My son and his gf and another friend (who lives in England) are going to Athens for a week this summer. Anything that they must do or not do? Fun things for 19 - 24 year olds to do (that aren’t dangerous!). Just though I might help him with some ideas. I have been but it has been almost 40 years ago! They have travelled overseas before and are all very independent, smart kids who like the outdoors, history, and experiencing the culture of the places they visit.
Thanks!
Asking one more time.
We went with a tour several years ago.
Don’t know the logistics these days but will they be able to visit Ephesus or Crete? Delos? Santorini?
Most of the islands were close together and could be traveled to by hydroboats in very short amounts of time. Sort of like getting tickets at a bus station.
Loved all our time in Greece.
Just the usual: be alert at all times, to avoid hazards such as street crimes and unsafe drivers (four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles alike).
@gouf78 thanks, I’ll pass that on. Sounds like something they would like Someone messaged me that they should do their own planning. They are. They just wanted to know if anyone did anything interesting that they might overlook. They have always found some good info from others on their trips they didn’t find just doing research. There is nothing like hearing from others. This is the first time all three have gone together. The girl in the group has really only travelled with her family but both boys have travelled together in Europe before. Thanks for the suggestion!
We were in Athens in December, it’s a very walkable city and can be done in 3 days, if they have a week to spend I would go to an island or two.
I would take a look at websites such as Frommers, Rick Steves, Fodors, etc. They usually have a section on a country along the lines of “One week in Greece? Here’s a suggested itinerary.”
I was there in August 2016. It did get very hot. We got up and out in the morning to beat the crowds and heat.
I would spend a three days being active and a tourist in Athens and then head out to one of the islands, preferably a lesser known one unless they are really into clubbing on Santorini. Go to where the Greeks go - Serifos as an example. This describes Serifos. I love it there. http://www.greektravel.com/greekislands/serifos/
We hired a guy, george’s Taxi. He drove us around to the hot spots giving us history and then would pick us up. Took us to a great place for lunch. I bet you can google him and find him. I highly recommend
Do they already have a place to stay? My D did a 2 week term in Greece then stayed an extra week in Athens with some of the group. They stayed in a 2 bedroom apt. they found through AirBnB in the outskirts of Athens that was really nice and really reasonable. The host was great and spent some time showing them around and gave them lots of suggestions for things to do. I could PM you the details if you are interested.
Go to Plaka which is a neighborhood in Athens for dinner. Tons of restaurants and very fun. Food was wonderful. We got on a subway to get there. Short ride.
We just went to Greece to visit our daughter on her semester abroad — 3 days in Athens may even be a little much. We used some of the Rick Steves free audio guides in Athens, which were pretty good. From Athens you can do a (preferably overnight, as it’s about a 3-hour drive) visit to Delphi (worh going on some kind of tour), and they should think about visiting an island or two.
If they do go to Santorini — which we did during the off season— there is a fascinating Minoan archeological site there dating back 3700 years. It’s similar to Pompei in that it was extremely well-preserved by a volcanic eruption— but then Santorini will be mobbed in the summer.
Fun fact — the Greek government regulates the number of taxis allowed to operate on the islands, and they base the number on the year-round population, which means you pretty much can’t get a taxi in high season on popular islands, so plan travel accordingly.
If taking taxis in Athens, use the Taxi Beat app — similar in concept to Uber but using legal taxis and makes it more likely that you will be charged the correct fare. You can select an “English-speaking” driver on the app, using the options.
My daughter, who just returned from a trip to Greece she took with a couple of women she went to college with, mentioned an Athens neighborhood called Exarheia. Lots of young people and lots of political graffiti of all persuasions.
Thanks everyone!
These are some great things for them to look at. I found out today they did book an AirBnB but don’t know what else. They will talk to me after finals! S is done one week from tomorrow!
From Athens, I went on a day tour to Delphi by bus. The tour was excellent. I think I found it through Viator. I also went on a day trip by bus to Sounion (on the coast). It was very interesting, and offered great views of the Mediterranean. I took a day trip by plane to Santorini. I really liked Santorini. I don’t think it needs to be avoided as too touristy. True, parts of it are totally geared toward tourists, but many parts are very pleasant, and tend to not to be too crowded. Ancient Thera is an archaelogical site on near the highest point on the island, and there were very few people there when I visited–stunning views of the Mediterranean, in addition to the ruins. There is a black sand beach, a pink sand beach, and a white sand beach, all accessible by bus on the island. To the north (I think) there is a curving bay, with an underwater volcano. It makes the water near it warm. You can take a boat tour out there, though I did not have time to do that. Some think that the eruption of this volcano destroyed the civilization on the island, and that it was the site of Atlantis. It is a lovely island with striking contrasts between the buildings (mostly blazing white) and the rooftops, doors and shutters (mostly Greek blue).
I took a small-scale day “cruise” that went to three islands near Athens. Hydra, Poros, and Egina were the stops. I really enjoyed this trip, although the boat had seen better days (still safe, though). If your S and friend go on it, I recommend eating on one of the islands–even casual take-out type food, rather than the food on the boat. It was okay, but unlikely to appeal to college-age people. The people on the cruise will be very mixed in age and type, but your son and friend can wander the islands freely, in the time before they have to return to the boat. Hydra tends to be a favorite of most. Just the other day, I came across a T-shirt I bought that had the first lines of the Odyssey (in Greek), one of my favorite souvenirs.
If your S and friend like museums, then I recommend the Benaki and the Byzantine and Christian Museum, in addition to the Parthenon museum (which is a must for everyone, I think). My Greek friend took me to the Benaki, which I thought was one of the most interesting museums I have seen.
There is a bus tour around Athens (hop on/hop off type), which is useful for reaching some places of interest that are slightly far afield. Athens is very urbanized, and this tour is not as good as the similar ones in Rome or London, in my view. Still it is potentially worth taking to get an idea of modern-day Athens.
@momocarly - we went to Greece a couple of years ago and when I spoke to a greek travel agent she said to me - anyone who can leave Athens for the islands in August does. LOL. So we went to Crete. It’s very, very easy to get out to any of the Greek Islands from Athens and each has their charms. Your son and friend might want to think of keeping that option open - reserve a room they cancel without fees rather than booking a prepaid AirBnB - in case weather demands.