Using a tip we found here, we made a wonderful one-day tour
of Athens Saturday. We made advanced arrangements with
Spiros Taxi Service. http://www.athenstaxi.net/
We are of modest means but the cost of the package, 220
euro was an excellent value. He gave us clear instructions
about pick-up at the cruise terminal, met us before 8:00 am in
his Mercedes Taxi (an excellent car), took us to the important
sites, briefed us and loaned excellent books to carry to the
sites, took us to a friends restaurant, (18 euros for nice lunch
for two), and delivered us to our B&B near the airport about
5:30.

We are quick to sign up for cruse lines shore excursions for
50 dollars or even a $100 each and usually think that they are
a good value. I had to do some serious thinking to justify the

220 e but subtracting off the cost of the 30 mile trip to the
airport which is included and dividing by two got the price
each down to what we had been paying for bus tours and I
would say we spent at least twice the quality time of a
conventional tour. Spiros knows where to double park, where
to drive over the curb and how to schedule around the
crowds.

He made it clear that he is not a licensed tour guide and did
not accompany us to the sites. In a perfect world, with an
unlimited budget you might pack in more in one day but I'm
not sure such a service even exists. He is polite,
knowledgeable, speaks excellent English and offers some
colorful bonuses with his numerous "friends" he yells out the
window to all over town.

Gary & Mary K Saint Joseph, Missouri USA

Hi Gary & Mary

Thanks for the details. I presume enterance to the sites was not included. Bearing in mind you were with this driver all day I figure you visited and enjoyed very many of them.

Almost all charge to get access so, how much extra did you have to add on to the 220e to cover those costs for both of you?

Joe

Joe, I see what you are getting at -- but when you take a standard tour, the entrance tickets are always additional... so that particular cost would be a "wash" between the 2 options.

Hi travelerjan

We took an Athens tour a good few years ago operated by one of the large companies there. It could have been CHAT but I'm not 100% sure. Enterence was included in the cost of that particular tour and there were no additonal costs. Maybe things have now changed though?

Joe

National Archaeological museum of Athens about 6 euros.

The cost of entrance to the Acropolis is about 12 euros and is good for the other sites in the area including the ancient agora, theatre of Dionysos, Kerameikos, Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds and the Temple of Olympian Zeus