Where to stay the last night in Greece?
 

I am trying to plan a trip to Greece. I have booked the plane tickets to Athens & Santorini. When we fly back to Athens from Santorini, we have one afternoon, one final night and the next day at noon we fly home. My question is.... should we stay in central Athens, or somewhere on the coast or in the countryside? We will not have a car so public transportation or a taxi will be necessary. I read a trip report on this forum and the author said they stayed somewhere on the coast and did not even return to Athens on their final day in Greece. Opinions?

Will you have seen Athens before going to Santorini?

Judy, Yes, we plan to be in Athens Friday at noon through Monday morning. I had planned to fly from Atlanta to Athens to Santorini on the same day(s) without going to central Athens so I would not have to backtrack but...Long Story...I wanted to do the Monday tour. So it was more logical since I had already booked the flight & it was a good price, etc.,to do mainland Greece and at the end go to Santorini. So, yes, I will have seen Athens.

I will have "seen" Athens. I'm sure months could be spent there without seeing it all. But you get my drift...

What dates will you be in Greece, marlib? That can influence our advice!

we are in Greece April 8th - April 19.

I'd stay within walking distance of Syntagma
Square... lots to see and do your last afternoon
and evening and close by to take the metro or bus
to the airport in the morning...

I agree with Paris/Am stay close to Syntagma Square (Hotel Cypria? Hotel Plaza?) ... April will be balmy in Athens, and having been there the week before you will have said to yourself, oh, if I just had time to see such-and-such ... and on that last afternoon, you will. Do be aware that it's a Monday, and many museums are closed then -- heres a VERY useful list of sites' days/hours http://www.athensinfoguide.com/open.htm The "biggie" of course is the Nat. archeological Museum -- and if you've been to sites such as Mycenae and Santorini, you'll want to visit the place where their treasures are showcased ... the golden "mask of Agamemnon" and the famed Akrotiri Murals, etc. And if it's a sunny day, what better time to wander thru the Ancient Agora's grassy spaces, with spring flowers all about ... and its famous tortoises wandering over the broken columns...

Have you thought of staying in The Plaka? We stayed there on our first trip to Greece and didn't the second and I regretted it. The Plaka Hotel isn;t fancy but if you ask for a room at the back you have views of the Acropolis lit up at night. I loved strolling aroung the OLD CITY

Oh travelerjan stop!!! You make me want to be back there right now!! I second the suggestion to see the National Archaeological Museum, it is truly amazing. I especially like the sculpture wing. I would stay near Syntagma Square for ease of transport to the airport in the morning. You could stroll to The Plaka for dinner on that last night and near Syntagma Square there is the changing of the guard at Parliament House which I love.

I agree with the others. Travelerjan mentioned Hotel Cypria, and in fact that's where I stayed for my last night in Greece this past June. Booked a 'superior' room through the hotel website, and was upgraded to 'luxury' when I checked in. For under €100 I got a large room with separate sleeping and sitting areas, and a huge bathroom.

The area around Syntagma Square is very handy for last night stays. Cypria is in a quiet street just off the square, and a very short walk to the metro station and for buses to the airport.

If you'd like to spend the last day/night somewhere other than central Athens, Glyfada is an upmarket suburb along the coast with bus routes to the airport. There are lots of other interesting suburbs to stay eg Kifissia or Vouliagmeni (might be too far). Glyfada has many shops, restaurants and very good hotels. Kalamaki (Alimos) is another good area, probably one of the best in Athens, also on the coast.

You can check the bus timetables http://www.oasa.gr/index.php?id=index It takes 30-40mins by bus from Glyfada to the airport. Central Athens is also within easy reach.

Since you are flying back to Athens, another possibility is to stay at the Sofitel at the airport. It's about a 2 minute walk from the terminal. It's not cheap but if you book at least 15 days in advance you can get a nice room for 140 euro.

You could then check in when you fly in from Santorini and decide what you want to do - spend the afternoon and evening in Athens or take a bus elsewhere if you'd rather. Staying here makes your departure the next day a breeze. Depending on your airline you might be able to check in the night before or, worst case, check in early in the morning, go back to your room, relax have a cup of coffee and then stroll over to the terminal about an hour before your departure time.

Sofitel is very handy if people have to get up in the dark and be in line by 5 am. However, this party is relatively lucky. They don't fly until noon--- so don't have to be in line until 10 am. That means they could catch the Syntagma Square bus at 9 am, no waking up pre-dawn.

If they wanted to stay in the airport vicinity, no need to pay €140. they could book into St. Thomas B & B, a charming place in an olive grove, 10 minutes from Airport for much less .... about 80/100, including a lavish buffet breakfast -- Or they could go to Peris Hotel, also about 10 minutes from airport, for about 50-60 Euros in April (ALSO offers continental breakfast and free shuttle to/from Airport).

Thanks for all of the advice! I am leaning toward staying in central Athens for that last night and perhaps in the afternoon visit one of the museums. Thanks again, I may be begging for more information later.

Thanks for all of the advice! I am leaning toward staying in central Athens for that last night and perhaps in the afternoon visit one of the museums. Thanks again, I may be begging for more information later.