General Information

THE CITY

Home of Plato, Socrates and many others, Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities.

It’s recorded history spanning around 3.400 years and it is being inhabited since the 11th millennium B.C. E. Today, under the shadow of Parthenon, the contemporary urban scenery of the sprawling city reflects its exciting history, its multi- cultural modern personality as well as the infrastructure and facilities. The perfect Mediterranean climate with the legendary greek sunlight, the unique combination of glorious history with modern, urban innovation, the coexistence of great culture with astonishing natural beauty, the high standard hotel accommodation, modern means of transportation such as the cutting edge modern metro, the vibrant rhythm of life, the wide choice of opportunities for shopping, dining and night life and of course the warmth of the Athenians people feature Athens as the ideal all year round city break destination. The city of Parthenon is an open air museum.

HOW TO REACH ATHENS

The capital of Greece is situated in the southernmost region of the Balkan Peninsula, southeast of Europe. Its remote location in the European continent and the country’s orography make the easiest way to get to the city by air or by sea.

By Plane
The International Airport is located in the region of Spata, 30 km from the city centre. It welcomes many domestic and international flights every day and it has a regular connection with the center of Athens, the port of Piraeus and the port of Rafina 24 hours/7 days. Apart from international and intercontinental flights, it also serves internal flights to the Greek islands all year round. Athens is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, so it is very well connected with the rest of the world.

By Sea
There are 3 ports around Athens. The busiest is the port of Piraeus, which serves ferries to the majority of the Greek islands, Crete, and a few ports in Peloponnese. The port of Rafina, on the northeastern side of Athens, is the closest to the airport and serves ferries to Cyclades islands and southern Evia. The port of Lavrion is located close to Cape Sounion and serves ferries to Kea and Lemnos all year round and to a few islands of the Cyclades in summer.

GETTING AROUND ATHENS

Athens is the capital of Greece. It’s a large, vibrant city known as the cradle of democracy and Western civilization. People visiting Athens for a couple of days typically stay in the center of Athens, as this is where most of the ancient sites and other attractions are located.
Getting around downtown Athens is relatively straightforward. As many streets are pedestrianized, going around on foot is the best (and often the only) way to explore the city. The Acropolis, for instance, can easily be reached on foot from many hotels. You can also catch the metro for a few stops, or use taxis now and then.
For longer distances, there are several options for getting around in Athens. Apart from the metro, the public transportation system includes trams, buses, trolleys and the suburban railway. Taxis are also readily available and reasonably priced.

The Athens underground is a fast and reliable way to get around in Athens. It connects the most popular spots of interest in town. It also connects the center of Athens with the port of Piraeus (change in green line 1) and the airport of Athens (through blue line 3). Inaugurated in 2001, the metro of Athens is modern and routes are very frequent, approximately every 3 or 5 min. The metro works from 5:00 am till midnight. Although it serves a large part of the town and its suburbs, the network is still enlarged with new stations.You can get information about timetables here.

There are three metro lines, and trains run every few minutes:

• Blue metro line: Airport – Dimotiko Theatro metro station, passing by Syntagma, Monastiraki and Piraeus metro stations
• Red metro line: Anthoupoli – Elliniko metro station, passing by Syntagma and Acropolis metro stations
• Green metro line: Kifissia – Piraeus metro station, passing by Monastiraki and Thissio metro stations.

A leisurely way to travel around Athens is the tram. Trams run from Syntagma Square (centre of Athens) to the to the southern (coastal) suburbs. The coaches are nice and modern.The tram pass by several beach areas.

Routes:

• Athens (Syntagma) – Voula, running through Nea Smyrni, Paleo Faliro, Alimos, Helliniko, Glyfada
• Athens (Peace and Friendship Stadium in Neo Faliro) – Voula, running through Nea Smyrni, Paleo Faliro, Alimos, Helliniko, Glyfada

You can get more information about tram timetables here.

There is a huge network of buses and trolleys (electric buses) that operates in Athens and its suburbs. They usually operate from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm, with the exception of some buses that operate 24 hours, such as the Express buses from Athens Airport to Syntagma or to the port of Piraeus. Get information about timetables on www.telematics.oasa.gr.

