Hi all--Can some of you advise whether you recommend shopping in the Plaka and how one goes about bargaining if that is the thing to do there? I was wondering about Grecian skirts, sundresses, tops, etc. and gift items--thinking of bringing less and buying some Greek items to wear--please share your ideas on this fun topic. Also are there are safety issues I should be aware of? Any problems sleuthing alone in the area? Thanks.

Take care,
Robyn France

Shopping in the Plaka is fun....it's an open air market with a variety of items from leather goods to jewelry, you name it. I think it's one of the longest operating markets in the world.

There's no real safety problem except for I'm sure it's popular with pickpockets, so stay aware, but feel free to wander.

We bargained a little (I bought sandals, a necklace and a skirt there to wear for dinner since I had no cool clothing when we arrived in muggy Athens.) But it's not the same crazy game it was in Turkey. Prices in Greece are generally pretty reasonable anyway, so I tended not to do more than ask for a couple of lower prices. It's generally considered an insult to ask for less than half the value, so if something is $10 Euro, offer $7 or so, not $5.

Have fun!

Julie

These are great questions and I would also be interested in the answers. In addition, I would like advice on buying gold jewelry. Is there a problem with the carat not being what is claimed? Is it stamped in some way? Any good stores for buying gold jewelry in the Plaka area? (I don't care about the very high priced shops). Thanks.

RobynFrance, the Plaka can be a good place to buy gift items and souvenirs, as well as a fun place to shop. There are other areas nearby you may also want to consider such as Ermou Street and the Monastiraki Flea Market.

One observation re clothing--Greek women tend to be slim, and small sizes are the norm. In most of the shops I went to sizes from 5-8 were readily available, but anything larger was harder to find. For example, size 12 clothing was labeled XXL.

As far as safety issues, I was a solo traveler in Athens and did not feel at all unsafe. I got hit on several times, but once I let the guys know I wasn't interested, they left me alone. Just observe normal safety precautions and you should be fine.

I LOVE Plaka. It's so fun. Bargain just like you would elsewhere. I know the gypsies there are notorious for pickpocketing (but I'm sure others besides gypsies have done this too). If you don't want to buy something from someone and they're trying to get you to, don't be afraid to be forceful when telling them you're not interested. (We had an incident with my mother-in-law trying to be "nice" about it, and it made things much worse).

We will be in Athens on a cruise and are looking for some close shopping areas. How far is Plaka, Ermou Street, & Monastiraki Flea Market from the cruise Terminal in Pireaus (Athens)?

Before I answer your question, I have to take on the assertion that Greek women tend to be slim. Way not true. There are many YOUNG Greek women who are slim just like there are many YOUNG women all over the world who are slim. By American standards, I am not slim at all, by Greek standards I am. As a result, there are clothes in Greece for all body types, just like everyplace else. It is true, like it is in every country to which I have travelled, that the most stylish clothes are in small sizes.

But anyway, that wasn't your question Robyn!

I have walked all over Athens and have never felt unsafe. I do not let gypsy children get anywhere near me as many of them pickpocket in Greece, as they do in other countries. I keep track of my purse/money when I am in an outdoor cafe, and have never had a single problems (knock on wood).

You can certainly buy the kinds of items you are describing in Plaka, as well as in nearby Monastiraki. There are many shops there specializing in exactly this type of merchandise.

Since I always like buying new clothes , you idea of bringing less and buying there is one I share. Depending on your price range and fashion sense, however, you may want to expand your shopping beyond Plaka. Ermou Street between Plaka and Syntagma Square is now a pedestrian way and is lined with many great clothing stores. Eolou Street which is off of Ermou also has a lot of good clothing stores that are reasonably priced. I much prefer shopping on Ermou and Eolou to Plaka (for clothing, that is). For the higher end of the market (and I do mean high), Kolonaki has fabulous clothes by local and international designers.

