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Athens > Combining the new with the old October 2, 2006

There’s always something new to discover in Athens

BEFORE YOU GO
Pack a copy of Time Out Athens, which offers a comprehensive guide to the city. And the newly published StyleCity Athens (Thames & Hudson) contains a hit list of trend-setting shops, bars and restaurants.

WHEN TO GO
It can be too hot to move in the city in July and August, so go as late as November or as early as March, when accommodation is cheaper and temperatures are mellow enough to allow eating and drinking outdoors.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
All major airlines fly to the Greek capital. Check details with your travel agent. From the airport (Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” at Spata), the metro and the suburban train take less than half an hour to the city centre. The bus or the express bus take about 45 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. 

GETTING AROUND
Most of the top attractions are within walking distance of each other, and there is a lengthy pedestrian promenade lined with cafés. But if your feet get tired, a 24-hour travel pass on the metro costs just €3 and some of the stops are great in themselves, the Acropolis is filled with replica sculptures and is more like a museum than a metro station.

TOURIST TRAIL
The Acropolis will be on everyone’s list, so aim to get there early (it opens at 8am). The Parthenon, the temple at its peak, is set against the incredible backdrop of the city, with views from the hills of Attica to the Saronic and the Aegean.

A stone’s throw away is the Areopagus Hill, where St Paul once preached, and the Temple of Hephaestus, the best-preserved Doric temple in Greece. There are special ticket packages covering the Acropolis, agoras and other sites for €12.

Relax and have lunch in the Plaka area directly beneath the Acropolis, which is crammed with red-roofed houses, narrow, tree-shaded streets, medieval churches and vine-covered tavernas.

To escape the city, the island of Aegina is an easy day-trip, take the metro to Piraeus, then a 40-minute hydrofoil (about €20 return, www.hellenicseaways.gr).

GO NATIVE
Ouzadiko, a restaurant hidden in the depths of Lemos shopping centre in the Kolonaki district, is a popular haunt for Athenians. There’s no sign outside, but it’ll be full of locals dining on the best meze in the city, including roast suckling pig, butterfly-grilled sardines and croquettes. It offers 600 brands of ouzo, too.

NIGHTLIFE
Athenians rarely eat before 10pm. Nightclubs fill up from midnight and stay open until dawn, so don’t venture out for the evening too early or the streets will be deserted. Try Psyrri, a formerly rundown district that is now one of the most vibrant areas in Athens, or nearby Gazi, an up-and-coming area with a range of clubs, pubs and restaurants.

If you’re visiting in July or August, be sure to spend an evening at an open-air cinema or theatre, a form of summer entertainment for which Athens is renowned.

WHAT TO BUY
Handmade Greek sandals from the world-renowned ‘Poet-Sandalmaker’ (Stavros Melissinos) in the Psyrri district, whose celebrity customers include all four Beatles, Jackie Onassis and Sophia Loren. Olive oil is less easy to bring back with you, but pistachio nuts, jewellery and Greek skincare brand Korres (on sale in most chemists in Greece) are more likely to survive the journey home.

The Kolonaki area is buzzing with smart shoppers and designer boutiques, and is a great place to people-watch enjoying a capuccino or a frappe-coffee at one of the many and lively cafes there, even if you don’t want to flex the credit card.

If it’s a bargain you’re after, spend Sunday morning haggling at the flea market at Monastiraki (8.30am-3pm), where you’ll find everything from silver cutlery to Russian dolls.

WHERE TO STAY
Billed as Greece’s first ‘design’ hotel, Semiramis (www.semiramisathens.com), in the northern suburb of Kifissia, looks impressively futuristic. Designer Karim Rashid has used neo-pop colours in its 51 bedrooms (including poolside bungalows). Prices start at €200 for a double room, with breakfast.

The Amaryllis Hotel (www.greekhotel.com/athens/amaryllis) in Omonia may suit budget travellers, it’s less chic, but doubles are just €55 in high season.

WHERE TO EAT
Follow the locals to Diasimos on the Freattida waterfront for grilled fish and calamari. Café Avissinia in Monastiraki has fabulous views from the first floor to the Parthenon and authentic Greek dishes for €30 per head.

CAN YOU DRINK THE WATER?
Yes, it’s essential in summer or if you’re recovering from too many ouzos.