zwho

We are going on a Med Cruise in June and have a full day in Athens. We are experienced European travellers, but have never been to Greece. We also would like to do most of this on our own, because thats what we're used to, and it seems very expensive to hire someone. Here's what we would like to do (in a perfect world). Can we do it, and if not, can I get some advice on the best way to spend our time and money? We want to find a taxi at the port and have them take us to the Acropolis or take a subway or bus if they are within close walking distance of the port. We would like to find a guide at the Acropolis, so we really get an idea of the history. After a thorough tour, tell the guide goodbye and walk down thru the Plaka on our own, just enjoying the rhytum of the city and if we have time, pick up another cab to take us to a museum or another ancient ruin, (I haven't really started researching what we want to see besides the Acropolis and Plaka yet). Well, is this possible and does it make sense? I can walk all day, but don't want to walk uphill if I don't have to. We're not in that great of shape. Thanks in advance.

zwho

I'm topping myself, because I KNOW there is someone who missed this post, but will see it now and offer help!

Alesandra

Yes you will walk because there is no taxi to the Acropolis. You must walk it, it is almost better than the Acropolis! Ancient Roman ruins et all. The printed guide is your best bet and study up before you go. I don't believe there is a guide up there for hire. Eat in the Plaka afterwards. READ the posted menu, STICK to the menu, don't alow the waiter to "produce something wonderful for you". My husband and I learned the hard way in Peireus one night by the water. The shrimp and lobster are BOUGHT in (cost us fifty dollars, each). Evidently the Greek fishing nets are the smallest allowable in the world and they have terribly overfished their waters. Thus, they trek in some shellfish. It is truly easy to find a cab to do a private tour. Ask your cruise people how much it should cost you (then tip) to hire someone per hour. You will be hot and tired, go to the Olympic Stadium and the funicular. Study! Have fun!

zwho

Thank you Alesandra. I knew someone would help me. I found a taxi driver on the internet that wants 28 Euros an hour. Does that sound reasonable? What do you mean, no taxis to the Acropolis? What if I have a tough time going uphill? I can walk down from the Acropolis, but I don't know about up, lousy knees! Do you mean walk up, so I don't miss the ancient ruins? f so, can't I see them coming down? Thanks.

angeliki

You should have no problem doing most of this on your own. The metro station in Piraeus is right on the harbor. Depending upon where your ship docks you may have a 5-10 minute walk(level ground). You can then take the metro to Monastiraki. Here you could flag a cab down(sometimes easier said than done) for the short ride to the Acropolis. You'll still have to do some uphill walking to reach the top but the cab will save you some of it. There are usually guides offering their services near the ticket booth.
After seeing the Acropolis if your not too tired you can probably handle the downhill walk back. Return through the agora and into the plaka area and back to the train station.

angeliki

Last year they installed a handicapped lift on the Acropolis. I saw the platform and attendants on the top but never saw anyone use it. They were saying you need advance reservations. Other than that I know nothing about it. I'd also advise going early in the AM to beat the heat and potential crowds.

angeliki

ttt

Nikki

I just came back from Athens. I also have trouble with bad knees. The acropolis was very challenging, but worth it. You can take a cab as far as it will go, where the tour buses park, but then you will have to walk up hill, and there are steep stairs. I took my time and got both up and down.

I believe I read that the new handicapped access is a wheelchair lift, and it is probably not a practical solution for anyone who is not in a wheelchair.

There is a booth near the ticket booth at the entrance where you can hire a guide.

After you see the Parthenon, you can walk back down the hill, turn right, and walk down to the ancient agora. There is a well preserved temple to Hephaestos in there as well as a museum in the Stoa of Attalos. Look at a map. There are pedestrian walkways connecting these sites.

zwho

Hi Nikki, Hope you will see this. I wrote a man with a cab that I found recommended on Fodors. He said he can't do tours, just drop us close to the Acropolis (as you said). He wants to charge me 140 Euros for half a day and drive us around. Something tells me this is not how I want to see Athens. I want to stroll around the Plaka, even with bad knees, I go everywhere, I'm just slow (you know)! So what do you think? Please give me your opinion, since you were just there. I need to write him back and either book him for half a day or a hour or 2 or say no thanks. I'm leaving for a card game. I'll check this later. Thanks.

Nikki

If driving around in a cab is not the way you want to see Athens, then there is no need to do it that way. If walking is not a problem for you, just stairs, then there is no need to even take a taxi to the Acropolis.

You can take the metro in to Athens and walk to the Acropolis along one of the lovely pedestrian streets. The Thission station is on the route from Piraeus, and you would walk up Apostolou Pavlou to the entrance for the Acropolis. There are plenty of places to sit and rest. Or you would have to change trains (twice, it looks like) to get to the Acropolis station, from which you would walk up Dionysiou Areopagitou to the Acropolis entrance. Make sure you look at a map of the city and the metro when deciding how to do this.

I believe it is difficult to simply hail a cab at Piraeus when you get off the ship. But if you want to, you could arrange for a taxi from Piraeus to the Acropolis and do the rest of your touring on foot, returning on the metro or in a taxi.

thanos_GR

zwho

I am sorry to read about your problem but please do not pay this taxi person 140 euro for a few hours drive through the city.

Can you tell us who this person is? I sometimes recommend taxi tour companies in Athens and if it is one I have written about I will not do so again.

thanos

zwho

Thank you for all your help. I think we will try to do this with the help of a good map, a guide on the ancient ruins in Athens and the help of all of you Fodorites. I don't want to get anyone in trouble so I would rather not use names. One more question though. I try to learn certain phrases for each place we go, ya know, Please, Thank you, how much, wheres the toilet, etc.... Are we going to have more trouble with the language barrier in Athens then in other European cities? I have heard, there just isn't any english around, signs, people speaking it, and unlike say spanish, no words really look familiar. Another reason we were looking at a private driver/ guide. Thanks again.

Nikki

I had trouble forcing myself to learn any Greek, couldn't get past the alphabet, and had no trouble at all in Greece. Almost everyone we encountered in Athens knew enough English for basic encounters, and in the central neighborhood where the tourist sights are located, all signs were in English as well as Greek. I did notice as we drove through outer neighborhoods that this was not always the case, but you are likely to stay in areas where it will not be a problem during your one day in Athens.

MichiganSt_grl

By all means do not pay for a taxi - you don't need to at all.

If you want to limit your wakling this is how you do it. If you would like to go to the acropolis first - take the metro from the port to Omonia, get off and transfer to to the line with Akropoli on it (this is not difficult to do at all). Get off at Akropoli and it takes you to a street where you can enter the Acropolis - there is a little climbing and what not - but even if you're out of shape you'll be ok. Bring water with you (bc they'll charge you alot) - why pay 2-3 euro when you can get it for 50 cents from a kiosk?

At the acropolis you can hire a tour guide. Do the tour and then go to Plaka for a nice meal afterwards.

Depending on where you plan on ending up or beginning from the Acropolis - you could also take the metro to Monastraki - get off .. enter the acropolis down at that end - walk through it - and exit the Acropolis at the *main entrance* - then you could walk through plaka etc back to the Monastraki station.

I would also suggest you visit the National Gardens and the Parliament where you can watch the changing of guards - just across from Syntagma Sq. .. its easily accesable and you should have some time.