Athens and Santorini Questions
Aug 22nd, 2006, 05:10 PM
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Athens and Santorini Questions
Hi,
We are going on our honeymoon to Greece during the first two and a weeks of September. I can't wait!!! We are going on a cruise for one week, staying in Santorini for a week and Athens for a few days ( 2-3 days before trip and one day after the trip. We booked the Santorina Hotel Rooms about two months ago and because we waited so long there was not a lot of availibility for luxury hotels and we ended up paying a fortune( I can't even think about the price, but I am trying to justify it by saying we will only have one honeymoon!) I have a few questions below that I am hoping people can help with.
1.) Anybody have reccommendations for hotels in Athens. We are spending so much $$ in Santorini, that I would prefer to keep it reasonable, but want a decent, clean place to stay with a good location ( 3 or 4 stars?). I am thinking around $125 EUR (but don't have a good feel for Athen's prices so I would be open to any suggestions). It sounds like the Plaka area is good?
2.) I would love to go to Delphi? Any suggestions for a reasonable way to do this? A bus tour? How much time will we need and there and is this realistic if we want to see the acropolis too? We arrive on Thursday morning and get on the cruise on Saturday night?
3.) Reasonable suggestions for a Hotel near the airport for the end of our travels. Read about Sofitel, but haven't looked into prices. Anyone know the most reasonable way to book hotels in Athens?
4.) Do we need a car in Santorini? Because it was so tough to get hotels, we are staying at a few different ones, Hotel Vedeema, Atrina and Kirini. I am ssuming no. I am looking forward to just hanging out the pool/beach.
I really appreciate any suggestions that people have. THANKS!
We are going on our honeymoon to Greece during the first two and a weeks of September. I can't wait!!! We are going on a cruise for one week, staying in Santorini for a week and Athens for a few days ( 2-3 days before trip and one day after the trip. We booked the Santorina Hotel Rooms about two months ago and because we waited so long there was not a lot of availibility for luxury hotels and we ended up paying a fortune( I can't even think about the price, but I am trying to justify it by saying we will only have one honeymoon!) I have a few questions below that I am hoping people can help with.
1.) Anybody have reccommendations for hotels in Athens. We are spending so much $$ in Santorini, that I would prefer to keep it reasonable, but want a decent, clean place to stay with a good location ( 3 or 4 stars?). I am thinking around $125 EUR (but don't have a good feel for Athen's prices so I would be open to any suggestions). It sounds like the Plaka area is good?
2.) I would love to go to Delphi? Any suggestions for a reasonable way to do this? A bus tour? How much time will we need and there and is this realistic if we want to see the acropolis too? We arrive on Thursday morning and get on the cruise on Saturday night?
3.) Reasonable suggestions for a Hotel near the airport for the end of our travels. Read about Sofitel, but haven't looked into prices. Anyone know the most reasonable way to book hotels in Athens?
4.) Do we need a car in Santorini? Because it was so tough to get hotels, we are staying at a few different ones, Hotel Vedeema, Atrina and Kirini. I am ssuming no. I am looking forward to just hanging out the pool/beach.
I really appreciate any suggestions that people have. THANKS!
Aug 23rd, 2006, 07:37 AM
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Hi!
When we were in Athens last fall, we stayed at the Hotel Plaka. It had received favorable comments here and was well-reviewed on tripadvisor. I think it was around 140 Euros per night. We were very pleased with it - it was clean, comfortable, offered a good breakfast, and was in easy walking distance to the Acropolis and Plaka area. The rooms were quite small, but honestly that didn't bother us too much. I would stay there again. I believe we booked it using the hotel's website.
As for the Sofitel, I haven't stayed there yet, but will be staying there when we return to Athens and Santorini this fall. We're staying there the last night of our trip, after returning from Santorini, before flying back to the U.S. the next day. I made reservations online and the rate was 169 Euros.
Personally, I don't think you need a car in Santorini. We stayed in Oia last year, at Katikies, which is just down the road from Kirini (I'm not familiar with Vedeema and Atrina) and definitely didn't need one. We loved Oia so much, we didn't even go into Fira. We used cabs to and from the airport, and the one day we went to a winery, we used the hotel's driver to take us there and pick us up.
