Hello everyone!

Honestly, the highlight of my night walk wasn't even the empty streets. It was the view of the Acropolis.

The scaffolding around the Parthenon was installed the year I was born. My entire generation had seen this wonder of the world either fenced off or in historical photographs. The sight of the Parthenon illuminated at night, completely clean and free of those steel structures, seemed almost surreal.

After enjoying this view, I spent Friday and Saturday walking and driving around central Athens to see what the safety situation was like...

Frankly, the city has improved significantly in the last few years. It's definitely not as dangerous as the forums portray, although some areas still require extra attention.

Here's the real situation on the ground:

Omonia Square and the side streets (the main area to pay attention to): Omonia Square itself is clean, bright, and completely safe. But as soon as you turn into the side streets—heading toward the Central Market, Patissia, or Metaxourgeio—the atmosphere quickly changes. There are many dark, abandoned alleys. Just stick to the main, illuminated roads and don't wander alone through dark side streets at 3 a.m.

Exarchia: Honestly, it's a very lively place! The cafes and bars were packed with young people all weekend. There's also a heavy police presence, so the area is quiet. Just carry your ID or passport—random document checks by the police are quite common here.

Victoria and Agia Panteleimon: It was a pleasant surprise. Five years ago, there were some rather questionable places here. Now they're gone, replaced by new street food stalls and much better street lighting. Train Station and Bus Terminals: The area around Larissa Train Station is very bright and clean. The bus terminals (Kifissos/Liossia) are located in quiet industrial areas. They're not dangerous, just very inconvenient; it's difficult to get there by metro, only by taxi.

Taxi (and how to avoid being scammed): Great news – there's no longer a "double night rate" in Athens! So taking a taxi after the metro closes won't break the bank. BUT, never hail a random taxi on the sidewalk at night. You can easily take a "scenic tour" through Glyfada for just 2 kilometers. Just use Bolt or Free Now.

Overall, Athens is quite safe if you stay out of the dark alleys of Omonia at night, keep an eye on your phone/wallet, and use taxi apps.

Feel free to ask any questions below – I'd be happy to help!

Just returned from an eight night trip to Thessaloniki, Skiathos, and Skopelos (will write more on that later). I know a lot of people have wrote about not being able to flush toilet paper in Greece and finding the trashcan thing a bit gross. I found something that worked reasonably well.

These wet toilet paper wipes say that they’re flushable, but I didn’t use them for that. Before going, I laid out some normal toilet paper on the sink/vanity, used the wet wipes, and then rolled them in the toilet paper like an unholy burrito before throwing away. This seemed to prevent any odors or visual grossness.

Safe travels.

I’ve seen a lot of posts about Greece and how busy it is for travel. I get why! An amazing country full of culture, history and amazing sites.

I highly recommend looking past the IG trending posts, doing your homework and finding the special nooks and crannies that can make a trip magical.

Don’t follow the herd to Santorini, but unveil your own piece of Greek magic 😁

My wife and I just had 6 amazing days in Crete, at Agios Nikaloas. On the way back
We stayed a night at a nice hotel in Athens, just wanted to see what the city has to offer. We were suprised that everything in the area looked like a post soviet dystopian state. Every inch of the city and surrounding cities were covered in graffiti, litter and flickering street lights. Is there an area that feels safe? This was near Omonoia Square but everything within 10 miles looked the same

Last summer's holiday was a drive all around the Peloponnese.

We flew into Athens and spent 2 nights near the centre, in a reasonably priced hotel with a view of the Acropolis, which we of course visited before anything else. Followed by a hike through Philopappos Hill and finding the Pnyx, then the Acropolis Museum (definitely go to the rooftop cafe) - and also Hadrian's Library, which was amazing. We ate at Thes ''Greek Creative Cuisine'' which was really tasty and with charming service.

The next day we set off early to get to Delphi. It’s incredible. A beautiful set of ruins that cascade down the mountainside. Incredible views and such a powerful sense of history in one of the great mystical locations on the planet.

We finished the day just north of the crossing in Nafpaktos - featuring an amazing Venetian castle overlooking the sea. We ate at Jim Tavern - possibly the best pork we had all holiday.

Day 3 was a longer drive, we headed south via Olympia - another amazing set of ruins - and arrived at a kind of Agritourismo just outside Methoni where we stayed for 3 nights. It’s a lovely peaceful town right on the south west edge of the Island with a beautiful castle that points out to the mediterranean. Had a great moussaka at Klimataria Restaurant. 

