Traps
and warnings
As
in every big city with a lot of tourists, as with every kind
of climate, there are a few things you have to know to keep
your enjoyable visit from turning into a disaster or nightmare.
Apart from these tips there is only one thing you have to use
while traveling: common sense! If you do, you'll be okay and
the memories Athens will create, will last a lifetime.
Pffffff......
warm!
You
will have to adjust the clothing you take with you depending
on the time of the year you visit Athens. In December, January
and February it can be cold. Remember that on a warm afternoon
in Summer, the temperature can get up to 45°C (113°F)
in the sun. Stay out of the sun as much as you can, especially
when your skin is not used to this kind of weather. Visit a
museum or have a siesta like the Greeks do.
Remember
to drink a lot of water. You do not want to
become dehydrated. Water is cheaper than hospital is. Try to
get a sun tan before you visit Athens, if not, protect your
skin with a good and strong sun block cream.
Make
sure you wear good shoes. You are not on a beach and Athens
hardly is flat. Bring band aids in case you do get blisters.
Most of the pharmacists in the center of Athens understand English
as is the case with the staff of hospitals.
Bring
enough photo rolls. There is a lot to photograph in Athens.
If you have a digital photo camera, you can send your photo's
home and empty the cameras memory card or you bring more
than one card. Another option is to have your photos put
on a cd. There are quite a few internet cafes where you can
do so and most hotels also have internet service.
Travel
light so you can bring a few nice souvenirs with you.
Not the best idea
As
like in every place you visit, you have to act a little responsible.
Don't put your wallet in your back pocket, don't leave your
mobile phone or camera unattended. 90% op the people will be
able to tell you are a tourist and some of those people may
want to spoil your vacation. Being a little cautious always
is healthy.
There
is one place in Athens where you do not want to go walking late
in the evening or in the middle of the night. The unlit part
of the National Gardens near the Zappeion is an area you want
to avoid. Quite a few illegal Albanians wonder around there
during the night waiting to see what they can 'borrow' from
you. The park is safe during the day but once it gets dark you
better stay on the lit streets and avenues edging the gardens.
Being
sexually different
Greece
is not yet as liberal when it comes to having been born sexually
different as most of the rest of Europe is. Therefore and if
you are gay, lesbian or bi-sexual, you need to adjust your public
behavior to what is regarded upon as 'normal' by Greek society
standards. The older generation is not as broadminded as the
younger Greeks are. You visit Athens to enjoy your stay, not
to shock local people.
There
are a number of gay, lesbian and bi-sexual cafes and bars in
Makrygianni, the area just south of the Acropolis. Some of them
are situated at the beginning of Syngrou avenue. There also
are some gay friendly hotels in Athens. For both the bars and
the hotels, some internet research will give you more information
but remember: respect the Greeks and they will respect you.
What you do in the privacy of your hotel room is your own choice
of course. Read more about homosexuality in Athens and Greece
on our Gay Athens page.
Being disabled or older
The
town of Athens lies in the plane of Attika resulting in quite
some Athens streets going up or down. Driving a wheelchair around
in the center of Athens not
always is easy. You will need help to get to and through some
areas. Some other places you cannot get to.
There
finally is an elevator for disabled people going up to the Acropolis.
For healthy young people, the stairs at the entrance are not
easy to take. The same problem occurs with the rock of Areos
Pagos that you pass on your way up to the Acropolis. Even for
healthy people, the climb up the stairs is an undertaking, especially
as the steps are extremely slippery unless you take the metal
stairs. On top you have a great view on Athens however and it
is the best place to be to see the sunset.
If
you have a foldable wheelchair, you can get to the top of the
Likavittos Hill using the funicular railway. Don't use the path
leading up because the last part has a lot of stairs. Most of
the museums have stairs at the entrance and sometimes even inside
as do a lot of hotels too.
Disabled
people or people that have trouble walking can see a lot of
Athens but they will have to do this in their own pace and with
some friendly help.
Taxi cowboys
Most
of the times you will have an honest driver when you hail a
taxi in Athens. However, there are some taxi-cowboys that will
take advantage of tourists not knowing their way around. They
will overcharge you, take on other passengers while driving
you or take you to a hotel they get a commission from. You want
to play it safe? Ask a few taxi drivers how much your ride is
going to cost first so you will know the normal price, then
get a taxi that charges that price. You want to pay for your
drive, not buy the car....
According
to the Greek Legislation, taxi drivers should provide, upon
request, a receipt for the amount paid for transportation services.
The receipt should also indicate the taxi registration number
and the driver's name.
If
you do get overcharged or other passengers are taken on board,
don't start a fight but report the taxi number or the license
plate to the police. They will deal with the cowboy. Read
more...
A
good way to avoid being scammed, crowded express buses or
trains is to book
your taxi transfer online (up to four people per taxi)
before your arrival. The taxi driver will be waiting for
you in the arrival hall of the airport holding a sign with
your name. He will take you straight to your hotel or any
other destination you booked online. As you paid when you
booked your taxi, there is no risk of being overcharged and
no money hassle. You also won’t be asked to pay more
than you did. Read
more…
The
excellent Athens metro system or one of the many busses will
bring you to or very close to almost any interesting place in
town and they are much cheaper than a taxi. On arrival on Athens
airport, take bus X95 that will take you straight to Syntagma
Square for 3 Euro. From there you can get the metro or a bus
to bring you close to your hotel.
