrant and historic place to visit, whether on a city break, or even on a layover before visiting one of the islands. Visited by over 7 million tourists each year, it is definitely the place to be seen, and has something to appeal to everyone. I have been lucky enough to visit Athens on numerous occasions, with family, friends and even on solo trips. So naturally, I have acquired quite a bit of knowledge on the things you need to know when visiting this beautiful city. SO LETS GET INTO IT.

If you need to get euros out whilst here, visit a Bank ATM as opposed to the free standing ATM branded machines. The bank will have a universal rate that they go by whereas the ATM machines can set any rate, with the fees added on top. It is also typically safer to use a bank ATM in general in any country, as you have that added bit of protection/security from card cloning and there’s a lot more security cameras around as a deterrent for crime. Additionally the machines will ask you if you are using a foreign card, if you would like to accept their conversion. It is best that you always choose NO, and let the bank decide their own conversion fee.

Be mindful of the old saying ’greek timing’. Do not come to Greece with the intention of rushing… it is not in their nature. If you want a quick coffee, grab one to go. Don't expect to be catered for and ready to leave in 5 mins if sitting in somewhere. By all means, make your reservations to plan your days, but allow yourself to chill a little and enjoy the slower paced Mediterranean lifestyle. You might be on a city break, but you are still in Greece, so enjoy your vacation.

If needing a taxi, your best bet is to book an uber. This may be controversial as I know here in the UK there is a massive uber vs black cab debate, but the benefit of uber is that it gives you a set price before you even book the cab and you are not required to pay the driver anything in person. If you are using a taxi however, make sure the driver turns on the meter in the car just before you set off on your journey. If the driver refuses, you can refuse to use the car and get out. It is required by law that taxi drivers start the meter and they know that if you report them, they will get in trouble. So don't be afraid to speak up if they try to take advantage of you.

You will need more than 1 day to visit here. By all means go and watch my 24 hours or even my 48 hours in Athens videos (on You Tube at Georgia Louise Travels). Here I tell you how you can maximise your limited time in the city, however, don't just assume that Athens is just the Acropolis and a souvlaki and then you can head off to the islands. I do not understand how people come to Athens for a day and feel like they have completed it. There is so much to do here. The Acropolis alone can easily take half a day, with the museum included, then lunch, then you’ve stumbled into Plaka, a restaraunt in Monistiraki and a roof top bar and before you know it, your time is up. But you haven’t visited the panatheatic stadium, the national gardens, or seen the changing of the guard at Syntagma; you haven’t eaten at the various delicious street food places, or gone to the Olympic museum, not to mention the hundreds of archaelogical sites dotted everywhere over town. You really haven’t even scratched the surface in 1 day. I would perhaps suggest spending 3 days in Athens if you are looking for a ‘run around’ city break, but you could easily come for 5 days for a slightly slower pace to really take it all in. I would also encourage you to visit the various neighborhoods around Athens which have much to offer or maybe even go on a hike!

Ok, so we have to go there - let’s talk about the toilet situation. Like most of Greece, do not put tissue into the toilets. There will be bins in every toilet, use these and then just flush the toilet as normal. The pipes in Greece are extremely tight and can be blocked easily. Don’t be that person to ignore it and block the pipes!