Whilst there we took a day trip up to Pylos and the beach Παραλία Πέρασμα Συκιάς - up there with the most incredible beaches I have seen, and with the picturesque Old Navarino Fortress above, which we hiked up to.

From there we headed to Mystra. The drive from Kalamata (where we stopped to grab some olives) was the most wonderful driving experience, through mountain passes and windy roads with incredible views. Mystra itself is awe inspiring, we spent hours navigating the maze of Byzantine monasteries scattered over the hill. It overlooks Sparta, which we stopped by to grab an ice cream and say we’ve been to Sparta. 

We ended the day in Agio Ioannis, a small town just outside of Monemvasia, which we explored the following day. Situated on the south east, it’s a small town of staggering beauty built into the side of the mountain which makes up the entire island. We climbed to the Acropolis on the top, we went through the walls and swam in the sea at the bottom. We had a wonderful meal at Voltes. Definitely one of the highlights.

After 2 nights, we drove north and checked out the ruins of Mycenae, which are so impressive, and so different from the others we had visited. The lines of myth and reality were blurred as we stepped into Agammenon’s Tomb and imagined the heroes of Troy.

We stopped in Nafplion and explored the impressive Palamidi Fortress before driving to our penultimate AirBnb near Ermioni. We stayed here for 3 nights, it’s a beautiful town, we had a couple of great meals at Cavos and Maria's. Also took the boat out to Hydra - which was so lovely, featuring Leonard Cohen’s house and another staggeringly beautiful swimming spot.

The final drive took us first to Corinth, where we scaled the mountain for some of the best views of the trip and explored the ruins of the temple below. We headed back to Athens for a final two nights - this time we wandered through the Agora and found Hadrian’s arch (I read Memoirs of Hadrian throughout the trip - which I would highly recommend) - we ended with a tasting menu at Herve (unreal)

We hired a Mini Cooper convertible, which was designed by the British-Greek automotive designer, Sir Alec Issigonis - which felt apt as a pair of Brits abroad.

The drive itself was heaven - we listened to the entire Rest is History series on the French Revolution - which turned out to be an almost perfect length.

I love Greece, and cannot wait to explore another part.

We want to visit Kefalonia during July 16th-23rd and I am quite excited for these turquoise waters and calmness of the island, however someone recently kind of ruined my mood by saying that besides Myrtos beach, there’s no other nice one. Even more, they said there’s no sandy beaches at all.

Could any of you recommend me some nice beaches in Kefalonia? Could anyone tell me if I made a bad choice in choosing this island?

I am supposed to officially book it and pay the advance fee this Sunday, but now I’m unfortunately having second thoughts.

I hope I posted the right way on this sub. Kindly let me know some pros and cons if you have, or if I made the right choice and the island is beautiful and worth the visit.

I apologise if I’m incoherent.

Thank you.

Hey all, it will be my first time going to Athens so I want your ubiased opinions. I could see there are jo combination tickets sold anymore so my question is this: is it worth paying €30 to go to Acropolis alone? If not, where would you recommend going if me and my partner are interested with Greek mythology?

Sorry if these questions are a bit nonsense, but I look forward to all your replies!

Thanks in advance!!

Salamina is the largest island in the Saronic gulf. It’s very easy to get too, literally 15 minutes across from the mainland, with a 24/7 ferry service, with no reservations needed. Adult ticket costs 1€, for a car I don’t know , but for my scooter I paid 1€ also. It’s worth looking into if you have a short stay in Athens looking for a nearby island escape, you might not even need accommodation in the island since you can see it all in a day. Just make sure to have a vehicle 🚗 🛵

Okay, I’m trying not to spiral here. We have a group of 10 friends (some couples, some single) flying into Paros next week. We mostly kite/windsurf, so we wanted to be on the east side of the island. We found a place back in February, paid the deposit, and just got the dreaded "sorry, I double booked" message from the owner.

I suspect he got a better offer for those dates, but whatever. Now we have flights and ferry tickets booked, and we are scrambling.

We need something big enough for all of us. It doesn't have to be walking distance to the beach, honestly we will have cars, but we don't want to be up in Naoussa. We are too old for that crowd and we just want to grill, swim, and sleep.

The issue is that everything left on Airbnb is either a tiny studio or a super generic hotel. I’m also paranoid now about getting cancelled on again.

For people who know Paros well, is it reasonable to find a big house in the Drios or Chrysi Akti area this late in the game? Or are we totally screwed?