You're going to love Santorini - Have fun!
When we were in Athens last fall, we stayed at the Hotel Plaka. It had received favorable comments here and was well-reviewed on tripadvisor. I think it was around 140 Euros per night. We were very pleased with it - it was clean, comfortable, offered a good breakfast, and was in easy walking distance to the Acropolis and Plaka area. The rooms were quite small, but honestly that didn't bother us too much. I would stay there again. I believe we booked it using the hotel's website.
As for the Sofitel, I haven't stayed there yet, but will be staying there when we return to Athens and Santorini this fall. We're staying there the last night of our trip, after returning from Santorini, before flying back to the U.S. the next day. I made reservations online and the rate was 169 Euros.
Personally, I don't think you need a car in Santorini. We stayed in Oia last year, at Katikies, which is just down the road from Kirini (I'm not familiar with Vedeema and Atrina) and definitely didn't need one. We loved Oia so much, we didn't even go into Fira. We used cabs to and from the airport, and the one day we went to a winery, we used the hotel's driver to take us there and pick us up.
You're going to love Santorini - Have fun!
Aug 23rd, 2006, 09:00 AM
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Do try to get to Fira if you can - it would be a shame just to stick to Oia.
It's a fantastic sight to see the little white cubes of houses tumbling down the cliff (not literally, of course!) and there are some really good restaurants, gift shops, etc etc. Once all the day cruises have left for the day, Fira is much quieter and has quite a relaxed vibe.
If you do want to spread your wings, Santorini is quite a small island and there are plenty of buses that go across the island - that's an experience in itself!
It's a lovely island - have a great time.
It's a fantastic sight to see the little white cubes of houses tumbling down the cliff (not literally, of course!) and there are some really good restaurants, gift shops, etc etc. Once all the day cruises have left for the day, Fira is much quieter and has quite a relaxed vibe.
If you do want to spread your wings, Santorini is quite a small island and there are plenty of buses that go across the island - that's an experience in itself!
It's a lovely island - have a great time.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 02:11 PM
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We just returned from an Greek Island cruise and a few days in Athens. I usually stay in the historical centers in small family run hotels when I am in Europe, but the Grecotel Athens Imperial was part of the cruise tour that we decided to take this time. It was a very nice hotel with a huge breakfast buffet. The rooms were large (ask for a double rather than twin room) and the bathrooms very nice. While it is not in the Plaka, it was only 3 metro rides away, the metro was across the street from the hotel. The rides were very short, so we were there in about 10 minutes or less. I think the prices may be in you range. If you stay there, don't miss the tiny Alexandra Restaurant across the street in front of the hotel. The people were so friendly, and the food was delicious!
Aug 23rd, 2006, 03:07 PM
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1. Hotels in Athens: You will be able to find a hotel in Athens for 125 Euro. There are a number of relatively reasonably-priced hotels in Athens, none of them particularly interesting, but clean and centrally located. I like the Hotel Adrian, which is located right in Plaka -- couldn't be more convenient -- and you can get a room with an Acropolis view. (Lovely to lie in bed looking at the lit up Acropolis!) It also serves breakfast on the roof, where you can enjoy the Acropolis view without paying extra.
The Cecil Hotel and Attalos Hotel are basic, conveniently located hotels near Plaka and the Monastiraki Metro station. Don't know that I'd pick them for my honeymoon, but God knows I understand financial constraints. The Cypria Hotel, which is on a quiet side street near Syntagma Square, is also fine. I've stayed at a lot of other Athens hotels, so if you have questions about a particular one, ask and I may know about it.
In a couple weeks we are trying a new hotel in Athens called the Residence Georgio (www.residencegeorio.com). It is right near Omonia Square (not the nicest area in Athens, expecially late at night), a location I tend to avoid. BUT, it is a five-star hotel, gets excellent reviews both on the internet (check out the reviews on tripadvisor.com) and from people I know who have stayed there, AND if you book 21 days in advance, the rooms (with Jacuzzi etc.) are 99Euros a night. To get the cheap rate, go to their accomodations page and look for the promotional rate line. The Residence Georgio is right by the National Archeological Museum, very convenient to the Omonia Square Metro stop, and within walking distance of Plaka, Psyrri, and the Central Market. You might want to check it out.
