Hotels in Athens

So first, I recommend you read Matt Barrett's Athens Guide on Hotels. It is very helpful and tries to explain the absurd rating system. I agree with him about finding a decent C-category hotel (with AC!) in/within walking distance of the Plaka (which is located underneath the Acropolis). Sure the area is touristy and crowded, but everything is accessible and you will be able to get around easiest here.

Here are a couple links to comparing hotels in Athens:
Booking.com
Athens-Greece
As far as hostels in Athens check out these links: HostelsWeb and Hostels.
I would book now, because hotels/hostels fill up fast especially in Athens and in August.

The NYTimes has a whole travel section on Greece and actually, recently, wrote up a really interesting article about a new, ecclectic, artsy, up-and-coming area of Athens: Gazi. I think it sounds worth checking out if you're in Athens for a more than one day.

Bus Travel in Greece: Flashback to the Past!

The best way to get around mainland Greece is by bus...unfortunately. I say this because the buses look like they are from the 50's and they sorta drive that way too. I'm not saying this to discourage anyone, it will get you from point a to point b, but just being honest about what to expect.

The most important thing to remember is that in Athens there are TWO bus stations. One serves the southern part of Greece and the other the northern. You want the southern one, Terminal A (located at Kifissou 100, it's called "Kifissou" for shorthand). I won't even tell you the other station, because that will just confuse you. Buses leave the station for Sparti all day long and tickets are about 12€ (about $15). It says that the ride is about 3.5 hrs (though you can drive the distance in 2 hrs, because of stops and so forth it is longer).

To get to the bus station from the airport take bus #: X93 at door 5 of the Airport. If you want to get to the bust station from downtown Athens, catch bus #: 051 from the corner of Zinonos & Menandrou Sts., Omonia Square. Omonia Sq. is a central area of Athens just north of the Acropolis and Monastiraki (the huge fleamarket at the foot of the Acropolis).

ITALY-GREECE: "una faccia, una raccia"

OK, not so sure about the spelling on that, but I know a lot of you have heard me quote this line before (what can I say, I'm a geek). So I know a few of you are planning on going to Italy before heading over to Greece and are wondering what is the most efficient way to cross the Ionian sea...and of course, there is no easy answer!

There is a super cheap flight from Milan to Athens on EasyJet for £30 (which translates to about $60). Unfortunately, EasyJet does not fly from Rome to Athens, only from Milan (what?!). A quick search on Kayak for flights from Rome to Athens showed an average of $144 one-way cost on Alitalia. Naples to Athens for $115 and Palermo to Athens, at $142.

As far as ferries over, there is a 15 hr ferry ride from Brindisi, Italy (on the heel of Italy) to Patras, Greece (Northern tip of Peloponessos and the European Capital of Culture 2006!). You can book a reservation at GreekFerries. There is also a 28 hour ferry ride from Naples to Patras (yikes! 28 hours!). From the port of Catania, Sicily you can only take a ferry to Naples. From Palermo, ferries only go to the west coast of Italy. Needless to say, getting a ferry from Sicily to Greece is a major hassle (and makes no sense to me).

Ultimately, I would recommend flying. I apologize that in a previous post I mentioned that there are ferries from Italy to Greece (making it out to be some easy endeavor). I know some of you have travel agents that you are corresponding with and I would discuss this with them further, I'm sure they are privy to way more info regarding ferries, flights and so forth. Good luck!