Athens

Athens is often planned as a short stay: one, two or three days. Time is tight and the questions are many: how to get in from the airport, which neighborhood to stay in, how many hours to set aside for the Acropolis and the museums. On a trip this short, every decision has a visible effect on your schedule. In this section we have gathered the answers to these questions in one place.

The core of the section is the guides on what to see in the city. There is a short overview of the main sights, from the Acropolis to the Panathenaic Stadium, and a long list of attractions with tickets and practical tips. Separate guides cover the Acropolis and its main temples, the Acropolis Museum with a floor-by-floor route, and the Theater of Dionysus, where the first tragedies were staged. For those who care about museums, there is an overview of Athens museums with pointers on how to plan the day.

The second group is ready-made itineraries. We have mapped out Athens in one day around the ancient sites, in two days with Plaka and the coast, and in three days with the Acropolis, the Agora and Sounion. Each one states what follows what and where you need tickets. You can take any itinerary as a base and trim it to suit you.

The third group covers the practical side. The trip from the airport to the center is broken down by option: metro, bus, taxi and transfer, including the night bus. An overview of neighborhoods from Plaka to Pangrati helps you choose where to stay. The guide to the seasons explains when the city has fewer tourists and the heat does not get in the way. There is also a piece on the daily budget and on prices for accommodation and tickets.

Every guide opens with a short takeaway: what matters most and what you need to decide in advance. Practical blocks follow: tickets, opening hours, how to get there, how much time to allow. For every price and timetable we state the source and the date it was checked. We verify the figures against the official websites of museums and transport operators. We are direct about the downsides: lines, heat and crowds in high season are mentioned wherever they affect your plans.

The section suits those who are going to Athens independently and want to put the program together themselves. It is useful on a first trip and on a return visit, when the main sights are already familiar. If you need a detailed account of the history of ancient Greece, our texts will not be enough: we give context briefly, exactly as much as you need on the spot. Those looking for a ready-made escorted trip will not find this section a fit either.

We suggest starting with the guide to the seasons: the time of year determines both the pace and how much you can fit into a day. Then choose an itinerary by number of days and read the neighborhood overview. After that it will be clear where to stay. Next, open the pieces on the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, because tickets for them are best sorted out in advance. The guide to getting in from the airport and the piece on the budget are handy to read last, right before you leave.

Athens belongs to the "Greece" section, which is worth a look if your trip goes beyond the capital. One level up is the "Europe" section, and the full list of countries and cities is in "Destinations". "Athens" has no subsections yet, so all the guides to the city sit in a single list.

Prices, opening hours and entry rules in Athens change from season to season. That is why we return to published guides and check them against official sources. The date of the last check is given in the text. If it is an old one, recheck the details on the site's official website before you travel. The section will keep growing, but it already has enough material to build a plan: when to go, where to stay, how to get there and what to see. Write down the ticketed places from your itinerary, check the opening hours and leave some spare time in your schedule.