Where to Stay When in Athens
Updated: 2 days ago
Athens is a beautiful, rich, busy city, with great food, sites and history around every corner.
There are plenty of beautiful and convenient accommodations available, depending on what you'd like to see, and how long you plan to stay. Our time in Athens was brief and we planned to visit most sites on foot. Like most European cities, Athens is very walkable and best explored casually walking the streets from one historic site to the next.
TIP: When possible, pre-book an airport pick-up. Arranging in advance allows you to research options, prices and reviews, rather than having to quickly choose from the cabs available when you arrive. This also creates a paper trail for those who are super cautious in a foreign country. No need to be suspicious, but always good to be safe and plan ahead.
We had arranged for a pick-up through Welcome Pick-Ups, a local company. They assigned a person to us before the trip began, and provided us with her details, including her name, photo and contact number on WhatsApp.
While in Athens, we stayed at the Athens Gate Hotel, which boasts a perfectly central location, and one of the best views in the city. The room was tasteful and exactly what we wanted. The shining star, hands down, was the view from the balcony; we had an unobstructed view of the huge Temple of Olympian Zeus, one of the largest temples in the ancient world. It was breathtaking.
The Athens Gate Rooftop Restaurant, with its outdoor terrace and ceiling to floor glass windows had an impressive view of the Acropolis and Parthenon. It is currently voted the fourth best view in the world on TripAdvisor. We took nothing to chance and contacted the restaurant in advance, reserving a specific outdoor table for both nights of our stay.
