Athens acropolis

[Totallygaga]

Hi,

I arrive into the Melia hotel, Athens, at around 7.30pm from Heathrow. I have tried to book an excursion via Azamara to see the Acropolis before I board the ship but wasn't able to arrange it. Has anyone been before - am I going to be able to see it? It seems a shame to go all that way and miss it.

 

Chris

[dundalkspur]

Piece of cake ! Did it last year -just get the tube to the ruins .You then have to pay something like 20 euro (cant remember) to walk around the building works .Great views but you need a couple of hours to walk up and around.There are loads of Taxi drivers that will take you around as well but this is the cheapest and easiest way.

[uktog]

You might also like to walk out at night and see the Acropolis floodlit which is a lovely site

You might want to ditch your free transfer to the dock if it is too early and get a taxi to take you to the Acropolis early in the morning and then after you have walked around take you straight to the ship

[nordski]

Just a couple of small notes to add.

 

If you arrive at the Acropolis when it first opens, then you may well be ahead of any other cruise/tour groups in the city. You should have the site to yourself, a few early visitors and the dogs who call it home. Allows great efficiency.

 

The Acropolis Museum near the base is terrific and worth it if you have time.

 

A possibility re:transit is to hire a taxi, via the internet perhaps, to take you to the Acropolis and then meet you later to take you to Piraeus. We did this and it allowed time to visit the Plaka and neighboring sites. We hired a wonderful driver, responsible and informative. Some travellers find Athenian taxis an adventure and less than honest, so you need to be careful.

 

Enjoy your trip.

[pickypicky]

I second the new Acropolis Museum...well worth the time, but you do need time. We had a wonderful stay in Athens!

[gingerspike]

We recently (August) stayed at the Athens Hilton pre-cruise which was very convenient to the Metro. We left after a late breakfast to go to Syntagma Square, saw the full changing of the guard at noon, then walked around the Plaka. We stopped for awhile to rest and get a snack and adult beverage, and then walked over to the Acropolis Museum (highly recommend). At the end of the day, around 4 or 4:30, we walked up the Acropolis. It was much cooler and there were hardly any crowds. (It was extremely windy--I don't know if that is normal--but it almost knocked me over a couple of times. Make sure you have sturdy, stable shoes. The stone can be very slick in some places.) Then we metro'd back to the hotel. Easy peasy.:)

[Ithikan]

I second the new Acropolis Museum...well worth the time, but you do need time. We had a wonderful stay in Athens!

 

Absolutely the New Acropolis Museum! And since you can see the acropolis itself through huge windows in the upper galleries, it's a spectacular 2 for 1.

 

Admission for both is 12€. November the museum opens 8 am, the acropolis 8:30. Bet you can do them both & still be onboard for that welcome drink & buffet lunch. Happy cruising!

[jpapa96]

I just moved to Athens a few weeks ago, but wanted to offer a quick word of caution. We are now entering strike season (the Greeks never want to ruin their August holidays, but things start to get very active in mid September/October). I'm told to expect a lot more disruptions to transport and government entities this year. We've had horror stories of people trying to get to or from the Plaka, but getting hemmed in because of protests. They are rather civilized though, and tend to publish planned disruptions a few days in advance. It is definitely worth it to google before you arrive and to have a plan B.

 

Jami

[azevedan]

Just a heads-up for the subway - be VERY aware that pickpockets are around, and work in groups. One person will spy on you as you buy your tickets to see where you keep your wallet/money, then deploy pickpockets in the crush of people getting on the train to pick you clean. They tried it on us, but we were able to foil them. We spotted the lookout guy next time we went to the station. Only keep enough money in your pocket to buy the tickets, and keep everything else in a hidden money belt or zipped-up vest.

[Totallygaga]

Thanks all for your replies re Acropolis. All very useful.