Bar
scam
A
visitor told Athens Info Guide: "The very first time I
visited Athens, I did not know about any kind of bar scam. One
late evening, on my way back to the hotel, a man asked for a
light close to Syntagma. After asking where I was from he said
he had worked with my country men in Saudi Arabia and he wanted
to offer me a drink and talk about my country.
He
was very friendly and sympathetic so I went with him but as
soon as I got to the bar, I knew something was wrong. A girl
came to sit next to me asking me my name and whether I would
buy her something to drink. I politely refused as I knew I was
going to get a big bill if I did. The girl behind the bar started
putting pressure on me to buy the other girl a drink.
I
used a little trick to get both off my back. I told them I was
gay, that I was not interested in them and that I had friends
waiting for me at my hotel. I ended up paying 5 Euro for the
Cola the guy so called had offered me."
There
is a pretty good way to politely refuse this scam. Tell the
guy you do not have the time to come with him because you expect
an important telephone call at your hotel but that he is welcome
to go with you to your hotel and you will have a drink with
him there. He won't come with you.
You
do not have to mistrust everyone who speaks to you and you do
not have to think every Greek is a criminal. Just be careful
in a healthy way and if anyone gives you a problem, call the
tourism police (tel. 171). They speak English.
Don't
judge all Greeks because of the actions of some. Remember, Greeks
are very friendly people...
Police
impersonators
Innocent
tourists, who mostly very clearly look like tourists, can be
stopped on the street by two men in plain clothes. They identify
themselves as police men and briefly show a (fake) badge. They
ask to see your passport or identity card.
They
also ask to see the money you have on you. If you ask why they
tell you there is a lot of counterfeit money around and they
want to see if you have any. After checking, they return your
passport and money to you and leave…with some money they
have taken from you.
This
scam can easily be avoided. You ask them to see their badge
again and which police station they belong to. You also tell
them real police would not ask to check your money because they
know they don’t have the right to check anything else
but your identity card or passport. Tell them that if they don’t
leave you will call the police or stop a police car.
Always
report this scam to the police providing them with as many details
as possible.
Plaka, bargain!
As
about every shop in Plaka and Monastiraki sells the same kind
of souvenirs, they all will be wanting to make a sale. When
you want to buy something go to several shops and compare prices.
Once you have found the lowest price, complain it is too high
and you will go and buy somewhere else. Bargain with the shopkeeper!
Tell
him this is all the money you have left and you are leaving
tomorrow, that you mother is in need of expensive surgery, that
you grandfather died when he heard the news, that you have been
robed the day before and that your partner is going to hit you
over the head if you pay the shop price. If the shopkeeper doesn’t
throw you out, you’ll get a good price!
An alternative is to go into town, away from the tourist area,
where prices are less.
About alcohol and love
This
bit of information will be hard to beat when it comes to a Greek
summer. Millions of young tourists head to Greece every summer
with the scope of meeting a dark Greek man with the looks of
Adonis or a dark alluring Greek woman with the body reminiscent
of Aphrodite de Milo.
On
vacation, beer flows easily. The surf hits the beach with the
right speed and sound and sex is everywhere. Whether it is heterosexual
or homosexual, whether it involves drugs or not, whether Durex
is the brand or not, there is plenty of it. However, whether
this is your aim or not, there are some things you must know
to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
If
you are female and a Greek guy approaches you, this is called
kamaki, He is trying to get to know you. If this is not what
you want, politely thank him and ask him to go elsewhere. If
you are male and you want to get to know Greek women, you must
know that very few travel on their own. Greek women have a mind
of their own and they use it. Be polite and respectful and,
unless you want trouble with the rest of Greece, don't take
them in a direction they do not want to go. Ochi means No!
Always,
yes, you heard well, always have condoms with
you. A sexual transmittable disease is not the kind of souvenir
you want to take home with you.
Vacation
and alcohol often go hand in hand. Drinking heavily at lunch
is a guaranteed way to get you to the hospital. The afternoon
sun in summer is deadly so better not overdo it. Never drink
and then sunbathe.
If
romance develops between you and someone in Greece, let us know.
The best relationships are made in heaven and Greece is the
nearest place there is to it! Enjoy life and living!
Wrongly
parked
The
Athens traffic police use a perfect system to teach traffic
users good parking behavior. Park your (rented) car where you
are not allowed to and you stand a chance of the police taking
both licence plates from your car. They will leave a note behind
the front windshield informing you where you can pick them up
again… after paying a fine of 250 Euro!
When
your licence plates are taken, you have the right to drive that
car straight home. It certainly is not advisable to drive it
anywhere else because, when you get caught doing so, the additional
fine is even higher and your driver license will be confiscated
for at least a month.
Ever
since the Athens police started using this system wild, annoying
and dangerous parking of cars has gone down drastically in Athens.
When it comes to traffic rules, Greeks in general are a little
anarchistic, until their bank account is touched.
Driving
in Athens
Driving:
Driving in Greece can often be thought of as being a memorable
experience to visitors. From bad drivers, very nervous drivers
to seemingly rude drivers, Greek driving is definitely different
from the driving you are used to. Okay, there are places that
have worse driving but in terms of driver behavior, Greece is
near the top. Changing lanes with no indication, disregarding
the pedestrian green light, driving over curb corners, crossing
before the light turns green etc.
Greeks
think they know how to drive and push their cars to the limit.
Many people do this but then Greek roads are still undergoing
repairs and creation. Greek drivers do not seem to show concern
for other drivers, foreigners or otherwise.