marazul

I don't use them either. In my case, they got hacked a few years ago and I had to fight for several weeks to take all the fraudulent charges off. And it was very clear that it was the Paypal account and not my credit card that was compromised.

You can only get into the Acropolis with an official ticket. You can stand in line and buy them at the ticket office. You can buy them ahead of time on the official website so you can skip the ticket line. You can pay someone else to buy them for you ahead of time so you can skip the ticket line. But they are all the same official ticket. There are no other lines that can be skipped. Everybody has to go through the security line regardless of where or how you got your tickets. Athens By Locals and many others are resellers. They buy the tickets for you so you don't have to stand in line (IN PERSON) at the ticket office to buy tickets. That is the same line you skip by buying the same tickets on your own on the official website. There are no other lines to skip with their "skip the line" tickets. The price of combined tickets on the official website is 30 euros ($32). The price on the Athens by Locals website is $38. Resellers and tour companies do offer other benefits. So, if you want to buy a tour that includes admission to the sites, that is the way to go. If you only want the tickets, buy them on your own.

Photos of the elevator at the top. The building you see is the back of the Erechtheion. When you get out, you walk straight past the Erechtheion and you will be in front of the Parthenon.

You can use the elevator. Just get your tickets on the official website. After you go through security ask a guard who will direct you to the elevator. People who are visibly impaired (like your cane) will be directed there. People who are not visibly impaired (like a heart condition) might have to produce a medical certificate or other proof of handicap. The handicapped person and a companion can ride the elevator. Once you are up, the paths are fairly flat and the main ones are paved. It is easy to meet on the top if you are with a group or a guide. The top of the stairs will be to your right. They can come to meet you at the elevator or you could meet in front of the Parthenon. You can't get lost.

Which website did you use?

The entry into Malta and the transit of the Messina strait are best seen from an open deck. Other than that, it makes no difference because the ship could approach the port from different directions. If the ship is at anchor, the direction of the ship will depend on the prevailing winds. And good luck seeing Rome and Florence from the ship.

We take a tablet each with downloaded books to read on the plane and the beach. They are wi-fi only so we don't have to worry about data plans for an extra device. I have been relying more and more on my phone for pictures, but still bring a camera. We have T-Mobile which requires no extra "travel packages" and gets unlimited texts and data while traveling.

If you follow @cruisemom42's advice, buy the "Combined Ticket" to give you access to the Greek Agora and other sites.

I agree with cruisemom, of course. Regional strike by security guards in the Venice and Treviso airports lasting four hours.. Since you are practicing your Italian, take a look at the link just under the table of strikes: Vedi legenda Settore* Click on it for a definition of all the terms that can appear in the "Settore" column. Those are the work "sectors" covered by the website.

In theory, yes. The flights are 30 minutes each way. There are several flights each day on Aegean Air. You can fly there and back in one day. Rent a car at the airport or arrange a tour with a local company. The ferries take several hours to get there so they would not work for a day trip. aegeanair.com

Check with a company like George's Taxi. I believe they do charters for larger groups. Maybe a bus or two large vans. They could also reserve inns or hotels for you. georgestaxi.com

Yes.

Well said! That is one of my objections to a frequently mentioned tour company that has "tipping guidelines" for their US customers. In our experience, the same applies in France, Spain and Greece.

That is a good summer beach day tour. Not so much in November. There is nothing else to do at that beach. The water will be too cold and there is a good chance of strong winds. Pick something else. Anything else.

I never said that the OP's hotel charged the same if you use a credit card or pay in cash. I only pointed out that it can and will accept credit cards if you book through a third party. Therefore, it could accept credit cards if you booked directly with them, but it chooses not to do so. (Whether the dual pricing structure makes good business sense or not is a different matter. Apparently, it must work for them.) It's one thing if you book directly with a hotel and, at checkout, you are offered a discount for cash. It's another thing to offer a substantially different price between reserving through a third party or directly with the hotel. That's unusual because of contractual arrangements as mentioned by edinburgher. Even in that case, the hotel could accept either cash or credit card at checkout. If a hotel offers an incentive for paying cash that's great, but it is the guest's choice how to pay. If a hotel does not want to accept credit cards, that's fine. It's their business. But If the guest wants to have the option to pay by credit card, then don't stay in a hotel that only accepts cash payments. If the guest doesn't want to use a booking site, then don't use one (I never do except for research). Yes, it is a moot point. The hotel chooses how it wants to do business. The guest chooses whether to do business with the hotel or not. The question was "Is it typical for small hotels in Athens to require payment in cash?" The answer is "no"

All hotels will accept cash if you choose to pay in cash. Many will offer you a discount if you pay in cash instead of card. It is almost unheard of to refuse cards and demand payment in cash. Apparently, the OP's hotel accepts credit cards if you book through a third party, but demands cash if you book directly with them.

Out of curiosity, I checked the listing for Marble House in a booking website. It says it accepts Visa, Mastercard or cash.

No. There are hundreds of hotels in Athens. Why don't you find another one? It is safer to pay by credit card.

The service in the Pantheon will take under one hour.

Hellenic Heritage is the one and only official website for Acropolis tickets: https://hhticket.gr/ It is also the official website for more than 25 other archaeological and historical sites in Greece. Here is the list: https://hhticket.gr/tap_b2c_new/english/tap.exe?PM=P1P&region=all To buy Acropolis tickets: Go to https://hhticket.gr/ Click on "Buy Tickets" Click on "Acropolis and Slopes" Select your date Select your time slot Select "Single Use" or "Combined Ticket" Select the number of tickets Add to Cart Buy There is no such thing as a "skip the line" ticket. Everyone has to go through security. The only line you can skip is the line at the ticket office which you skip by buying your tickets ahead of time. Enjoy! (And, please, post all your comments about tickets here so others can benefit from your experience.)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR ACROPOLIS TICKETS: hhtickets.gr This is also the website for 25 other sites in Greece.

There are thousands of restaurants in Rome. You are trying restaurants on somebody's "lists" all through your stay. All are good, but you can probably find at least 2 or 3 other restaurants just as good on the same block, especially in less touristy areas. As I said before, it is hard to get a bad meal in Rome. You are looking for a place to eat on a day where you have had a big lunch and where you have a short amount of time to eat before your tour. You are not looking for a life-altering gourmet experience, but for a quick, tasty meal like the locals have. This is the time to be spontaneous and trust your own restaurant picking skills. Look at the menus posted on the sidewalk; look at the people eating there; look at the food if there are sidewalk tables. And then, pick one that appeals to you. You never know, you may be writing reviews for the next "go to" restaurant on CC. We pick restaurants like that when we are traveling and we have had great meals and, at least, satisfying, good meals. Try it; you'll like it. 😉

It is a 3-hour (9 am-noon) strike limited to the province of Bolzano. It will not affect you.

IIRC there is a good pizzeria almost across the street from La Taverna dei Fori. I think it is called Pizzeria della Madonna. But it is hard to get a bad meal in Rome. You might just want look at the menus of the restaurants you pass on your way to the Colosseum and pick one that appeals to you.

The hotels' own websites will have their official ratings. I have no idea what the booking websites use, but I imagine they roughly correspond to the official ratings.