2. Delphi. You arrive on Thursday morning and leave Saturday night. You don't say where you are coming from, but I assume your Thursday will be spent recovering from travel and adjusting to the time zone changes. So that leaves you Friday and Saturday in Athens. There are lots of bus trips to Delphi, some people take taxis, others rent cars. Last time we went, driving ourselves, the trip took 3 hours of driving each way (6 hours total driving time). In other words, you will spend a whole day getting to Delphi and back. You may have a more enjoyable trip if you forgo Delphi this time, and spend your days exploring Athens. At least I would!
3. The most reasonable way to book hotels in Athens is directly through their websites. As for airport hotels, your only options are the Sofitel and a Holiday Inn that is several miles away from the airport. I don't like these hotels, and think they are too expensive. I'd prefer to stay in Athens, have my hotel arrange for a taxi in the morning, and taxi to the airport. The taxi costs about 30 Euros for 2 people and at 3:30 in the am (the time we often need to leave for the airport), the trip to the airport from downtown Athens takes about 20 minutes. The benefit of doing this is we can spend our last night enjoying Athens instead of being holed up in a generic airport hotel.
4. Hmm. Three hotels in Santorini. I bet a lot of frustration preceded that decision. I can't imagine it was your first choice! Anyway, as you know, two of your hotels are in Oia and one is in Megalohori. I assume you have a plan to get from one village to the other; if not, a taxi would work fine. I would recommend renting a car for at least one day so you can experience the beauties of Santorini. If it were me, I'd rent the car when I was staying in Megalohori, and just hang out in Oia when at the hotels there. By the way, there is a village called Pyrgos very near to Megalohori. In Pyrgos, there is a restaurant called Mythos that serves traditional grilled meats. Order the paidaki (baby lamb ribs) along with tzatziki and a horiatiki (village) salad. You won't be sorry!
I hope this answers your questions, and enjoy your trip to Greece!
The Cecil Hotel and Attalos Hotel are basic, conveniently located hotels near Plaka and the Monastiraki Metro station. Don't know that I'd pick them for my honeymoon, but God knows I understand financial constraints. The Cypria Hotel, which is on a quiet side street near Syntagma Square, is also fine. I've stayed at a lot of other Athens hotels, so if you have questions about a particular one, ask and I may know about it.
In a couple weeks we are trying a new hotel in Athens called the Residence Georgio (www.residencegeorio.com). It is right near Omonia Square (not the nicest area in Athens, expecially late at night), a location I tend to avoid. BUT, it is a five-star hotel, gets excellent reviews both on the internet (check out the reviews on tripadvisor.com) and from people I know who have stayed there, AND if you book 21 days in advance, the rooms (with Jacuzzi etc.) are 99Euros a night. To get the cheap rate, go to their accomodations page and look for the promotional rate line. The Residence Georgio is right by the National Archeological Museum, very convenient to the Omonia Square Metro stop, and within walking distance of Plaka, Psyrri, and the Central Market. You might want to check it out.
2. Delphi. You arrive on Thursday morning and leave Saturday night. You don't say where you are coming from, but I assume your Thursday will be spent recovering from travel and adjusting to the time zone changes. So that leaves you Friday and Saturday in Athens. There are lots of bus trips to Delphi, some people take taxis, others rent cars. Last time we went, driving ourselves, the trip took 3 hours of driving each way (6 hours total driving time). In other words, you will spend a whole day getting to Delphi and back. You may have a more enjoyable trip if you forgo Delphi this time, and spend your days exploring Athens. At least I would!
