moatenote

We're looking for a hotel near the Piraeus harbor for an overnight before our Viking Ocean cruise the next day for May 11, 2018. We know nothing about this area and would appreciate any suggestions.

travelerjan

There's one called Piraeus Dreams that is well thought of, I've recommended it therefore to others, and they said it was fine. Moderate price ..?? 50-60E in May for a double, perhaps.

greg

Looks like your cruise is Empires of the Mediterranean?
Isn't your check-in time sometime in the late afternoon? Unless you are arriving into Piraeus by boat from another island, then staying overnight at Piraeus to catch your cruise, another option is to stay in Athens especially if you are flying into Athens. While your cruise includes time to visit Athens, if that visit is only during the daytime (the itinerary says the boat is leaving Piraeus at 6pm the day two), you would miss the beautifully lit evening view of Acropolis and other ruins. Just google search "Acropolis night images" to see what it looks like long after the cruise passengers have gone back to the boats.

travelerjan

I agree with Greg! If you stay o'night in Pireaus you'd be hanging around a busy noisy port all day, and why?? why?? Much better as he says to stay in central Athens, and then take a taxi around 3 pm to the cruise dock in Pireaus (it will be about €25). If you stay in central athens and want a lovely sunset view of Acropolis (the west face of the Parthenon turns to gold!), a good place is to walk along the pedestrianized Promenade on S. Side of Acropolis area. There are also moderate price hotels along that side with rooftop views -- Herodion has rooftop terrace w bar & restaurant where you can look at Parthenon, an thn turn your head west, and see the sea... at Pireaus.

neckervd

There are tons of hotels in the area. May is not high season. I wouldn't book before March 2018.
Sleep at Athens as said above, unless you arrive at Piraeus by boat very late in the evening (even then, a taxi ride from your ferry to Athens wouldn't take much more time, however, as there are usually no traffic jams around midnight).

moatenote

Many thanks for all your suggestions! Our flight from the U.S. arrives at 4:30 pm and it's been our experience that we're pretty jet lagged when we arrive and don't expect that we'll feel up to doing much besides having dinner and going to bed. We get on the Viking Star the next day and can board as early as 10:00 am but can't get in our cabin until later. But we have "full run" of the ship, including lunch and time to show our friends around the ship.

thursdaysd

Why would you waste a day on a ship, on which you will be spending several days, when you could spend the time in Athens? There is plenty to see there - far more than can be covered by a day tour.

Heimdall

One suggestion, if you want to see a bit of Athens and don't mind paying for a private tour, is to contact http://www.athens-walks.com. On the "About us" page It writes:

"If you are a cruise ship passenger and your timetable arrival to Piraeus Port is different than the timetables of our tours, please contact us . We can make a tour specialized to your needs."

Kostas, the owner, is a former Evzone (presidential guard), and all of his guides are knowledgable locals. One of the most popular tours is the Food Tour, where you get a chance to visit food markets and sample Greek delicacies. That would be more fun than an extra day on the cruise ship while it is sitting in port at Piraeus.

moatenote

Y'all present very convincing ideas, so we now plan to spend that one night in central Athens, enjoying views of the Acropolis all lit up at night. We're trying to decide between the Plaka Hotel and the Herodion. A third possibility is the Electra Metropolis Athens, but it's a good bit more expensive than the other two. Recommendations about these???

greg

I just stayed at the Plaka Hotel. It is my preferred hotel if I can get a reservation. It is very popular hotel. Be sure to visit the penthouse bar and watch the night lit Acropolis. I have stayed in Athens several times and the view of Acropolis lit at night always gives me goose bumps. Just search for images on the web showing you views of Acropolis from each hotel under consideration. Be sure to walk around the lit up ruins. Many are practically next to the Plaka Hotel. It is, after all, the whole point in staying in Athens to experience what your day time shore excursions would not give you.

It is the same story at Santorini. It is magical at night, but your boat leaves the island long before that. However, unlike Athens, there is really no way for you to experience the night scene in Santorini.

travelerjan

I like the Herodion better, because it's on the SOUTH side of Acropolis, which is bordered by a wonderful no-cars pedestrianized promenade, simply lovely to stroll along as the sunsets, and the rays turn acropolis to Gold ... lots more trees on that side, no traffic. Herodion has lovely acropolis balcony views on upper floors (go to its Trip Advisor reviews & click on "room tips" for the ones to specially ask for). Reserving well in advance will get these, and there is also a lovely restaurant terrace with divine view, as website shows.

Plaka Hotel has nice penthouse bar, yes, but the difference is, you access Plaka hotel from Metropolis Street -- VERY busy traffic, and alas these days, there are closed-down shops with graffiti. THe hotel itself is nice once you get inside, but the streets just outside of it are dispiriting these days.