I will be renting a car for a week &
intend to visit Athens downtown included Plaka & Acropolis. I heard it is tough driving in downtown. I intend to park my car somewhere & take a metro line to stn Syntagma & begin a walking tour. Is it far to walking from this station to Acropolis? Where should I park my car for the whole day? Pls advise.

If you're coming from the airport or the ferry port I suggest you take the Metro or the bus into Syntagma, then if you're planning to take a roadtrip on mainland Greece go back to the airport or port, pick up your car and go from there. You'll save yourself a huge hassle.

Hi,
It is my 3rd day in greece, I am staying in Marathónas, pls advice

I read that 80% of all rental cars in
Athens are returned within the first hour because the traffic in Athens is so bad.

We have always rented a car at the Athens airport and would recommend you do the same. Take the metro to Athens and then return to the airport and rent the car there. It is cheap and you do not have to drive anywhere near Athens.

Look at this map:

http://tinyurl.com/4t9foj

If you have a car drive it to Kifissia, find a place to park and take the Suburban Green Line Train the rest of the way into Athens to the Monastiraki Metro Station. This Metro Station is right next to the Plaka.

OP wrote:
"... intend to park my car somewhere & take a metro line to stn Syntagma & begin a walking tour. Is it far to walking from this station to Acropolis?"

Syntagma to Acropolis is about 20 minute easy walk -- flat terrain -- unless you get distracted walking thru the narrow Plaka streets so much to see & do.

" I am staying in Marathónas, "

Leave the car there !! or drive car to Kifissia as brotherleelove2004 suggests.

Trying to find visitor parking in central Athens is futile & frustrating.

I had a car in Athens last month
and sure, it's a busy city but if you have any competence at all behind a wheel it's no big deal!

It IS good advice to use the metro
as much as possible though. I stayed
at the Amazon just down from Syntagma and found a parking garage just around the corner on Appolonos Street for 15 euros a night.

Any big city is much the same... public transportation is usually the
best bet but don't be put off driving if that's what you want to do. The horror stories around driving in Athens are much exaggerated!

Rob

It is not tough driving in Athens, it is IMPOSSIBLE driving in Athens. Take a cab if you really need to be driven one place to the next, otherwise you will spend so much time trying to find a place to park it could very well ruin the appeal of the place.