Pt. 1 of our month-long Honeymoon Series started off in Athens, Greece. A connecting flight in Athens is already necessary when traveling from NY/NJ to Santorini, so we decided to make a brief trip out of Athens while we were there.
Both times that I've traveled to Greece have been in June/July. The weather during that time is similar to NY/NJ. There was actually a heat advisory on the day we decided to visit the Acropolis and it had to be closed early (1 PM). We spent a total of 3 nights in Athens, which is honestly more than enough time to spend there. You can expect to pay anywhere between $400 to $600 USD on a one way flight from NY/NJ to Athens during the summer months. Flights become much cheaper to travel to other parts of Europe or even Africa once you are already abroad. The flight from Athens to Santorini can then cost you about $50 to $150 USD.
Airport transportation tip* We used booking.com TAXI to schedule our round trip transfers in advance. You'll want to do this because it 1) is cheaper than a taxi and 2) would otherwise be very difficult to access a taxi when you have a very early or late flight.THE CULTURE:
The hospitality stood out to us the most upon our arrival. Greeks in Athens and Santorini are specifically really big on tourism and have been smart about making the tourists feel like royalty. We were a little worried at first because we met a Greek local on our flight who told us that we might experience some racism in his home country. However, we were welcomed everywhere we went and I'd even go as far as saying that we were treated better in Athens than we typically are in the states. Although it is not common practice to leave as much money when tipping in Europe as it is in the states, it is definitely well deserved in Greece. In general, the more you tip the better your service will be.
"Follow the one-euro rule.
A good rule of thumb for tipping in Europe is to give at least one euro (or the equivalent in local currency) per service. For example, pay one euro per bag carried up to your room by a bellhop or porter, one euro per day for housekeeping, and one euro per day for breakfast staff."
(afar.com)The Greek Orthodox Church makes up 90% of the total population in Athens and they are much more of a collectivist culture. Greeks are very big on keeping friends and families close within their communities. Hearing "Orthodox" might lead you to believe that it is a very conservative culture, and you might assume that they are very strict in their day to day activities, clothing, etc. That is not really the case in Athens and Santorini, and everyone is pretty laid back. People in Greece don't dress very differently from other parts of Europe. Whatever you would typically wear in the US during the summertime would also be acceptable to wear in Greece. Since Athens is a major city, you'll find that most people are wearing comfortable sneakers/shoes with their outfits. We also did a lot of walking in Athens since their taxi's can be pretty expensive. This is also why you are often paying more for the location of your stay whenever travelling abroad.
THE HOTEL:
We stayed at the A.P. Acropolis View Apartments and booked it through booking.com.
*Tip: if you create an account here, you can join the genius loyalty program and begin receiving up to 10% to 15% off your bookings. I have nothing but good things to say about our hotel choice. The average cost is about $150 to $200 USD per night. We stayed in the one bedroom suite with the Acropolis view, hot tub, and terrace. Be mindful that most hotel rooms and apartments are smaller in size throughout Europe. Our room wasn't very large but it did have separate bedroom and living room spaces. Our bathroom and terrace were decently sized and the terrace was fully furnished with the outdoor hot tub. The views in center city Athens are nowhere near what you would have in Santorini, but waking up to the Acropolis is still a win. Our absolute FAVORITE part of our stay was yet again the hospitality. The employees were extremely hard working and made sure we didn't lift a finger. They even felt uncomfortable taking any tips from us.
Breakfast was included in our stay and we had the option of having it sent to our room every morning or going up to their roof terrace to eat with other guests. Since it was our honeymoon, we weren't really trying to interact with too many people so we opted to have it sent to our room every day. The breakfast came in a form of a really large basket with several different items. This also included vegan items after we told them that Kevin had a dairy sensitivity. The food items included a variety of cheeses, spreads, croissants, breads, yogurts, honey, grains, cold cuts, fresh vegetables, cereals, milk, fresh orange juice, eggs, and pastries. It was enough to feed an entire family and we always felt guilty for barely putting a dent in it. We later found out that they give whatever is leftover to homeless shelters nearby, which made us love them even more. The hotel also had free wifi (which worked well) and a rooftop bar.
The location of our hotel was central to just about everything you need to see in Athens. It was walking distance to food and attractions. We only utilized a taxi once during our entire stay. One block over to the right is the long road you would take into the main square (Monastiraki Square). If you continue to walk down the same road, it would also lead you to the Acropolis. It was about a 15 minute walk to the Acropolis, and from there another 10 minute walk to the Acropolis Museum. The Monastiraki Square had all the main bars and restaurants that we visited. Honestly, I believe location is the main priority when booking in Athens. I've stayed in Athens once before a few years ago and my experience was completely different at that time. I think it was because I was on a tighter budget and stayed pretty far away from the main square. The main square in Athens reminded me of Madrid or Barcelona. This looked like large buildings surrounding narrow roads that are filled with restaurants and cafes. If you do decide to rent a car, make sure that it is small because you'll find that the streets are too narrow for larger vehicles. Another tip is to buy any clothing and/or gifts that you would want in Athens rather than Santorini. The prices become much more "touristy" and expensive in Santorini.