I would not buy jewelry in Plaka unless you either didn't care about the quality, or have enough knowledge to know what you are buying. I like the areas above Syntagma Square -- there are pedestrian streets between Stadiou and Akadimious that have really nice jewelry.

When are you going to Greece? If it is August/September, that is when the big clothing sales are, and you can get some really good deals. On bargaining, it depends on where you are whether it's appropriate. In Monastiraki, my experience is bargaining usually works, Plaka it works less frequently than Monastiraki, and in the more formal stores on Ermou and elsewhere it doesn't really work at all. Your spider senses will help you tell whether bargaining is appropriate in any given store.

4totravel, you asked about getting from Pireas to Monastiraki. It is a straight shot on the Metro from Pireas to Monastiraki and back. The Metro is fast, clean, and very convenient. You can buy single tickets or a day pass. In Pireas, the station is located on the waterfront near the central port and brings you right to the heart of Monastiraki.

Eleni and all--that is great info--will do a little research of the areas you mentioned and will see where I can get to--we are indeed going the first 2 weeks in September, although we are spending just a short time in Athens--do all the stores close at siesta time? We will be seeing the sights mainly (DH is no shopper so I will have to target and move quickly). I am about a size 8 so the size issue sounds as if it will work for me in any case. We go to France every year and are quite careful about the gypsies--really have never had any trouble but in France am completely fluent in the language which makes it a bit easier to manage--will have to find out the right thing to say as they approach--Eleni, can u help?
Many thanks--am so excited about this trip. We leave for France next week for 2 weeks but am really thinking about Greece.

Take care,
Robyn France

That's funny. It never would have occured to me to try to bargain with the shopkeepers in the Plaka. They are shops, not a flea market booth. But then, I'm not one who finds the bargaining game fun.

Which makes me wonder, how many of you think of bargaining as a fun game? Anyone like me would just rather pay the asking price?

In my experience, the bargaining was started by the shopkeepers, who would say as I looked at something that they would give me a good price on it.

On what to do when approached by gypsy children, do not speak to the except to say "oxi" (which means no), and put up your hand palm forward to also gesture no. Greeks would also tip their head back and raise their eyebrows at the same time to further empasize that they were not interested. Usually this is enough, but if the kid persists, just repeat "oxi" etc. until the kid leaves.

On store closings, depending on the day, most things close at 2 or 3 and open again, it seems like around 5:30 or 6:00. So at 2, head out for lunch and then back to your hotel for a nap before heading out for a stroll followed by an evening meal. Most Greeks don't eat dinner until late -- 9pm would be considered a very early dinner.

lol Eleni 'oxi' means acid .
it's 'ohi' that means no... but i guess saying 'oxi' will keep little touts away as well.

Can you please provide pronunciation for the no word. Thanks.

Ohi = no (h pronounced like in the word 'horse')
nE = yes

Per my Berlitz Languages of Europe book, Oxi = no. The "x" is the Greek letter Chi. Berlitz says it's pronounced Okhee, where the "kh" is pronounced like the "ch" in Loch (as in Loch Ness). Emphasis on the first syllable.

Yep, oxi=no (oh'-khee) accent on the first syllable, the x in this instance is pronounced pretty much like Barry says, although it is not quite as hard a sound as the ch in Loch. Maybe between that and an h sound -- you form the sound in the back of your throat.

I think the problem, cons15479, is that the "x" here is one of those Greek letters that is difficult to accurately transliterate as the precise sound is not one that exists in English. In Greek the middle letter is "x" but "x" in Greek is not pronounced the same as "x" in English. But "h" doesn't exactly work either.

Robyn, don't worry! You'll pick this up really easily when you are there!

By the way, "nai" means yes. It is pronounced "nay".

On acid, the middle letter in that word is one that doesn't exist in english, and transliterates as "ks". So acid would be o-ksee' with the accent on the second syllable.

PS: I speak both Greek and English fluently.