A Greek Island Adventure - First Stop: Athens

It's been a long time in the making but, this summer we took our three young children Greek island hopping and it didn't disappoint. You've all been following along on my instagram and my dm's have been filled with questions about our trip so, I thought, I would return to something I have missed and write a series of blog posts.

It's been really tricky trying to decide where to start as the best place isn't actually the most interesting so, I've cheated and started in Athens. I will come to the boring stuff as I know it's essential.

Sites

It goes without saying that exploring the Ancient Agora, Parthenon, Acropolis, Panathenaic Stadium (wonderfully, the list seems endless) are going to be central to any visit to Athens. If visiting in a group, the joy is that everyone will have their own favourite. This summer, when we visited, the way you can buy tickets changed so you had to buy for each site separately. There are numerous guided tours and all looked popular and good but, with 3 younger children in tow, we decided going under our own steam would give us more freedom. Lots of the sites, like The Tower of the Winds, are easily viewable from the street and, as well as being one of the joys of such an historic city as Athens, also means you don't need to buy tickets for quite a few.

The Acropolis is worth visiting either early in the morning or in the last slots of the day as the crowds are thinner and the temperatures marginally less fierce, if visiting in the height of summer. You won't be allowed to take food in but bring your water as it is hot and with very little shade. On your way out wander down the Plaka steps but avoid dining there unless you want to pay tourist prices. An early morning visit to the Panathenaic Stadium is a must as you'll want to run the track and it isn't open late. Be sure to walk up the competitors' tunnel and into the museum: it's an interesting and quick stop plus the aircon will restore you!

  

Ancient sites aside, Athens has so much more to offer so be sure to make time to explore Monastiraki and Syntagma (our personal favourites). Wander the streets in the evening to cool off in the bustling crowds, enjoy the shopping and eat to your budget. Greek bakeries are incredible so take your pick for food on the go, or compare prices when eating in the busy squares filled with restaurants and you will definitely find something to suit your tastes and budget. We ate out each night very reasonably but there are also so real foodie spots too if that's what you're after. In the day, buy smaller bottles of water from the fridges in the street kiosks as theses smaller bottles are price-capped.

The changing of the guard happens on the hour. We wandered up on our first evening, around 8pm before wandering through the pedestrianised streets down to Syntagma (popping in the shops) and on to dinner before the most beautiful sunset over the Tower of the Winds.

  

Transport and Accommodation

The metro is incredibly easy to use, whether from the airport, the port or around the main spots in the city. You can buy a 24 hour ticket which is really helpful for planning 2 days of exploring. We walked pretty much everywhere as we chose a hotel that was central. We stayed in the Crowne Plaza which offered a good location and a room that could sleep 5 (a tricky ask). It also had a small rooftop pool and a lovely breakfast included. We used the pool each day to cool off between exploring different areas of the city. As with all busy cities, pickpockets active, especially in tourist spots and on the metro so get yourself a lanyard for your phone and a zipped crossbody bag for your valuables. I also carried a large bag which was full of water, lotion etc but kept my valuables separate/doubled the bags when I needed.

 

How long do you need?

We didn't have long enough but 2 nights was all we had time for. We got a really early flight to Athens so we could maximise our stay (we were in the city by mid morning) but, if we could have allowed for one more evening before heading to Piraeus, that would have been ideal. Obviously, even that isn't enough but, if you're island hopping, 3 days to start will give you enough time and allow you to escape the stifling heat for the breeze of the islands and stay in budget. If you can avoid a return flight form Athens and fly back from one of the islands, I would as it's a long and unnecessary ferry back unless you're planning to end your trip with some more time in the city. For us, ending at a slower pace was what we were looking for.