We arrive in Athens via air at 8:30 and leave Piraeus at 5:00 and want to do a car tour with English speaking driver.
Help. Who has used what service? price? Do we need a separate guide?

Many people will recommend "George the Taxi Driver" that is tirelessly promoted on a website by Matt Barrett. Actually there is no longer "a" George, but a large fleet of drivers who all say THEY are George. THese and other "Taxi Tour" taxi-drivers will drive you around town and point out sites out of the window, and stop at places so you can get out and take pictures. They will also tell you anecdotes. What they do NOT have is actual background in Greek history or art or architecture, nor the expertise to be a licensed guide (that takes 2 years of study PLUS tests). So they are not permitted to go ON a site with you, such as the Ancient Agora, or Acropolis ... you will be on your own for that.

Therefore, rather than just choosing "George" you can Google "taxi tours" and get a long list of such services.... compare prices and choose.

Licensed guides can be arranged through various sources. One is athenswalkingtours.com ... they do group tours but also arrange customized tours with licensed guides. It won't be rock-bottom but it WILL be informative and fun. These walking tours make a lot of sense if you want to see the stuff in Central Athens-- ancient sites, cathedral etc -- because it's all within walking distance, and otherwise you are just sitting in traffic in a taxi.

If money is no object you could hire a taxi for the day, and get a private licensed guide & have the taxi wait while you & the guide enter some of the sites. It's your call.


PS - In other places in Greece (Delphi, Knossos) sometimes Licensed guides stand by the gate to the ancient site, and solicit people to make up a group to tour the site. I have not seen this done at the Acropolis or other Athens sites.

Athens has a hop on hop off bus now that leaves from Syntagma square and also a small train that runs through the Plaka for 5 euros. You are there for such a short time, I would do both of those. It will allow you to get off where you want or just ride and get an overview. 8 hours (I'm assuming you are on a cruise ship) will really be less, since you have to allow time to get to and from the port. It takes 45 at least during traffic time. Hit the new museum and the acropolis first. That will take at least 2 of your hours, the plaka ride 45 min. You'll also want to walk through the plaka and eat lunch- another hour. Great shops and you also get the flavor of the Plaka by walking.

Yappa is super place for lunch in Plaka. So Greek and romantic, great food.

If you try to take that "train" during daytime, you'll be stuck sitting in traffic t he entire time. And the hop-on-hop-off bus alas, also spends much time in traffic.... and it has to backtrack on he same major streets instead of going in a circle or some such, the way that hop-on busses in other places do (London, Paris, etc). I took it as a "research experiment" and would not recommend it for people who have less than 8 hours. Plus, there is the hassle of what to do with the luggage.

IF these were people who wee doing a lot of personal prep and had background info on Greece & Athens, I would maybe suggest a D-i-Y approach, where they'd metro in, stash bags in the Monastariki Metro lockers & set out on their own. But it doesn't sound as if they are this sort, so the taxi approach is more realistic for them.

Hire a taxi man, who will wait while you go into an ancient site, and then u can go to lunch and walk around the Plaka lanes. And then he can take u right back to the ship. But don't let him talk you into a lunch place that does not have a view or something special, but is way off somewhere and probably run by an uncle.