The gems of Athens

We continued from Crete to the land. We flew from Chania to Thessaloniki. From Thessaloniki we went by train to Athens, where we spent a few days. We learned a lot of new things again, so here I share some of our mistakes and tips with you!

From Chania the flight was calm and it took around an hour. We spent one night in Thessaloniki. I haven’t seen the whole city, we just walked a little in the evening. I have to say that i liked the city center and especially the coast very much. It was full of lights and life. The next day we went from there to Athens by train. The drive took 6 hours and cost 40€ per person. The trains are nice and comfortable and the staff offer some snacks along the way.

Note: We checked on Google the trains but we didn’t get the right information. Because of that, we had to wait another 1,5 hours. It’s better if you ask at the information office.

We arrived in Athens in the afternoon and went to our room. We had a private room, it was cheap but very luxurious and near the center. In the evening we went for a walk and I was stunned by the city. It was very lively, the monuments were beautiful and the lights made the vibe perfect. Guys, I love cities at night. They show you their real faces. There were a lot of nice little souvenir shops. The monuments were everywhere around the center. They are really beautiful pieces of historical architecture. The next days we wandered in the daylight.

Tip: I highly recommend you to wander around the small streets. It’s magical.

The food we had there was mostly McDonald’s, but we also often went to Everest. It has good prices, and you can customize your own sandwich.

After 3 days we changed the hotel to one in a different part of the city. It was near the beach but far from the city center. It wasn’t the best decision because it was already after the season and we didn’t even get to the beach.

2 days before the flight I went for a PCR test. I ordered it online and paid 60€. Greek people have a really good vibe but they often take a long time to fix some things. I waited for the result for more than 24 hours even though they told me the time the result will be sent. The last day we had a flight again in the morning. We were in the rush to catch the metro. What a beautiful surprise it was, when we found the metro closed. We rushed to the next one, also closed. We saw other people being confused as well. At the end we found a taxi and figured out that there were some demonstrations in the city and that was the reason why there were no buses or metro driving. It was a surprise for us to see that the locals didn’t know about it either. We paid 40€ for the taxi! The taxi driver was very nice, he tried his best to talk to us and knew exactly where to take us. At the airport everything went without any problems and we got home safe. That is the end of our trip.

A few tips at the end:

1. Hidden gems
   • Athens offers a lot. Small beautiful streets all over the city are magical and historical. Some historical houses and actually beautiful graffiti paintings can also be found there. Don’t be afraid and get a little lost there. The museums are also worth a visit if you have time, they are not even that expensive. The truth is, that also just wandering around the city is beautiful enough and free.
2. 1 hotel is enough
   • We had 4 hotels in a week. It is a lot! We were trying new locations, some luxurious, some cheaper, near the station or a good metro line. It is actually very tiring and I suggest finding one hotel that you think is the best for you and enjoy the stay.
3. Unsafe areas
   • Most of the cities have them. When you go further from the center, you can get to parts that can be a little unsafe or in some cases dangerous. In Athens we walked through some streets where we didn’t feel that safe. Especially in the evening and at night, so be careful!