doeadeer

I am looking for hotel recommendations for inexpensive accomodations for a solo female traveler in Athens. I found rooms available at Candia Hotel, but read traveler reports that the Omonia Square area is full of junkies and prostitutes. Can you suggest hotels and/or areas of the city? Nearby subway station is also important. Thanks for your help.

m_kingdom2

I stayed at Hotel Grande Bretagne, which I imagine is out of your price bracket, I walked from there to Omonia, and all around that surrounding area, I didn't notice anything threatening or untoward in the slightest, if you have a good rate there, stay there.

Eleni

I have been in Athens many many times, sometimes alone and sometimes with my husband. Although the Omonia Square area has been cleaned up somewhat, it is still not the nicest area of town, and there is NO WAY that I would stay there by myself no matter how cheap the room is. The Syntagma Square area is as central as you can get, is much more within my comfort zone than Omonia, and very convenient to almost everything. As far as a recommendation, there is a small hotel a couple blocks off Syntagma that is now called the Hotel Cypria, or sometimes the Athens Cypria, on Diomias Street. It is a very quiet street, but you can get there on streets that are not scarily deserted at night. I have stayed there by myself quite comfortably. The Syntagma Metro Stop is about two blocks away. How much it costs depends on what time of year you go. I checked on Orbitz for a price, and in June 2004, the price listed is 81 Euros a night.

mzani

Candia is not in Omonia!It is near the Larissis train station in an area that I would not recommend .

The President on Kissisias avenue is excellent,fully renovated with a superb roofgarden pool(around 80 euros b/b).

Hania

I agree with Eleni regarding the Omonia sq area. I would not stay there myself. It is too stressful watching your back every second. The Syntagma area is better. I have stayed at a small hotel in that area many times. It is the Hotel Athos at 5 Patrou st. Half way between the square and the big Cathedral sq.

P_M

I have stayed alone at La Plaka Hotel which is a few blocks from Syntagma Square and I felt safe there. I did not think La Plaka was expensive, but I don't know your definition of expensive. If you do stay at La Plaka, ask for a room with a view of the Parthenon. I have also stayed at the Grande Bretagne which is VERY nice, but more pricey. When I booked that room I called the 800 # here in the US for Sheraton Hotels and got a rate of about $100/night. If that's too much or if you can't get that, then check out La Plaka.

m_kingdom2

My dear I'd love to know when you were at Grande Bretagne, the cigars there cost more than 100USD!

I assume you aren't talking about the newly refurbished Hotel.

P_M

Hi, m_k. I was there in November 2000. As you know, that is the low season for travel to Greece so that's probably why it was so inexpensive. I did not know it was refurbished since then, so doeadeer will probably be better off at La Plaka or some of the other less expensive hotels in the area.

KathyNZ

Hi doeadeer.
I'm also a solo traveller and stayed at the Arethusa hotel at the end of 2002, It's a few steps from Syntagma Square and about seven minutes walk to Syntagma metro station. To Monistiraki metro station to get to Piraus, it's about a 15 minute walk along Metropoleos St. I loved it there, the staff were very nice, helpful and always ready for a joke. They do a very good breakfast also. It is a great shopping area, close to Ermou Street and five minutes in to the Plaka. Ideal for any late night dinners in the Plaka, it is quite safe to walk to the hotel from there, with common sense of course. I am going back next year and wouldn't consider staying anywhere else.