One day in Athens
Apr 24th, 2008, 07:37 AM
#2
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The Acropolis/Parthenon, hands down. The Metro is a wonderful way around the city and you can catch it at the airport. If he/she has time after the Parthenon, walk around the Plaka and chose a spot there for lunch.
Apr 24th, 2008, 02:41 PM
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I've seen reasonably recent guidebook information suggesting that the Acropolis area is undergoing significant renovation at present. Don't know how true that is or how that would impact a visit there.
Apr 24th, 2008, 04:07 PM
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Just got back 4/16, and yes there is alot of renovation going on. I still would not miss it.
I agree with Cd, Acropolis/Parthenon and a walk around the plaka is a great way to spend one day in Athens
I agree with Cd, Acropolis/Parthenon and a walk around the plaka is a great way to spend one day in Athens
Apr 25th, 2008, 02:39 AM
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Lucky YOU.. I haven't been back in a few years. But our family had such a memorable time in Athens, we still talk about it.
We chose to use a guided tour with tour guide approach as we also were limited to just one day in Athens.
We chose a tour called Ultimate Athens and it was!.... Greece Cruise Excursions had been touted to us by friends that were really pleased with their service and dependablility and that sounded good.. We had never been and don't speak the language or read it etc.
We spent a monumental time up in the Acopolis where you can really feel the history .. We just sat down on the pillars and took it all in..... the Archeological Museum is mindblowing.... Such amazing works of art. The Greeks were definately forerunners in art. We had a fantastic time in the Plaka where my wife got presents for everybody and some incredible jewelry for herself. Lunch of the true Greek healthy delicious food was everything I had heard about.. Great!! And I'm a camera buff so the whole Plaka experience warranted me tons of photo opts.
Our guide was so knowledgable after training for 4 years in the history of it all...art, archeology, architecture, relegion... Where did I go to school... never learned any of this... Anyway, we also had a great tour of the city passing what I thought was one of the most memorable sights in all of Athens--- The Temple of Olympian Zeus (50" columns). So if you are checking out places.. do yourself a favor and look up GCE at: http://www.greececruiseexcursions.com You'll be touting them next. Good Travels
We chose to use a guided tour with tour guide approach as we also were limited to just one day in Athens.
We chose a tour called Ultimate Athens and it was!.... Greece Cruise Excursions had been touted to us by friends that were really pleased with their service and dependablility and that sounded good.. We had never been and don't speak the language or read it etc.
We spent a monumental time up in the Acopolis where you can really feel the history .. We just sat down on the pillars and took it all in..... the Archeological Museum is mindblowing.... Such amazing works of art. The Greeks were definately forerunners in art. We had a fantastic time in the Plaka where my wife got presents for everybody and some incredible jewelry for herself. Lunch of the true Greek healthy delicious food was everything I had heard about.. Great!! And I'm a camera buff so the whole Plaka experience warranted me tons of photo opts.
Our guide was so knowledgable after training for 4 years in the history of it all...art, archeology, architecture, relegion... Where did I go to school... never learned any of this... Anyway, we also had a great tour of the city passing what I thought was one of the most memorable sights in all of Athens--- The Temple of Olympian Zeus (50" columns). So if you are checking out places.. do yourself a favor and look up GCE at: http://www.greececruiseexcursions.com You'll be touting them next. Good Travels
May 24th, 2008, 11:23 AM
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Just for comparison purpose, Gabi, you might look at this website, and e-mail them for "customized tours" and see what the comparison is...
http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/
Their 'group tours" are indeed small (limited to 12) and word is, that their guides are VERY educated, articulate and enthusiastic...feedback from these forums is positive. Andy of their half-day tours is 29E, they will put together a double tour or -- as I said, will totally customize. Useful for comparison on what each offers, for how much.
http://www.athenswalkingtours.gr/
Their 'group tours" are indeed small (limited to 12) and word is, that their guides are VERY educated, articulate and enthusiastic...feedback from these forums is positive. Andy of their half-day tours is 29E, they will put together a double tour or -- as I said, will totally customize. Useful for comparison on what each offers, for how much.
May 30th, 2008, 07:37 AM
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Just a word of warning for the archaeological museum. Even though their informational brochure says that their "summer hours" start at the beginning of April, and all my guidebooks said the same, in fact they are, as of May 30th, still operating under limited hours. On Mondays they are open from 1 pm until 7:30 p.m. Every other day, and on holidays they are open only 8:30 to 3 p.m. We of course figured this out as we showed up at 2:15 today, our only day in Athens. I asked at the information desk when they would be shifting to longer hours and she totally blew me off. Said "Maybe next week, I don't know." Saw an awful lot of people strolling up who clearly had no idea that it closed at 3, so just be forewarned. Checked their website right now and it does have the hours listed correctly, so hopefully they keep that updated. Check before you go, especially if you have limited time!
As a dissenting opinion: I was quite underwhelmed by the Acropolis. The Parthenon and the entry gate thing are *entirely* enclosed in scaffolding, the museum is closed, and even trying to look around at the "lesser" stuff down below I got yelled at any time I stepped off the sidewalk leading up to the parthenon, even if I was headed to a place where there was a freaking picnic bench.
And I dunno, reading about all the "restorations" and then "restorations of the restorations", and watching them pretty much completely rebuild the temple of Nike Athena (?) from scratch with modern marble stones....it just all seemed pretty artificial to me, and i wasn't that impressed.
They sure are serious about that "don't take any rocks out of here" thing...my husband bent down to pick up a piece of the gravel everybody was walking around on, to see what it was made of, and a lady from about 100 yards away *blew a whistle* like a lifeguard or something and yelled "put the stone down sir!!". sigh.
Shopping in the streets is amazing though!
As a dissenting opinion: I was quite underwhelmed by the Acropolis. The Parthenon and the entry gate thing are *entirely* enclosed in scaffolding, the museum is closed, and even trying to look around at the "lesser" stuff down below I got yelled at any time I stepped off the sidewalk leading up to the parthenon, even if I was headed to a place where there was a freaking picnic bench.
And I dunno, reading about all the "restorations" and then "restorations of the restorations", and watching them pretty much completely rebuild the temple of Nike Athena (?) from scratch with modern marble stones....it just all seemed pretty artificial to me, and i wasn't that impressed.
They sure are serious about that "don't take any rocks out of here" thing...my husband bent down to pick up a piece of the gravel everybody was walking around on, to see what it was made of, and a lady from about 100 yards away *blew a whistle* like a lifeguard or something and yelled "put the stone down sir!!". sigh.
Shopping in the streets is amazing though!