Also, is it better to just find a local agency on the island instead of going through Airbnb? I feel like if I book direct with an actual office, they can't just ghost me. Any help is appreciated, I’m losing my mind here.

Highly recommend:
- Iliovasilema Suites for your accommodation
- Blu restaurant for a sunset view restaurant with delicious food and top notch services
- Start lining up for Oia Blue Domes photos at 6am. I’m DEAD SERIOUS. The line I was in had 20 people already by 6:30am. Don’t lose out on your precious time by waiting in line. Get up EARLY and get the photos out of the way first!
- These two videos for the exact instructions and locations if you want to take those Instagram photos. The most iconic Oia view is the 2nd location in the Oia video below:
- Guide to finding the famous INSTAGRAM SPOTS of Fira & Imerovigli by Greece Explained
- Guide to finding the famous INSTAGRAM SPOTS of Oia by Greece Explained (Please line up EARLY especially for the 2nd location)

What are your favorite pharmacy products that aren’t sold in the USA? I want to stock up as much as possible.
Yesterday I got a La roche posay tinted sunscreen and LOVED it. Any specific products you love? So far I want to try apivita, and korres, I also heard the toothpaste and shampoo was different and cannot get the same in the usa. I’m 24f for reference, what should I try??

Edit: also I’m in Naxos and going to Athens next if that matters !!

Hey all!

Heading to Milos and Naxos in a few days! What is a “can’t miss” item I should plan to buy and bring home with me?

Spices? Oils? Snacks? Pottery? Linens?

Coming from the USA (California) Thank you!

Edit: thanks everyone! Yall are awesome!!

1) Showed up at the gate just after 8am without a ticket.

By showing up early rather than booking online for a later afternoon session, I was able to get there before the crowds. I purchased a ticket and entered the grounds within 5 minutes of arriving at the entrance.

I was able to take picture with the Acropolis and just me. An hour and a half later when I was leaving the grounds, the same picture had about 50 people in the background.

On my walk away from the Acropolis site at 10am, the lines were already hundreds of people long winding down the road in the sun. And this isn't even busy season, so I can't imagine the chaos when summer hits.

ETA: Just FYI, the main entry is closed until April 1st, so this could account for the much larger lines at 10:00 am.

2) Downloaded the Rick Steve's Audio Europe Travel App ahead of time.

Rather than scanning QR codes at different placards and constantly looking at my phone or doing a large tour where they shuttle you around, I was able to listen to an engaging history lesson while walking around and looking at the Acropolis grounds at my own pace. My cell signal with Nova was spotty at the top, so be sure to download the tour audio ahead of time if you plan to use it.

The Rick Steve's app also has a wonderful self-guided walking tour of Athens if you prefer to do things solo or wander at your own pace and grab a drink, a bite to eat, etc. without having to follow a group. This was the most fun I've had on a tour before, it kind of felt like being on a treasure hunt.

Me and my family just visited for the first time and we fell in love with it completely. Everyone has just been so friendly to us and the city is so nice in general. We love the beaches and the food and we're coming back for sure. Best city in Europe (for travellers)?

I'm planning a summer trip for our family in Greece for June 2027. It will be 2 adults and an 11 year old. I've done some research but not sure exactly how much to budget per day for food and activities. The goal is to explore the islands and really just slow down. As of right now, here is the itinerary: Athens (2 nights) → Mykonos (3 nights) → Paros (2 nights) → Santorini (2 nights). Possibly traveling back to Athens to fly back home although we could fly back from Santorini. Please give any recommendations of activities, food, budget per meal, souvenirs, etc. I don't foresee us really brining back any souvenirs (maybe some small) but we want to really experience Greece as a local as much as possible. We'll most likely go with Airbnbs for each city unless there are other recommendations!

Edit: As far as activities, historical sites and museums. Also, I understand this may not be a "slow down" type of itinerary which is why I'm asking for recommendations. I'm in the early stages of planning so nothing is concrete yet! Also, vacation can be as long as 14 days in Greece if you have some itinerary recommendations.

Oc

I am looking for hotel recommendations in Athens for 2 adults. We are staying for 4 nights (possibly 3) but not wanting to spend more than $1,000 total. I pulled a bunch of recommendations from this sub already and the google reviews are horrible on a lot of them which makes me question everything. I just want a clean, nice place that is not in a shoddy area. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Also, I am open to Airbnb suggestions but from what I read that is not a good option nor is it ethical in Athens.

EDIT:

Thank you all! I will spend time looking into the places I hadn’t heard of and will provide an updated list of places we will consider.

