We will be arriving in Athens in October and are planning on renting a car as we will be traveling throughout the country. For our lodging we usually stay in VRBOs. I am having a tough time figuring out where to stay in Athens. I have read that some of the areas are not safe. Would you have any advice for safe areas that could accommodate a car? Or would it be better to take public transport from the airport and rent the car when we are ready to leave the city? Thank you very much.

Definitely, wait till you are leaving Athens to rent the car. It would be nothing but a hindrance in getting around the city. And the airport express bus is quite smooth.

Where you base yourself depends on your must-sees. We quite enjoyed Psirri but there are more knowledgeable advisers out there.

Do not drive in Athens! You don’t need a car in AThens and it would only be a hindrance and very stressful. Either pick up the car in Athens the day you leave, or take a taxi or the metro to the airport and pick up the car at the airport. We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel. Didn’t cost much money at all. About $40. You get dropped off right in front of your hotel. Easier and more convenient than taking the metro, IMO.

We stayed at the Airotel Parthenon. A 10 minute walk from the Acropolis and 5 minutes from the Plaka.

I agree a rental car would be a hindrance in Athens, and all the sights in the city are easily accessible on foot or by public transport. Watch out for pickpockets on the metro and around bus stops, but that’s a problem in other large European cities too. It would probably work best to take a taxi from the airport which would bring you straight to your hotel. If you arrive too early for check in, most hotels will keep your luggage in a secure place while you have a look around the area.

You might want to consider saving Athens for last, picking up your car at the airport and returning it at the end of your trip around the country. If you are too tired after the inbound flight you could spend your first night in Rafina, an attractive small port near the airport and return the next day to collect the rental car. I’ve stayed a couple of times at Hotel Avra, which is comfortable and has great views of the harbour. With few exceptions you won’t be able to take a rental car on inter-island ferries.

I can’t help much on where to stay in Athens, except somewhere around Monastiraki, Syntagma Square or Acropolis are central and near metro stations. I’ve heard people say they like the upmarket Kolonaki neighbourhood, within walking distance of the Parliament building and National Gardens. You may even find a VRBO there, I don’t know. Nowhere in Athens is unsafe (except for your wallet), but a few areas, eg Omonia Square and Exarchia, may look that way.

Definitely do not rent a car in central Athens.

How many days are you staying in Athens may determine what type of accommodations.

If it's just a couple days then it may be better for a hotel.

The most popular areas to stay in are Monistiraki (Psiri), Syntagma or Plaka. Huge assortment of accommodations depending on budget and needs.

I also agree NEVER drive in Athens and safe Athens for the end of your trip if possible.

We like to stay in Kolonaki and area near Syntagma Square. We stayed in Plaka one time but did not care for it.

Thanks for your responses.

We stayed two nights at the Hotel Bretagne, which is gorgeous, next to Syntagma Square. Gorgeous rooftop breakfast served.

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotel...hens/overview/

We weren't that wild about staying in Athens itself, though we could easily walk from the hotel to historic sites.

On our way through Aspen to catch our flight home, we stayed one night at the Astir Palace, which is away from central Athens. It was perfect for our last lazy night in Greece.

? FOUR SEASONS ASTIR PALACE HOTEL ATHENS ? VOULIAGMENI ? 5? GREECE ? RATES FROM ?1082

We found these two hotels through Costco Travel dot com. Buying their package gave us breakfast buffets, a local concierge, ground transportation and ferries. We also had a great place on Santorini, called The Gold Suites. A great location at Imerovigli.

https://www.goldsuites-santorini.com

We were there mid-September, and the weather was changing on Santorini. Wind and rain was coming in, so we were glad we were leaving before long.