July 2024.
My first time in Athens was a girls trip and it was perfect, Athens pleasantly surprised me.
This time I came to Athens on a family trip with my extended family (husband, children, husband of my daughter, my parents, my brother and his wife), we were a total of ten people, quite a large group for such a trip.
So how was it? What do I recommend doing on such a family trip? All the tips and advice in the post before you.
Athens Greece July 2024 Here we come!
It was a spontaneous trip scheduled from now to now, luckily I was already in Athens,
but for all the other travelers it was the first time there.
The flight to Athens
I booked flights (round trip) through Israir. I don’t recommend it, it’s not worth it, do yourself a favor and stay away.
Why? The reviews about them are not good, people had bad experiences with them and I didn’t listen and I didn’t stay away, I was optimistic.
The flight was supposed to leave the country on Sunday at 21:30, when we got to check-in we were already told that the flight was delayed a bit, the departure time just kept getting longer and longer and further and further away..
Over time we were told that they don’t know if the flight will leave at all because there is a technical problem with the plane , according to them.
We were in the field for hours, waiting for the boarding gate to open, people got angry, lost their ability to travel to the city with a driver they booked in advance, lost the first night at the hotel (because we arrived late in the morning) and more…
the flight finally left at 2:00 in the morning! instead at 9:30 p.m. We arrived in Athens at 4:00, and took 3 taxis from the field to the apartment hotel I booked (Each taxi cost 40 euros.).
Accommodation in Athens
Since I booked the flight quite late, close to the time of the trip,
it was difficult for me to find a hotel with enough rooms for all of us..
I needed 5 double rooms, so I looked for apartments for us in a central area and found an apartment hotel in an excellent location, a short walk from all the main places in Athens.
The hotel is called Triple A and they offer free parking nearby for those who rent a car.
The apartments were beautiful and clean, the service was good and the location, as I said, perfect!
Link to book an apartment here
We arrived at the apartment early in the morning and went to sleep..
Start the trip
After a few hours of sleep we went for a walk and got to know Athens,
we started the day with breakfast at a restaurant called Ciel, there is a terrace on the roof and you can see the Acropolis from there, apart from that we were not impressed by the the food and the service, you can give up. After breakfast we walked on Monastiraki square,
in the square itself we bought sim cards for the phone at a stand, everything worked well and from the moment we all had internet we could split up and everyone went about their business.
My children went to the shops in the Aremo pedestrian mall, we went to find out at Hamam Polis what the costs are and if it is possible to order a treatment, from there we continued to walk around and walk the streets of Athens.
We drank something cold at Starbucks, ate the famous dessert (hot fried donut/spinz balls with delicious chocolate on top) and went for a dream massage.
After resting at noon, we went for an evening walk and looked for a place to sit down to eat,
we sat at a very nice Tavern near Monastiraki Square and next to the Paris Tavern (which was closed until October), there were two singers who played and sang, and it was really nice, pleasant and tasty, we really enjoyed the atmosphere, From the food and the music.
After dinner I returned to the hotel with my son and the rest continued from there to another tavern,
its name is Kotili, I read mixed opinions about the place and gave up in advance, everyone else jumped there for half an hour and enjoyed the laughter and the excessive atmosphere that was there..
from there They went on to another place to hang out, they are young… every night they were at a bar/roof top/club of their choice..
Good night, day 1 in Athens is over
Monday in Athens - Lake Voligmani
Yesterday was hot, today we are going to refresh ourselves at Vouliagmani Lake
Those who spent last night had a hard time getting up early…
We got up before them, bought water and fruit from the nearest supermarket and coffee
from Starbucks for everyone.
We ordered a taxi with UBER and went to the lake (those who got up later arrived at the lake a little late),
the recommendation is to get to the lake before 11:00 to find a good place in the shade, I understood that you can reserve comfortable seats (beds) in advance.
Entrance to the place costs 17 euros per person!
The place has a restaurant with waiters who go around among you and serve you what you order.
There is also a spa there (prices are not cheap, book a treatment in advance with them).
their website address https://lakevouliagmeni.gr/
We had no problem bringing food and water into the place, but the food should be modest because it is forbidden…
At the beginning of the lake (in the shallow water) there are small fish that come to your feet and
there are people who don’t like it and it prevents them from going in to swim.
