FAST FACTS
Athens Taxis:While his service is convenient, George (the famous taxi driver) costs way too much for a trip from the airport to your hotel. He charges 11,000 drachma for this trip. The other trips we took (to Pireaus and to the airport) only cost us 4,000 drachma. I’d recommend getting the hotel to arrange the taxi, and then bartering with the taxi driver for the fare. The trip from the Plaka to the airport, or from the Plaka to Pireaus, shouldn’t cost more than 4,500 drachma.
Hotels:
Name: Hotel Adrian
Location: Athens
Benefits: Located in the Plaka, which means it’s wonderfully situated near everything. The Acropolis is about a half-mile south, the Agora is about five blocks west, and Sygamata Square is only 15-20 minute walk. However, location would mean nothing if the hotel were a slum. Fortunately, this one isn’t. The staff is incredibly courteous, the breakfast buffet was delicious, and the room was very comfortable. Plus, it had a great view of the Plaka from the balcony.
Cost (off-season): 27,000 drachma for a double room with private bathroom.
Recommendation: Highly recommended.
Name: Hotel Dina
Location: Hydra Town, Hydra
Benefits: Great views from the upstairs balcony. Cozy rooms. Wonderfully friendly and kind hotel owner.
Drawbacks: No food served, so you have to go out on the town for every meal. Rooms are simply spare bedrooms in a big house. Those exposed to the harbor can get chilly. In other words, you get what you pay for.
Cost (off-season): 11,000 drachma for a double room with private bathroom.
Recommendation: If you don’t mind slightly roughing it, then the Hotel Dina is a perfectly comfortable place to stay. If you want a little more refined accommodations, then you should pass up the Hotel Dina
Name: Repton Hotel
Location: Bloomsbury, London
Benefits: Big, comfortable rooms. Great central location (one block from the British Museum). Very helpful staff.
Drawbacks: No elevator in hotel, so a person has to carry your luggage up (potentially) two flights of narrow stairs. The view isn’t the best, but what does one expect in central London?
Cost (Off-season):₤65 for a room with two beds and a private bath
Recommendation: Highly recommended.
Restaurants:
Name: Roof Garden Taverna
Location: Athens (on the corner of Tripodon and Lysiou in the Plaka)
Specialty: Crepes made with all kinds of ingredients. Can be eaten in the restaurant or taken away.
Cost: 600 – 1100 drachma per crepe (depending on what’s ordered)
Recommendation: If you want something lite, then this taverna is the place to visit.
Name: Trattoria
Location: Athens (4 Farmaki just off of Erythemion)
Specialty: Lunch and Dinner specials. We had the Greek Salad, Pizza, dessert (which turned out to be two huge pieces of baklava) lunch for two.
Cost: 5,800 drachma for our lunch. Water was 360 drachma per glass, and a basket of bread was 180 drachma.
Recommendation: Excellent food, quiet location equals highly recommended.
Name: Mr. Burger
Location: Athens (On Diakou right next to the Royal Olympic Hotel)
Specialty: American food. However, there are some Greek dishes on the menu
Cost: The souvlaki plate cost 1,900 drachma. Most other dishes were around this price
Recommendation: Uninspired Greek food and slow service means that you should pass on this place.
Name: Taverna To Steki
Location: Hydra Town
Specialty: Greek food…and lots of it!
Cost: Full meal cost about 5,900 drachma/person
Downside: They don’t take credit cards, regardless of what the sign says.
Recommendation: Some of the best food on Hydra!
Name: Il Forno
Location: Hydra Town
Specialty: Pastries, breads. Also try the cheese pie.
Cost: A couple of pastries and chocolate milk cost 1,900 Drachma.
Recommendation: Friendly staff and great freshly baked food makes this bakery perfect for breakfast. They’ll even heat your order up for you! Grab a pastry and head outside to eat it at the harbor.
Name: Strofilia
Location: Hydra Town
Specialty: Greek food, particularly seafood.
Cost: About 5,500 drachma/person
Downside: They don’t take credit cards
Recommendation: Good, but not as good as the Taverna To Steki. Still, one can definitely do worse.
Name: Zaharoplastio Anenomi
Location: Hydra Town
Specialty: Ice cream
Cost: 700 drachma for a small bowl of ice cream.
Recommendation: Delicious ice cream and friendly service means that people should seek this place out.
Name: Café Politi
Location: Hydra Town
Specialty: Pizza
Cost: A pizza for two was 1,400 drachma
Downside: Smokier than the average Greek restaurant (and that’s saying a lot!)
Recommendation: Great atmosphere and great food. A good place to visit.
Name: Savas
Location: Athens, corner of Ermou and Athinas
Specialty: Gyro Sandwiches
Cost: About 200 drachma/sandwich
Recommendation: Outstanding food. The meat melts in one’s mouth. A must have.
Attractions:
Name: The Acropolis
Location: Athens
Reason to Go: Only because it’s considered the pinnacle of Greek architecture, art, as well as the highest expression of Greek culture.
Cost: 2,000 drachma/person
Recommendation: What do you think?
Name: Ancient Agora
Location: Athens
Reason to Go: One gets to walk in the footsteps of Socrates, Plato, and St. Paul. Also, a good understanding of the layout of ancient Athens is obtained by walking around the site.
Drawbacks: Most of it is rubble, so it’s a little difficult to image what it would’ve looked like.
Cost: 1200 drachma/person
Recommendation: One should see it.
Name: National Gardens/Zappion Gardens
Location: Athens
Reason to Go: To take a break from Athens’ unrelenting concrete
Cost: Free
Recommendation: A great place to unwind.
Name: Roman Stadium
Location: Athens
Reason to Go: One gets to run on the same track where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896. Great views of the Acropolis from the top.
Drawback: Steep steps between levels. Marble seats are a little hard to sit on.
Cost: Free
Recommendation: Must visit
Name: The Temple of Poseidon
Location: Cape Sounion
Reason to Go: Great views of the Aegean Sea and some islands. Interesting temple.
Drawback: Trip to and from Athens is rather long and monotonous. Not much else left other than the temple.
Cost: 800 drachma/person
Recommendation: If there’s little else to do, then go here.
Name: The British Museum
Location: London
Reason to Go: Only the greatest collection of antiquities in the world under one roof.
Drawback: Some ethical concerns when one realizes how most of these items were obtained.
Cost: Free
Recommendation: One has to visit this Museum
Name: The National Gallery
Location: London
Reason to Go: A fabulous collection of paintings from all of Western Civilization.
Cost: Free
Recommendation: Must visit.
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