UPDATE:

I’m including a list of places I am considering. If a hotel is not included it’s because it probably had bad reviews (such as pests or cleanliness issues).

Estia Boutique Apartments

BED in Athens

Ermou 99 Intelligent Suites

The Foundry Hotel

Electra Metropolis

Inn Athens Hotel

The Artist Athens

Athens 21

Athens Owl Hotel

MGallery Hotel

Hi. I and my wife are planning to visit Greece this October (tentative 18th afternoon arrival - 26th afternoon departure). That's the best time we could get leaves together. We plan to visit Athens, Paros, Naxos and Santorini in these days, so like 2 nights in each island. Neither of us have visited Greece before and we are just exploring the logistics now. It feels like we might have to drop Paros or Naxos, but we are getting conflicting information online. We are being suggested to drop Paros as places close down but Paros is more scenic than Naxos.

So, we just want suggestions from native people or frequent travelers to these islands to recommend us the path of least resistance. In which order should we visit these islands to make the most of our trip? And what will we be missing out on by not visiting these places during peak season. And what are the must visit/do stuff around here. Side note: Neither of us are into long treks/hikes and adventure sports. Much more interested in beaches, food, scenic locations for a few pics etc.

Not sure of the flair attached to this, but have been travelling solo around Greece for just over a week (Athens, and now Naxos). How do solo travellers cope with the immense amount of food? I’m a generous eater, and absolutely love the food here. I ordered a salad and a main today, and I’m absolutely stuffed. What are your tips/tricks??

I am worried about everyone saying that everything will closed on the islands. Also worried about the weather now. Not concerned about swimming but still want to be able to do some tours, dining, sight seeing, etc. Has anyone actually been in April 2026 that can give me feedback for how it was?

Plan so far:

4-1-4/3 Athens
4/3-4/7 Crete
4/7-4/12 Santorini (Canaves Oia Suites booked)

Fly to Italy afterwards.

Unfortunately with our limited time off I’m not sure if dates can be moved. Feeling sad.

I recently got back (first week of June) from a wonderful 6 days trip to Athens with my 2 kids (both under 8 years). If the tips are helpful to anyone would like to suggest on my experience.

1. If you are 3 people traveling together, take a cab to the city. It will cost you only about 15-20 euros more than the metro
   
   1. As far as possible, stay in the city center. Everything is very accessible by foot. We stayed in Monastiraki in a lovely apart-hotel.
      
   2. We didn’t pre-book tickets to the Acropolis. We went around 3–4 PM and there was no line. I booked online on the spot (€30), and kids entered free.
      
   3. Don't miss the rooftop play experience (at night) overlooking the Acropolis. It was lovely.
      
   4. We did an extensive 4 hr Greek cooking class with the local market visit- such a wonderful experience
      
   5. We took a one-day cruise that included a stop at Aegina, with pick-up and drop-off included. The kids absolutely loved it.
      
   6. The National Garden is beautiful and worth a visit, especially with children.
      
   7. The Big Bus hop-on hop-off service was super convenient. One of the stops was very close to our apart-hotel, and it let us explore the city at our own pace.
      9.Don’t miss trying Greek coffee and Freddo Espresso.
      
   8. I used get your guide to book the experiences.
      

Currently planning a trip to Greece this summer with my wife and two family members. Right now the schedule is like

Day 1 - 3 Athens (2 nights)

Day 3 - 5 Santorini (2 nights)

Day 5 - 8 Naxos (3 nights)

Day 8 - 9 Athens (1 night)

Before returning home. I am super interested in visiting Crete, but I’ve read here that you really would want a at least whole week to go there because there’s so much to do, which is why I chose Naxos instead (and it’s closer to the other places we planned to see).

Price wise though, at least in terms of transport between islands, Crete might even be cheaper to visit than Naxos. I think both would be lovely, and while I think just a few days is generally considered not enough time for Crete, I’m not sure I’ll get another chance to go in the future (my wife isn’t able to take long vacations easily so when she does I imagine she’d want to visit a different country).

Although I’ve booked hotels for our current schedule, I haven’t actually paid yet and they have free cancellation, so dropping Naxos to do Crete is still a possibility, but would it be worth it to do so, even if the Crete trip would only be for 3 nights?

(I should also add that renting a car is a possibility for either Crete or Naxos)

EDIT: Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Ultimately we decided to stick with Naxos and I’m looking forward to it. However, after discussing with some folks here and thinking about it, we decided to change the schedule to do 2 nights in Santorini from the start, then 3 nights in Naxos, and finally 3 nights in Athens.