We were there for a few hours (not much) and returned to the hotel to rest.
At noon I went to the massage again and after that I walked between beautiful and
nice Coffee shops.
Tonight we have a pre-booked place (for 21:30) at an authentic local tavern called Klimataria,
we got there on time and got in right away, people were waiting outside but didn’t go in without a reservation. The place is very crowded, the band is loud (because we sat close to it), the service is very slow,
and apart from the fact that the food there was delicious,
I don’t really recommend the place and don’t understand why there are recommendations about it.
We didn’t enjoy it. In my opinion, it is better to walk on foot and look for a place that you find pleasant and inviting and sit there.
There are many such places in Athens and the seating is outside and not in a closed and crowded place.
From there we went for a walk in the streets and arrived at Kayak ice cream where there are ice creams, shakes, milkshakes and more..
We ate our dessert there and went back to the hotel to sleep, the young people went out again to hang out until late at night.
They went to a party at Bolivar Beach, the beach we will be at tomorrow.
Day 2 in Athens is also over for him, good night!
Tuesday in Athens - Bolivar Beach
Today, like yesterday, we tried to get up early (not early enough), bought water, fruit, bread, coffee,
made omelettes and sandwiches and set off in 3 taxis. Today we are going to the stunning Bolivar Beach!
Entrance fee to the beach is 8 euros (adults over the age of 65 pay 4 euros),
you are not allowed to enter with water and food (if there is in the bag and you can’t see it, you can bring it in), we came with 2 packs of small water bottles and left them at the entrance, until we went back to the hotel.
The cost of a pair of sunbeds/chairs is 17 euros. Here, too, there are waiters who bring you a menu and serve you food and drinks to order (not cheap).
The beach has “wipe-out” facilities in the water and also the possibility to rent a pedal boat (take the one with a thatch) and/or a SUP. My kids rented it,
I don’t know how much it cost.
The beach is very beautiful, clean, spacious, there is a restaurant on the beach, the water is blue and beautiful and all in all we had a pleasant and fun time there and we really enjoyed it there.
We were there from morning until noon, from there we split up and everyone went about their business.
We went to the hotel and from there we went for a walk around the city.
We rested for lunch and went out in the evening to the Plaka area, we ate ice cream there, we went back to the hotel, the young people again went out to party at night.
And so ended our third day in Athens, good night
Fourth and last day in Athens
We didn’t make any plans for today, it’s a free day for everyone to choose what they want to do.
My daughter and her husband returned on an earlier flight than ours, so their trip ended here.
We got up a little late and went to breakfast that we received as a gift from our hotel, it was a simple and satisfying meal (crisps, croissants, butter, chocolate spread, hard-boiled eggs, cheese pastries, coffee, water), from there some went to rest a little more in the room,
some went for final shopping and some Took a taxi to the Acropolis.
In the afternoon we all met and went to have one last massage,
after we finished we sat in an Italian restaurant called Avio which the opinions I read about it are divided.
Our opinion: Expensive, small dishes, but tasty and special!! worth trying!
Those who love Italian food will enjoy it even more!
From there we continued walking around the city in the shops until it was time to go back
to the room to pack and get ready for our flight back home.
Public transportation in Athens
We traveled mostly by taxis, we used the Uber app which worked great.
Another app for taxis that they recommended (we didn’t try): Freenow
If you arrive at the airport at a normal time you can travel from the airport to your hotel by metro,
there is an excellent metro from the airport straight to the central squares of Athens.
To Monastiraki and Syntagma. 9 euros per person.
It is possible to order a shuttle from Booking, after you have booked Hotel Booking will offer you to book your shuttle. Good service and recommended.
You can order a shuttle through Nikos, phone: +30-690-742-3737
The Athens electric train – is the most convenient and fastest way to get out of the city,
it also reaches most of the beaches, it leaves from Syntagma Square.
The Mobit app Moovit for public transport works well in Athens.
Massages in Athens
There are many places where you can get a massage in Athens, if you walk along the Aremo pedestrian street they will offer you to take a flyer with details, prices, address and more…
I have been to 2 different places where I had a massage, I liked one of them more than the other, but there too – very much depends on which therapist /t you will get. There are better ones and less good ones.
