bornintheusa

Am in need of a recommendation for a hotel/B & B very near the Athens airport and also one close to the Port where the Blue Star Ferry goes out of (Piraeus) for just one night--nothing fancy, just clean and inexpensive--somewhere to sleep before heading out to Santorini Thanks for your help

brotherleelove2004

Near the Airport............

http://www.perishotelapt.gr

http://www.stay-in-athens.com/index.htm

travelerjan

For an early ferry...

Born in US, did you try using the "search" slot??? It can avoid having us repeat ourselves, typing typing typing. I just now put in "Piraeus Hotel" and found a recommendation of mine from 2008. I shall paste it here, after a preface.

Most of us who've been to Greece many times and thus, have passed through Piraeus endless times, do not really recommend staying there. Horrific traffic, entire waterfront row of shops & agencies really crowdy, littered etc -- even the clean hotels are on grungy streets. Much better to have a budget hotel that is right near a Green Line Metro station leading TO Piraeus. The Blue star line is directly across from the Piraeus Metro building. As a budget hotel in the plaka district, i highly recommend Hotel Metropolis which is directly across the street from Athens Cathedral (which is known as the Metropoleos, get it??). You can get a single for about 60€, or less w. shared bath. Has a neat rooftop terrace w. acropolis view. Look on any Athens Map. Pay your hotel bill the night before, the desk guy will wake you in the early AM, walk down the street 5 mins to the Monastiraki Metro station. Here's my quote:

"The Metro starts at 5:30. It takes about 35 minutes total.... Buy your ticket the night before in Plaka at any ticket agency, so you don't have to stand in line at a dockside ticket office.... you have plenty of time to get that 7:25 Blue Star ... and still have time to buy a koulouri from a cart; those are the wonderful sesame-covered bread rings -- crunchy outside, soft inside, 50¢ and better than a soft pretzel from Philadelphia! Best "street food" ever!"

bornintheusa

Thank you Brotherlee and Travelerjan-- I wasn't sure of the area near the port so definitely like the idea of being near the Green line and getting to the port. Will also be tring out those koulouri you recommend as my husband is a soft pretzel lover!! Thanks again

Heimdall

Hi bornintheusa,

Last September you were planning to fly to Athens and then out to Santorini the same day. What happened to that idea? If you are able to book a connecting flight to Santorini, you won't have to worry about a hotel near the Green Line, or getting to Piraeus early the next morning. You won't even have to leave the airport, and will be spending your first night in Greece on beautiful Santorini.

mariha2912

If someone has been to Athens before and has a few hours to kill before getting a good nights sleep and jump on the ferry next morning, I don't see why staying on Piraeus is so bad. I strongly agree that port area is ungly, I strongly disagree on snapping the whole Piraeus city because of that. You can go to a port hotel, drop you bags, spend your time in nicer Piraeus areas, then go and get some sleep,next day take your ferry.Then you can tell your friends you've seen some of the most gorgeous ancient statues in Piraeus Archeological Museum, you've take a stroll and seat down and mix with smart dressed locals in one of the great cafes in Marina Zeas admiring the posh yaughts after a quick visit in the Marine Museum, you've had a full filling lunch in one of Mikrolimano's great fish taverns and you've got your new shoes in a bargain price from one of the excellent shops in Sotiros street. I bet none of your friends will even know all those things existed,let alone been there/done that!

bornintheusa

Just looking at options and will be watching air fares at the beginning of the year--some of the airplanes leaving LAX get in at 10pm which means you really can't get to Santorini and then to Oia before midnight...and then there are some that get in at 12:30 Am. If that is the case we can get right on an airplane to Sanorini with no problems. The thought of relaxing on a ferry for hours sounds really good too after flying for so long from LAX...too many options and thanks for all of your help.

brotherleelove2004

12:30am is 30 minutes past Midnight. There wont' be any flights until the next morning until sometime after 6am. I can't imagine sitting around the airport after a long flight from L.A. for 5+ hours.

bornintheusa

Yes brotherlee that is one of the downsides of some of the flights from LA--the ferry leaves at 7:25am and one of the flights leaves at 6:30 to Santorini...so we would be waiting around for several hours either in an airport or at the port. That is why I thought if we got a flight that arrives about 5pm in Athens we would just find a hotel for that one night...

brotherleelove2004

If your flight arrives around 5pm you can catch one of the evening flights to Santorini and not waste the night in Athens sleeping. Both Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines offer them.

bornintheusa

Brotherlee-- that is what I was thinking--just waiting on airfare--it is over $1500 right now...

brotherleelove2004

How well I know! I fly from Oregon and can't find anything for less unless I'm willing to spend huge amounts of extra time in some European transit lounge.

travelerjan

born & Brotherlee --- wow! I agree with your Air-fare watch ---What is up with the fares right now!?!? By this time last year, they had taken their usual $200+ "dip" ... but not this time. The flight I want from Philadelphia has not budged a single dollar since November, and I check every day or 2. I saw a business travelers' column that said experts believe that air fares will rise 10% in 2011 ... don't the lines know there's a Great Recession going on?? Sigh.