betul

Flying to Athen for 3 days.Recommends for sightseeing , dinning ,bars,nightlife..etc<BR><BR>Thanks

Boo

Hi.<BR><BR>See the Parthenon, have dinner in the Plaka then go home.<BR><BR>Sorry, but unless your interests are very specialized, Athens is a boring city and many of the ancient Greek artifacts are in the British Museum anyway.<BR><BR>You might consider a drive into the countryside.<BR><BR>B.V.<BR><BR>Boo

Melanie

Boo's comments were a little harsh. I found Athens to be much better than expected, although we were only there a short time. If you do want to get away from the city, but not want to have to travel far - I'd recommend the island of Hydra. From Pireaus (the Athens port), its only an hour hydrafoil to Hydra. (I think its less than $15 to get there) Not sure what season you are going in, but we went in early June and thought it was great. No cars allowed...pretty quiet in the day, once you get off the harbor - but at night we'd go out and have lots of fun. Pretty neat to be able to party with all the locals. Stay at the Bratsera - easily the best!<BR><BR>Melanie

Joe

This is a good example of one person's meat being another's poison. I like cities and I like history, and to me Athens is an astounding place. It's where Western civilization begins, and the Acropolis and the other sites are in great condition. I spent two nights there in 2000 staying at the Intercontinental (as part of a cruise package). I hope to return and stay at a hotel in the Plaka and more thoroughly explore the city, but what I saw was wonderful.

sue

Athens is not Rome or Paris, for sure, but it has it's own charm. See the ancinet sites, go to Kalonaki Square, the Plaka, and the night life is fun. The clubs scene starts at 1a.m. I did not go (too old) but have friends who live near there and I wish I remembered what area the clubs are in, but ask at the hotel. <BR>Take a day trip to see Posidon's temple at the end of the Sunion pennisula. There is a town near Vuligomeni (along the coast road south of Athens and on the way to or from Posidon's temple) that begins with a B, where they have travernas that serve the whole lamb cooked on a spit, plus fabulous vegatables. It is the best lamb you will ever eat. The ride along the coast is beautiful. Have fun.

Wendy

I spent 3 days in Athens and loved it! The Plaka is the best place to stay and dine. I especially like Adrianna's in the plaka for lunch and dinner. We ate a other small places scattered throughout but that's the only name I remember.

Peter

The national archaeological museum in Athens (not the one in the Acropolis) is fabulous and not to be missed. It alone is worth the trip to Athens, in my opinion.<BR><BR>-- Peter

Maria

Nightlife: the strip of beautiful clubs lined on the beachfront in Glyfada (10 minute cab ride from center of Athens). <BR><BR><BR>

snorkelman

Athens is good to visit, but you probably can see everything in one full day. To be honest, the main attraction is the Parthenon, which is on top of the only hill around, called Acropolis. Once you arrive, you really just walk around the ruins and take some pictures. It is always hot so bring some water and try to get there early in the morning. Then again, most of the tour groups also arrive early and it is usually crowded then. I have also visited about 3 pm and it was less crowded. You will just have to decide for yourself. If you hate crowds, opt for the hot afternoon.<BR><BR><BR>You can see some of the other stuff in the city like the Olympic stadium, but the Parthenon really is the most exciting thing.<BR><BR> There are some restaurants and plenty of tourist junk nearby the Parthenon in a section of Athens that is called the Plaka.<BR><BR> There is also a nearby “Monastiraki” fleemarket, and on Saturday and Monday mornings it is jam packed and plenty of pick pockets are around. Lovely If you want a good vegetarian place to eat in the Plaka/Monistiraki area, go to EDEN located on Mnisikleous Street.<BR><BR>Ouzo is the alcoholic drink of Greece and can be found almost anywhere fairly cheap. Athens has a very crappy metro (only 2 lines) and there are plenty of problems with the trains too. Some people have told me that they have recently cleaned up the Athens metro for the Olympics, but I do not know for sure, and I can’t imagine that they have built more than those two metro lines. <BR>Anyway, the train station in Athens employs some of the laziest, rude people in Europe. I base this on 4 separate visits to the city. They really don’t give a damn about public relations and I believe that they go out of their way to make life difficult for backpackers. In general, Athens is one of the dirtiest cities that I have ever seen and it is sometimes hard to breathe with all of the exhaust fumes in the air. If you spend the time to go to Greece from Italy, you really should see some of the Greek Islands (otherwise you may feel like you wasted your time). <BR>

Vera

I wrote a magazine article on what to do in Athens. If you'd like a copy,drop me an e-mail.<BR>Vera

Nancy

I am going to Athens & the Islands next week. I was there for the summer in 1973--I know that was ages ago--and at that time it was allowed to visit the Acropolis at night during the days of the full moon each month. That was probably one of the most memorable travel experiences of my life. It was so quiet and beautiful. You could almost feel the spirits of the ancients. Then you could look over the wall down on the Plaka & hear the partiers and the music waft up. It was incredible. I wonder if they still allow this?