Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Greece Mainland
Athens
The home of civilization, birthplace of democracy ….. everyone knows the history of Athens and if you are of an historical persuasion or are into archaeology or ancient history then this place will be your Athenian heaven.
Indeed, millions of drachma and Euros have been invested in preserving the historical sites and turning them into prime tourist destinations.
Getting There
Most tourists arrive by air and Athens International Airport is located around 16 miles (27 km) south east of the city.
Unusually for a capital’s major airport both flag carriers and budget airlines serve the airport.
There is a Metro connection to the city with trains operating half hourly for the 40 minute journey. Tickets are €8 single €14 return for one person or a one way ticket for two is €14.
There are four coach routes operating a 24 hour service to the city, single fares €6
There is a fixed rate taxi fare to the city €38 during the day and €54 at night (midnight to 05:00).
Beware not all taxi drivers are honest and not all turn the meter on. Drivers are obliged by law to give a receipt for the journey. The safest option is to pre-book and pre-pay your taxi.
Getting Around
For tourists there are plenty of open top buses visiting all the tourist hot spots, as well as lines serving Piraeus and the coast Costs are good value with prices from €11 for a 48 hour pass with Greyline.
There are three metro lines in the city, however trains are relatively infrequent compared with other metro systems, trains generally 10-12 minutes apart. Trains are very crowded which makes the system a hot spot for pick pocketing gangs. In five days in the city I thwarted two attempted two pickpocketing attacks on myself, unfortunately it was a case of third time unlucky as our passports were stolen on a metro train.
The main hot spots for the pickpockets are the tourist stations of Omonia, Syntagma and Monastiraki.
There is a comprehensive bus network and a limited tram network.
A day ticket with unlimited travel costs €4.50 but better value is a five day ticket for €9.
Yellow cabs abound in Athens and prices are relatively cheap, however a significant minority of taxi drivers are not honest and try not to use their meter and will try and rip you off.
Most journeys within the city centre should cost around €5.
What to see
The Acropolis, crowned by the Parthenon, physically and metaphorically dominates the city and is the centre of the tourist area. Unsurprisingly, the nearby Plaka area is one of the cleanest and best maintained areas in the city.
Needless to say the Acropolis is very busy, so expect queues and avoid, at all costs, visiting on a Greek public holiday where admission is free. If you want to avoid the worse of the crowds arrive as it opens or about an hour before it closes.
Opening hours April – October 08:00 – 20:00, remainder of the year 08:00 – dusk.
Admission is €20, a €30 ticket gives admission to seven other attractions and is valid for five days.
At the base of the Acropolis is the Acropolis Museum, check opening times online because they’re too complicated to include here, admission is €5.
The Agora is the ancient marketplace, a 15 minute walk from the Acropolis. Opening hours are the same as the Acropolis with admission €8, although admission is included in the €30 Acropolis ticket.
A mini-Agora can be found at the Roman Forum and Tower of the Winds, the site is mainly ruins and frankly boring. Open 08:00 – 15:00 (17:00 weekends), admission €6, although admission is included in the €30 Acropolis ticket.
Although the Acropolis dominates the skyline it isn’t the tallest point in Athens, that honour lies with Lykavittos Hill, 300m (908 feet) high.
For the energetic there are pine lined paths to reach the top, for the less energetic there is a funicular, although you still need to walk halfway up the hill to reach the base station. The funicular operates 365 days a year from 09:30 – 01:30 the following morning. The fare is €7.50 return and €5 single. Trains operate every 30 minutes, although in peak periods they may be as frequent as every 10 minutes. If you make it to the top and it isn't too hazy you'll be rewarded with some stunning views of Athens.
The National Gardens are an oasis of green in the centre of what is a dry, arid city. Tree lined paths provide somewhere to shelter from the intense sun and heat. There are ponds housing turtles but, and there's always a negative, there is a so called small zoo in the centre of the where the exhibits live in the most appalling conditions.
The Parliament Building is home to the tomb of the unknown soldier which is guarded by the elite Evzone Guards, renown for their odd uniforms and even stranger marching styles.
There is a full Changing of The Guard every Sunday morning at 11:00, whilst the two guards on duty are changed every hour, on the hour. It's an elaborate ceremonial and worth watching.
Some people consider it comical but laugh at your peril - these are not some touristy guards, they are elite of the Greek armed services and if you laugh you will be challenged.