3. The most reasonable way to book hotels in Athens is directly through their websites. As for airport hotels, your only options are the Sofitel and a Holiday Inn that is several miles away from the airport. I don't like these hotels, and think they are too expensive. I'd prefer to stay in Athens, have my hotel arrange for a taxi in the morning, and taxi to the airport. The taxi costs about 30 Euros for 2 people and at 3:30 in the am (the time we often need to leave for the airport), the trip to the airport from downtown Athens takes about 20 minutes. The benefit of doing this is we can spend our last night enjoying Athens instead of being holed up in a generic airport hotel.
4. Hmm. Three hotels in Santorini. I bet a lot of frustration preceded that decision. I can't imagine it was your first choice! Anyway, as you know, two of your hotels are in Oia and one is in Megalohori. I assume you have a plan to get from one village to the other; if not, a taxi would work fine. I would recommend renting a car for at least one day so you can experience the beauties of Santorini. If it were me, I'd rent the car when I was staying in Megalohori, and just hang out in Oia when at the hotels there. By the way, there is a village called Pyrgos very near to Megalohori. In Pyrgos, there is a restaurant called Mythos that serves traditional grilled meats. Order the paidaki (baby lamb ribs) along with tzatziki and a horiatiki (village) salad. You won't be sorry!
I hope this answers your questions, and enjoy your trip to Greece!
Aug 23rd, 2006, 03:12 PM
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Sorry for the typo, the correct URL for Residence Georgio is:
http://www.residencegeorgio.com/
http://www.residencegeorgio.com/
Aug 23rd, 2006, 03:26 PM
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Hi
Congratulations! The Achilleas looks like a good deal - http://www.achilleashotel.gr/. Otherwise try the Athens Cypria - http://www.athenscypria.com/. A little further out but very funky is the Fresh Hotel - http://www.freshhotel.gr/. No pun intended!
Good luck
Congratulations! The Achilleas looks like a good deal - http://www.achilleashotel.gr/. Otherwise try the Athens Cypria - http://www.athenscypria.com/. A little further out but very funky is the Fresh Hotel - http://www.freshhotel.gr/. No pun intended!
Good luck
Aug 23rd, 2006, 03:44 PM
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worldinabag, have you stayed at the Achlleas recently? we stayed there several years ago, and although it's in a good location, our overall impression of the hotel that it was not very clean, and the rugs were grossly filthy. i'm interested if there has been recent improvement.
as for the fresh hotel, i really like it a lot. the location is convenient, the bedding is fabulous, and the staff are wonderful. but it is also more expensive than what LoveGreece wants to pay.
as for the fresh hotel, i really like it a lot. the location is convenient, the bedding is fabulous, and the staff are wonderful. but it is also more expensive than what LoveGreece wants to pay.
Aug 23rd, 2006, 03:53 PM
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Hi LoveGreece,
I think you WILL love Greece. A couple of comments for you: 1) A car in Santorini - if you are there a week I think at some point it will be a good idea. It is a beautiful island, one of the very special travel destination in the world, and you will want to explore it but there is no need to decide that now. Wait until you are there. In many cases there are car rental places right accross from the hotel and they can help you arrange it on a moments notice. 2) A hotel at the Athens airport - my advice, settle for the Sofitel. It is just a few Euros more and it really can't be beat. It is a very nice place with very good service and it saves you lots of valuable 'honeymoon time.' 3) A hotel for Athens - I would try to stay in the Plaka. It is where you want to be and it makes access to the Acropolis easy. We enjoyed the Electra Palace in the Plaka. That may be above the limit but try for something in that area. Very vest wishes to you.
I think you WILL love Greece. A couple of comments for you: 1) A car in Santorini - if you are there a week I think at some point it will be a good idea. It is a beautiful island, one of the very special travel destination in the world, and you will want to explore it but there is no need to decide that now. Wait until you are there. In many cases there are car rental places right accross from the hotel and they can help you arrange it on a moments notice. 2) A hotel at the Athens airport - my advice, settle for the Sofitel. It is just a few Euros more and it really can't be beat. It is a very nice place with very good service and it saves you lots of valuable 'honeymoon time.' 3) A hotel for Athens - I would try to stay in the Plaka. It is where you want to be and it makes access to the Acropolis easy. We enjoyed the Electra Palace in the Plaka. That may be above the limit but try for something in that area. Very vest wishes to you.
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