Tickets are the same for all public transportations (the underground, tram and buses) and can be bought in special kiosks around the town or inside all the Metro Stations :

• a single ticket is valid for 90 minutes and costs 1.20 euro
• a return ticket costs 2.30 euro
• a daily ticket, which is valid for 24 hours, costs 4.10 euro
• a 5-day ticket costs 8.20 euro

All taxis are yellow and equipped with a taxi-meter that displays the fare. Taxis in Athens can be found anytime, anywhere. There are taxi ranks outside the airport, the train station, the metro stations, hospitals, museums, theaters … almost everywhere. The fares are doubled between midnight and 5 am. There is an extra fee when entering a taxi from the port, the airport, the rail station, and the KTEL bus station. If you want to stop a taxi in Athens, just step on the side of the road and raise your hand. Otherwise, you can book a taxi by calling on any of the following numbers: 18222, 18300, 18288, 18180 or you can book your taxi online.

Athens Airport is connected with Athens city center by metro, bus and the suburban railway:

• Metro (Blue line)
  Directions: Airport > get on the Blue line (direction Dimotiko Theatro) > get off Syntagma or Monastiraki metro stations which are two of the most central stations of Athens (Trip Duration: 38’ – 40’)
• Bus (X95 Airport)
  Directions: The Airport bus stop is on the arrivals level, between Exits 4 and 5 (Trip Duration: Around 40’ depending on traffic) – Disembark is at Syntagma square.
• Suburban railway (Proastiakos)
  Directions: The suburban railway station in Athens center is in the Central Railway station “Stathmos Larissis” which is also connected with the red metro line.
  Directions: Airport > Suburban railway direction Piraeus > Athens station

USEFUL INFORMATION

DOCUMENTS AND VISA INFORMATION

For citizens of European Union countries, a current valid ID is sufficient. For citizens outside EU, a passport is obligatory. Depending on the nationality of the delegates, the duration and the reason for their stay in Greece, it may be necessary for them to obtain a VISA before leaving. In this case, they should apply to the Greek consulate in their country.

WEATHER

Athens has warm temperatures and a pleasant Mediterranean climate. The average temperatures goes from 6° to 15° degrees in Winter/Autumn and from 15° up to 35° degrees in Spring/Summer. May is usually rather warm.

LOCAL CURRENCY

The currency is Euro (€).

CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS

Most shops, hotels and restaurants in Athens accept major credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.). Not all taxis accept payment by banker’s card, so it is recommended to check in advance.

TOURIST TAX

The Athens Municipality collects a visitor tax that applies to paying accommodation. The tax varies from € 1.50 to € 5.00 per person/day.

WHAT IS THE LOCAL TIME IN ATHENS?

Athens is in GMT + 3 time zone.

WHAT IS THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY STANDARD IN ATHENS?

The electricity network follows the European standard of a tension of 230 V, with a frequency of 50 Hz.

WORKING TIME

Shops are generally open:

• Monday & Wednesday: 9 am-3 pm
• Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 9 am-2 pm and 5.30 pm-9 pm
• Saturday: 9 am-3 pm
• Sunday: almost all shops are closed

Note: Most shops in the centre stay open throughout the day on Monday and Wednesday, and do not close for the 2.5 hour break on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL IN ATHENS?

Athens is a safe place to visit but some safety considerations are to be kept in mind as, like any big city, has safe and unsafe areas. On the whole, it’s a lively, dynamic place to visit in Greece.

Safety tips:

• Do not wear expensive jewelry
• Be mindful of your bag and your personal belongings in crowded areas
• If walking with a backpack, wear both straps so that it cannot be easily snatched
• If wearing a handbag, keep it securely tucked under your shoulder
• Do not walk alone at night
• Be careful when walking down the narrow passageways and dimly lit alleys
• Do not carry a lot of cash and try to minimize the amount of valuables that you carry with you

USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS

• Telephone Area Code: +30 210
• Municipality of Athens: +30 210 3722001
• Athens International Airport: +30 210 3530000
• Police Station: +30 210 6977000
• Port Authority: +30 210 4147800
• General Hospital Genimatas: +30 213 2032000
• Evangelismos Hospital: +30 213 2041000
• Post Office: +30 210 3353100
• Tourist Office: +30 210 3310392
• Taxis: +30 210 6457000