The Monastiraki, Psyrri, Gazi and Thiso areas are the bohemian heart of the city with quirky shops, arts and restaurants.
athensguard
In terms of cost Athens is one of the cheapest cities in Europe, mainly because the cost of living has plummeted since the country almost went bankrupt.
However, the downside is public services are almost non-existent. Rubbish lies uncollected, or collected rarely, on the streets. There is graffiti everywhere and far too many buildings, not just the historic ones, lie derelict.
Basically most of the city resembles one big slum.
Poverty is obvious, beggars are everywhere.
Due to the geographic location of Greece at the eastern border of the European Union, Greece and Athens in particular has an appalling migrant / refugee issue, which isn’t helping the economy.
Petty theft and pickpocketing is endemic.
In summary Athens is an appalling city with few redeeming features. As a tourist it’s nigh on impossible to relax, you need your wits about you and even then you can be caught out, with petty crime, dishonest taxi drivers, roads and pavements ridden with potholes it is a place to avoid.
If you are a fan of the group Queen you may well enjoy Athens, as the city is home to a large number of fat bottomed girls.
If you are a victim of crime don’t expect the police to be of any help – they don’t want to know.
Apparently the average police officers wage is €500 a month – barely enough to live on so little wonder morale is low.
When reporting the stolen passports the police logged them as being lost. I pointed out they had not been lost, they had been stolen.
The officer told me, “if you wish to report this as a crime you will need to appear before a Greek court to make a formal complaint and you will be wasting your time if you do.”
A good way to keep the crime figures down.
Finishing on a positive note, most of the Greek locals are friendly, helpful, honest people they are equally frustrated with the state of their city.
Would I recommend visiting Greece again – yes, would I recommend visiting Athens – absolutely not.
Olympia
No, not the exhibition hall in London but the site of the ancient Olympic games and the site where the Olympic flame is lit from the suns rays at the beginning of each modern Olympiad.
Located in the east of the country on the Peloponnese Peninsular Olympia itself is a small town, which relies on tourism as its main source of income.
What the tourists come to see is the nearby archaeological site, which was a major Panhellenic Temple dedicated to the God Zeus, as well as being the site of the ancient Olympic games.
One thing that catches out some tourists is they expect to also see mount Olympus whilst her - to do so they would need bionic eyesight and the ability to see over the horizon as the mountain is 170 miles away from the town.
There are remains, and I mean remains, some more remained (is that a correct word in this context - it is now) than others, on the site. For most of the buildings there are just pillars remaining amongst grassy knolls.
The original Olympic stadium is a bit of a disappointment. If you are expecting a modern style, elliptical running track you'll be be disappointed. Basically it's a straight track about 100 yards long where they run backwards and forwards for the longer races.
There is also the "temple" where the Olympic flame is lit, small, disappointing and an anti climax.
The complex is open all year 08:00 - 19:00 summer and 08:30 - 15:00 winter (November - March), admission is €12 in the summer and €6 in winter, admission is free Greek Public holidays and the first Sunday of the month from November - March. Admission includes admission to the site plus several associated museums.
The town is pleasant enough with a mix of cafés, restaurants, gift shops and general stores.
Volos
Volos is a port town about 100 miles north of Athens as the crow flies.
It's the sixth largest town in Greece and is home to some 144,000 residents. The town has a relatively modern feel, due the the fact it was almost totally destroyed in a major earthquake in 1955.
There is a busy fishing port with fishermen selling their catch direct to the public from their boats.
Legend as it that Jason set sail in the Argo from Volos and, unsurprisingly, the town cashes in on this connection. There is a replica of the Argo in the harbour and the Argo is the towns symbol.
Nearby there is a car free promenade lined with dozens of cafés where you can sit with a leisurely drink or meal and contemplate the world or just people watch. It's in these cafés the men of the town gather each weekday morning to chin wag and put the world to rights, whilst on Saturday morning it's the turn of the ladies
Volos is situated in the foothills of Mount Pelion, home to the famous and spectacular Hanging Monasteries, about a two hour drive from the town.
There is a small beach and although probably not a destination in its own right, it is a good base for exploring the local area and mountains.
The town, like most in Greece, has an archaeological museum and a railway museum. Or for something really quirky you could visit the roof tile and brickworks museum, located in an old tile and brick factory.