I suggest you ask for a strong massage and if it is too strong for you, you can always tell them during the massage to lower the intensity.
The place I’ve been to several times is called: Centro Di Massaggio
and the address is: Voulis 22, 1st floor. Phone (also possible on WhatsApp) +30-698-686-9055 Average cost for a 50-minute massage: 30-35 euros.
Another place – a hammam – for a special treatment of scrubbing + massage (50 minutes each)
is called POLIS HAMAM. My daughter and her husband were there and really enjoyed it, a scrubbing and massage treatment costs 97 euros.
Web site: https://polis-hammam.gr/
addres: Avliton 6-8, Athina 105 54, יוון
Restaurants/taverns and desserts
In Athens there are restaurants that are on a high floor and overlook the Acropolis,
it’s called Roof Top.
Example roof top: Attic Rooftop
Italian restaurant Ovio – those who love Italian and special food, this is the place.
Mashlane restaurants- https://yasasgreece.com/michelin-restaurants/
A rare fish restaurant, great prices-Μπαρμπουνάκι Μητροπόλεως
Recommended Gyros – Tylixto Greek Wrap
The Kuzina Athens restaurant on Adrianou street, a restaurant that has been receiving Michelin stars for several years in a row. The restaurant serves dishes of all kinds – meat, fish and pasta. As in any Michelin restaurant, there are 5-6 dishes in each category, the decor is warm and pleasant and the prices are completely reasonable for a Michelin restaurant.
Overall croissanterie – special and delicious croissants
A rare ball dessert LUKUMAΔΕΣ – we bought there several times, about 6 euros for 10 balls with white chocolate and pistachio chocolate.
Little cook – a magical place for desserts, both day and night! A special atmosphere, the concept changes every few months, currently the concept is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (before that it was Alice in Wonderland).
Fairy tail – a beautiful, special, pink and dreamy cafe.
Kayak Ice Cream – ice cream parlor, shakes, yogurt and more… recommended.
Davinci Gelato – ice creams, natural fruit popsicles and more.
Winners Vegan – a vegan restaurant.
Juan rodriguez – A delicious and special cocktail bar.
Lohan club – a club in an area of clubs in Gazi. web site: https://lohanathens.com/
Beaches near Athens
Bolivar – a beautiful beach, recommended. About 20 minutes drive from the city, we were there.
There is a massage on the beach for 50 euros per hour. At night there are parties there.
Astir Beach – also a good beach, we weren’t.
Dior Beach – I wasn’t, looks beautiful and chic.
Shopping in Athens
Athens Mall – Metro Mall, a large mall, many stores and well-known chains.
There is a huge gumbo near the mall – an experience!!
Ermo Street and Luxury Brands Avenue, a promenade full of shops, including Zara, Mango, H&O and more.
Glyfada center – an avenue of boutique shops, restaurants and bars – recommended area!
Hondus Center chain – cosmetics at good prices!
Nike store – near Singrama Square at the beginning of the street up parallel to McDonald’s.
Pool & Bar down the middle of the street of Ermo on the left.
*Tax refund from 50 euros or more to take the receipts, ask for forms when paying at the cash register, sign the forms you received before handing over your luggage…cash back at duty free after you hand over your luggage and go through security…very worth it!
Recommended hotels in Athens
Clicking on the hotel name will take you to it in the booking.
The apartment hotel we stayed at – TRIPLE A – Details at the beginning of the post..
The hotel I was in last time in Athens, Elia Aremo is located in the middle of Aremo Promenade
Nix Hotel – Good hotel, but the rooms and pool are relatively small
Central Boutiqe Hotel – Classic Hotel By Athens Prime Hotels
A relatively new suite hotel Woo suits
*Please note, the Ammonia Square area is not recommended, do not take a hotel there and do not travel there. Its not pleasant there.
Conclusion
We had a lovely family trip to Athens, the Greeks are kind and nice, the trip itself doesn’t have to be expensive (depending on how much you decide to spend there and where you’ll sleep),
you can also travel outside of Athens, but if You don’t go outside the city, it’s enough to spend only 3 full days there and experience the city properly.
On a trip to Athens you will find historical sites, plenty of shops, delicious and good food, pampering massages, performances by Greek bands and singers,
beautiful beaches and in short the good life!
we deserve it!
Have fun!
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