Holly

Yasas (my first Greek word), <BR> <BR>I will be on the Island of Crete from 5/26 to 6/3/00 and would welcome any and all advice. Also, we plan to fly to Athens for two days/one night. Any advice on an innexpensive place to stay in Athens and itineraries for our time there? Which airlines are recommended between the Islands? We are staying in Stalis on Crete. <BR>Thanks for any tips/warnings. <BR>

Patrick

We spent a week with car on Crete in June and loved it. We moved around a bit staying in Chania, Agios Nikolaos, and our final night in Iraklion before taking the ferry to Santorini. The highlight was doing the Samarian Gorge!!! After just coming from about 5 weeks in Turkey and four other Greek islands, the ruins didn't do much for us, and we found Knossos a big disappointment just as we had been warned. It's a great island for just going out and driving around to smaller villages, meeting the wonderful people, and indulging in the wonderful food and atmosphere.

Susan

We just got from Greece and Turkey about 2 weeks ago. A wonderful trip - I'm sure you'll love it. I can't give any advice on Crete - it's been many years since I was there - but we did spend 1 day and 2 nights in Athens. We stayed at the Attalos Hotel. I added some comments to the Rants & Raves section of this forum. It's a good basic hotel, the location is great - right next to the Plaka and the room was fine. Price was reasonable (19,000 drachma) for 2 people. My only complaint was that the bathroom was a very odd configuration - small and awkward, but, hey, how much time do you spend in a bathroom anyway? We booked over the internet and were quite happy with it. <BR> <BR>You've probably heard a lot of negative comments about Athens, but we were pleasantly surprised. Sure it's big and dirty, but we actually like wandering around a city. We just spent the day wandering. We felt quite safe in the evening also. I wouldn't have minded another day in Athens - we never even got to the Acropolis. <BR> <BR>Athens seemed filled with shoe stores - nice shoes. For a shoe fanatic like me, it was hard not to buy! (I restrained myself by thinking of all the other purchases I had made during the 3 previous weeks.) <BR> <BR>Have fun.

Kris

We stayed in a hotel called Achilles (spelling may be wrong, the guy with the heel!) They pronounced it ah-ka-lee-us with the accent on lee. Very close to Syntagma square, plaka, very reasonable. <BR>When we got to the plaka area there were what we called sidewalk tourist agents who wanted to take us to "nice hotel, very cheap". Don't trust them, the hotels they showed us were very shabby and not so cheap. Also, the taxi drivers at the airport told us that you can't take a bus from the airport to the plaka area - again false.

brad

I was there for a week, a few years back. Make sure you rent a car and drive down to the southern coast. Not as many tourists, and very nice. driving along rd #50 was beautiful. don't expect any sand beaches though.

sharon

Does anyone know the name of the Athens hotel across the road from the TEMPLE OF ZEUS? I stayed there a while back and can't seem to recall the name. I DO remember that I had an incredible view of the ruins of the temple.

Bill Barr

Sharon <BR> <BR>The SRS Royal Olympic Hotel is possibly the one you mean. <BR> <BR>Bill

Walter

Sharon: Also might be the Athens Gate Hotel directly across the street from Hadrain's Arch? Regards, Walter <BR>

sharon

Hi Everyone, it looks like Walter wins the prize of my guessing game. It was the Athens Gate Hotel. Thanks for your help! <BR> <BR>Holly - do a search on this hotel, it was quite nice and the views from the rooms were incredible. The website I looked at listed it at $75 USD per night.

Paige

I was just in Athens last week. DON'T stay at the Hotel Ormis (or something like that) on Apollonos St. We paid 23,000 per night and it was pretty nasty. Another time we stayed at the Adrian Hotel on Adrianou for about the same price and it wasn't bad. Both came out of my Eyewitness Guide and are in the Plaka.

Karen

Yasas! <BR> <BR>If you don't mind staying 2 metro stops away from the Plaka area and in a semi-shady area of town.... we stayed in the Hotel Jason (Nikiforou 3) {(256) 614 8222}. We paid just under $50 USD in the late part of June. I'd imagine you could get it cheaper in March. <BR>The room was very comfortable... and the breakfast (that was included in the price was adequate). It is about 4 blocks off the Omonia square metro stop. <BR>Once, we did walk from the hotel directly to Plaka and it took about 15 minutes. Omonia is more in the "downtown" area. <BR>If you need more info, please contact me. <BR>

Sheila

Got back from Crete this morning. Trip report will follow. Last year's is here somewhere. If you can't find it, e-mail me and I'll send it direct.

Patrick

Whatever Sheila has to say -- listen. I think she is the one who talked us into going to Crete this summer, and thank you Sheila for all your suggestions. It's hard to say which of the seven Greek islands we did we liked the best, but Crete is certainly right up at the top of the list.

Sheila

Patrick! How kind! Thank you and I'm glad you liked it.

bobbie

The Acropolis View Hotel is very close to the plaka area and is very convenient to the Acropolis, of course, and they have a fabulous roofgarden for viewing the light shows at night, magnificent sight, clean rooms with a very good breakfast.

Litsa

I agree with Susan, I can recommend the Hotel Attalos, just off Monastraki Square. A bus from the airport is better than a taxi - rumour has it that taxi drivers sometime rip tourists off, and it is true that I was once charged 6000 drachmas when I was expecting about half that. The bus is the no. 19 (or is it 91? Either way, there are signs on the bus stops in English). The bus stops (if you are at the Eastern airport i.e. not flying with Olympic), are just outside Departures. The fare is 300 drachmas, and you can buy tickets on the bus - don't forget to 'cancel' them in the little machine! It's difficult to get off at the wrong place - wait until the bus pulls into a square with the big & beautiful parliament building at the top, banks down one side, and McDonalds at the bottom. From here, walk down past McDonalds on Ermou to Monistraki Square, and turn left. Attalos hotel is 30 yards up on the left.