suehoff

We are traveling for the first time to Greece in June 2014. Friends ( on their first Greek trip as well)are meeting us on Santorini, then we'll do Naxos,Paros, Mykonos and in our case back to Athens for two really great in depth tours.
Our friends are (horrors) completely skipping Athens, dismissing it as not worth it and further adding" there's lots on line about skipping it". So am I nuts or are they?
Should I try to dissuade them??????Or do they have the better plan????

adrienne

Let them do what they want. Anyone who says "there's lots on line about skipping it" without citing any sources or saying why they want to skip a certain place is a nut case.

What tours are you taking?

yipper

It like athens. It is no paris! London or rome! but how can you not want to see the Parthenon. there are good museums and lovely places to eat and drink. it is a must see if you go to Greece.

HappyTrvlr

Athens has some of the world's greatest antiquities and museums holding their treasures; they are not"worth skipping!" There are interesting neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants in Athens as well. One can always find negative attitudes and misinformation online. It seems like like a waste that they are even traveling to Greece with such terrible attitudes and closed minds. Make sure you include Akrotiri on Santorini. We loved Paros and Naoussa in particular.

thursdaysd

I enjoyed Athens. Admittedly I was there in spring, with good weather and minimal crowds. Lots of good museums. I also enjoyed mainland Geece, both the north and the Peloponnese.

See: http://wilhelmswords.com/eur2006/index.html

brotherleelove2004

Athens is important as the birthplace of democracy as well as for its antiquities and museums. If they're not interested in those aspects of one of the most significant cities in historical Europe then it would be a waste of time for them.

nukesafe

Just enjoy your time in Santorini with your friends. If they have differing plans for the rest of the trip, so what? You do your thing and they can do theirs; you should not be joined at the hip anyway, IMHO.

We travel most successfully with others when we tour what we want to see, and they go off and do what appeals to them. We meet at the end of the day for drinks and dinner and compare the delights we have seen and the adventures we have had. If we happen to want to do the same things on some, or most, days that is all right, too.

Dukey1

I enjoyed Athens as well but I can fully understand why some people would think it isn't worth it. People are going to read what we have said here ON LINE; is our opinion any more trustworthy than the ones the people under discussion have read?

I know people who think that whole ride the mules and fight off the cruise ship mobs on Santorini situation makes THAT worth skipping, too.

suehoff

Thanks for the responses and I agree in the main. I just think it's a big mistake. We heard similar complaints about Rome: hot, busy, loud, but skip it? No way. That said, we will definitely let them go their way.

suehoff

Our tours are with Context Travel who we have used previously. I LOVE them, limited to 6 people with super knowledgeable guides. In Rome we had a PHD archeologist who had his own dig going on, at the Vatican a divinity doctorate candidate. We are doing a Parthenon tour and an ancient athens tour.

travelerjan

Glad to hear of someone who's had experience with Context Travel and who knows how satisfying their guidance can be. From all I can learn, your Athens leaders will be similarly qualified.

Heimdall

Like any large city, Athens has much more than antiquities and museums. Find out where the locals go to relax, and try to avoid the tourist traps in Plaka. Companies like http://www.athens-walks.com are run by Athenians, and specialise in taking people to places most tourists don't see. The more time I spend in Athens the more it grows on me, and there is lots I still haven't seen.

Don't try to persuade your friends to come with you to Athens. Instead, return home with some beautiful photos and show them what they missed.

cathies

I think your friends are doing the right thing in skipping Athens and thr Greek countryside if it doesn't interest them. We were on a 4 day tour of the mainland and at one significant stop, our tour guide, after a really good lecture, asked for questions. One woman, who was clearly underwhelmed piped up and asked "what time is the bus coming back?" She spent a great deal of the 4 days moaning about the lack of McDonald's restaurants.

I loved Athens and I hope you do too. That first glimpse of the Parthenon was breathtaking.

mariha2912

Personaly I believe deciding on a trip should be a very "personal" and well-research procedure. I often read a couple of guidebooks, join travelers forums, research related blogs and sites on line, maybe watch a documentrary or two... But I then leave some time for information and opinion to settle in and see I how I feel about a destination.
What I read somewhere, if people liked or disliked a place or even if a place is concidered "a must" for whatever reasons, is rather irrelevant. It is what I feel/really want to do that matters.
Different people have different needs and interests and even same people have different needs and interests on different trips.
In particular case of Athens, I feel that people with negative opinions are usually people who have never researched what Athens is about or who use it simply as a side trip from their beach vacations on the islands without knowing even why. Or often people who have research sites and ancient history but have no understand or knowledge of more recent Athens history and its effects on the city.
If you have do your homework and you want to visit Athens, go for it. If your friends do not want to, its their loss (or gain, depending on one's point of view...)

If you want one more personal opinion (that I believe is of not much use as everyone has his/her own bias), yes, Athens is a great destination and I would no way skip it! lol

jamikins

We absolutely loved our time in Athens which to be honest surprised us. We didn't expect to like it but found it amazing!

PetrosB3

You MUST go to Athens, its the Mother of Europe and Western Culture, its Monuments and Museums are simply stunning. Come on, Athens is Athens, it is a Legend, you can't skip it.

Dukey1

I am sorry but saying it is THEIR LOSS is patronizing at best and absurd at the very worst. The implication that somebody is "losing out" simply because they disagree with you is ridiculous.

If I told you they are laughing because of how "stupid" they think you are for wasting your time in Athens how would that sit with you?

mariha2912

Dukey1 if you talk about my post, you may have seen I stressed it is a personal call and I believe I offered a balanced opinion that different people have different interests and priorities on each trip. I wrote "its their loss (or gain, depending on one's point of view...)" so I find your comment rather unfair/irrelevant.


"If I told you they are laughing because of how "stupid" they think you are for wasting your time in Athens how would that sit with you?"

Different strokes, different folks, I would not lose my sleep over it.

tom_h

It's your friends who are nuts ;-)

I've also heard of people who travel to Paris & only visit the French Disneyland

stanbr

Here is my take on the matter. Athens is certainly not a pretty city however the area around the Acropolis is entirely different from the modern city. This area gives you the the opportunity to walk back into the past and in my mind it is not to be missed.
However if your friends don't want to go then I wouldn't try too hard to convince them. There is nothing worse than having someone along on a trip that doesn't want to be there. They will be miserable and will make sure everyone around them is going to share in that.
Hopefully after reading these posts your friends will decide to change their minds and will want to be there with you.
I hope the images of the area around the Acropolis will help them realize what a special place this is.
Athens http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632121475515/