THE FOOD:
Lamb. Next section....
Alright, clearly I am joking lol...sort of. I honestly could of had lamb every day in Greece and I would not have gotten sick of it. The meat that we had throughout the entire honeymoon was fresher than it would be in the US. Kevin was even able to eat dairy everyday despite his lactose intolerance. I'm not sure what it was about their dairy products but it didn't upset his stomach at all. The reason I said lamb specifically is because it is very popular in Greece and is found in a lot of their traditional dishes. Overall, you can find great food for a low cost at any of the restaurants within the Monastiraki Square. This can be accompanied with a bottle of wine (ranging anywhere from 15 to 60 euros.)
We only ate at 2 restaurants during our stay and that was for three reasons: 1) our breakfast was so large that it held us up until about 3/4 PM everyday (also keep in mind we only stayed for 3 full days). 2) We enjoyed one of the restaurants so much that we ate there two days in a row. 3) We had a full day boat excursion which had already included our meals.
Dionysos Zonars: This restaurant had an incredible view of the Acropolis. I highly suggest going at night because the Acropolis lights up and stands out against the dark sky. It is a pricey restaurant but you are paying for the view. They have both indoor & outdoor seating. We chose to eat outdoors. Dress code is casual elegant. This is the one restaurant we needed to call a cab for. You can use the Uber app but it will be a local taxi driver that arrives in a yellow cab.
Bandiera: This was our absolute FAVORITE restaurant in Athens. We ended up coming back here twice. The menu items are extremely affordable in comparison to the first restaurant and the quality of the food was better in our opinion. They also serve large portions and the staff was really friendly and welcoming. The melitzanosalata (eggplant salad) was the best we had in both Athens and Santorini. We actually kept ordering it at other restaurants in hopes of it tasting just as great, but nothing really came close to this restaurant. To no surprise, I also had the lamb dish. The T-bone steak is another great dish to try on their menu.
EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES:
For the purpose of keeping things concise, I'm only going to list down some of the activities we participated in during our short stay, although I am sure you can find plenty more geared towards your own interests on viator.com or getyourguide.com :
Acropolis & Acropolis Museum - Bundle deal costs about $25 USD.
Sunset Bike Tour - It is best to do this on your first full day so that you have an idea of where everything is located. The tour cost about $45 USD and is about 4 hours long. Difficulty level- easy/moderate.
Athens All Day Cruise - 3 Islands - Saronic Gulf - With Lunch - This was easily the best tour you can do while in Athens. It is an all day, all inclusive, boat tour to 3 separate Greek islands. Pick up and drop off from the hotel was included. This tour cost about $145 USD. Below is a snapshot of the Itinerary taken directly from the booking link:
1st Stop- Angistri (90 mins)- Agistri is one of the Saronic Gulf’s islands, ideal for a weekend getaway from Athens. Thanks to its magnificent natural environment and the secluded, sun-drenched beaches, this island is a little hidden gem ready to be explored. Visit the most spectacular beaches, including Dragonera, Skala, Aponisos and Chalikiada, and taste delicious traditional delicacies. Get lost at Megalochori’s streets with charming houses and taverns. This is what you really expect from Agistri: authenticity, freedom and tranquillity.
2nd stop: Aponisos Beach (90 mins) - Aponisos our swimming spot to enjoy pristine crystal-clear green-blue waters full or underwater sea life. You could not ask for more than Aponisos which can offer you an ideal situation for both swimming and snorkelling.
3rd stop: Aegina (2 hours)- Aegina is the largest island in the Saronic Gulf, just 17 miles away from Athens. Aegina’s ancient history takes place back in the 500 B.C. Explore the ancient Greek temple of Aphaia, one of the most well-preserved sanctuary places of worship. What a bonus to a summer holiday to be able to walk around in one of the three temples of Sacred Triangle of Greece. Aegina is also famous worldwide for the high quality of its local pistachio nut. Among the highlights of the island, are the stunning beaches of Marathon, Agia Marina, and Perdika which is known for the seafood taverns.As always, I hope this was helpful! Check out our Instagram page @thephilemons for photos, videos & more :)
...up next is Pt. 2 of the Honeymoon Series: Santorini!
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