Not Really How to Greece *Part 1 - Athens

Because I have time, I will spread out the whole preparation and the whole this "Fruitful Easter Trip" that everyone is curious how I managed to visit Santorini, Greece with low low budget..

Why we go to Greece?

During this Easter trip, I really want to go to Balkan countries (Albania, North Macedonia) + Greece. 

First of all, we have a plan to visit Albania and Greece because there are a lot of Muslim in Albania, but the flight is not affordable (more than 30 Euro) and we just realize that Albania is non-EU country, which at that time around February still on the E list of Italy (means we need to do the 10 days quarantine when we go back and our passport will be stamped), so it will be really complicated.

I create an excel sheet by giving my friend options where we can go, affordably (this is what I always do including the potential spending). Yes! And Greece + Santorini was on the list, on the very bottom one. Surprisingly enough, Balkans are not as affordable as I taught to extend it give me a headache. Another thing about Balkans, is... they did not have train to connect each countries, and the information about them is very limited. Because usually I do so much research before going, I was asking myself, "What on earth I am throwing myself into in Ramadhan?" so I was keeping the Balkans trip for the next time due to the fact there is so little that I know about them.

After long discussion and several talks, and also budgeting. We agreed to just cover Greece, Athens + Santorini in 6 days. 

Athens surprisingly very affordable. Personally, I think 2 days 2 night or 3 days 2 nights for Athens is really enough (especially if you have been to Rome and others historical city). Most of the days when we are in Athens it was raining, but even its raining we managed to cover all the lists we would like to see.

How to Athens 

There is a direct flights from Malpensa to Athens, its actually not that cheap because it is around 20-30€, it takes 2 hr 20 minutes but the fact it was 3 hours flight (Italy and Greece is in the different time zone). Unfortunately for peak season started from May to the end of August Athens will be very-very expensive. When I wrote this, I checked the flight tickets and I found out that the flight cost 70 Euro from Milan to Athens... but the price is lower again around September, so if you want to go and in the budget, I suggest you to just go during low season September-April.

This is also apply to Santorini, when we were in Oia, we meet very generous man and his wife, he talk to us because he used to live in Malaysia and he thought we were Malaysian. He said, "You are in the best time to see Santorini, which is end of April. Because during peak season, in Oia (Santorini) for 4 hours people cant move after they watch the sunset, which is not worthed at all." He gave us a lot of travel advice, which is why we cancelled the plan to see sunset in Oia, like he said. Sunset is sunset, which I will explain more in Santorini part.

Our flight ticket costs: Milan to Athens (28 Euro), Athens to Santorini (30 Euro), Santorini to Milan (9 Euro). So for the flights only it cost 67 Euro, but for me its really worthed. We use all ryan air during this trip: https://www.ryanair.com/it/it

Took into consideration we use Ryan Air without baggage except backpack for this trip. If you need the luggage, each of the flight will cost 20 Euro more.

The food cost

The food cost very very cheap. Small Gyros (like a wrap which is not small is like  2.7€), the water cost 0.16€ which make us stunned. Daily cost for one meal in Athens is 4-5€, if you are out of the center. In the center maybe 8€ or 15 Euro is enough. 

Gyros in Athens. There is a place called : kountouriotiko in Athens, which is near our accomodation and we found out they have the best affordable gyros in town.

We didnt buy food from the touristy place like Plaka. We stay near the Kallirois and they have varieties of food and cheap bakery.

The coffee in Athens kind a expensive like 3-4€, the canned coffee is 2.5€, starbucks started 3€ and you can seat as long as you can and charged your phone. So choose your fighter.

You can save more money if you buy on the supermarket, they have ready to prep food meal like 2€ (Grilled beef+potato) and the water is 0.16€ whereas in restaurant they sell the water like 0.5€ (the small one). Overall Athens is very affordable, you just need to find a right place.

 

How much is the transport?

The transport from airport if you took the bus is like 5.5€ and Metro for 9€ for one way. But, if you stay 3 days like me you can buy a package of 20€ including Metro airport transfer! 

If you buy daily pass it will be like 4€. So the 3 days + metro airport transfer is very worthed. You can take any public transportation using this card. This card save so much money if you think the metro transfer is already 18€.

We bought the ticket from vending machine. The machine take cash and card.

We took metro first time but once we knew how to take the Tram we always use it because its closer to the accommodation. When you enter the tram, you just need to tap the card, when you want to stop you need to push the button. It is very easy.

The Blue Thing is the place you should tap your Athena card. Remember the Tram is not frequent (maybe every 30 minutes, so be on time, because they do)

Inside the tram station. When you want to transfer you need to follow the sign. The tram will be coming every 7 minutes, not that frequent. Remember. 

The Metro sometimes makes you confused (because they have different names compared to google and the sign is not obvious, they use Greek alphabet, there is naming like 1,2,3 and colors but they didnt really use it, and the entrance and exit is very confusing, and I can mention how much we struggle the first days because nothing is obvious),
what to do? Ask. All Greek can speak English perfectly. After one day, you will managed. But using Tram is way better after knowing how.

Stay, where?

I suggest you to look for a nice place because its not that expensive. Each of us pay like 12€ per night. If you can come with group of 4 or 3 its better. It will be cheaper. We stay in airbnb near Kallirois and the place is recommended. Its not really center but 10 min to Acropolis with Tram and Metro connection. We have very nice apartment but somehow if you are from Italy the neighborhood is kind a surprising. A lot of place in Athens is kind a shady, so dont be shock. I did tell you in this blog. But inside of the building is very nice. Don't stay in shady place, look near the center that looks fancy but didnt cost too much. You will find one!

This place cost 12 Euro per night per person (we rent this for the four of us)

How to get Free Archeological Sites

We went to Athens when they had free museums and archeological site (which is, coincidence, so we didnt originally plan to be at that “free” time), on the 18th of April which is International Memorial Day. So we pick the sites that we like the most and goes in the morning. The Acropolis cost 0€ (should be around 12€) and museum is 0€ (should be 10€). Was it packed? It was not. We were shocked too. We went to Acropolis in the morning using the side enterance near the Acropolis Museum, and there was no Queue at all.

The Acropolis is including all the slopes, so when you go to Acropolis, you already covered all the sites on the complex. Half day for Acropolis is enough especially if you have been to Colesseum, Acropolis feels like kind a small.

Next we enter the National Archeological Museum. This museum recommended by my friend that have been to Athens before. And it turns out that our guide tour the next day said this museum is the only worthy museum in Athens 🤣, lucky us. This museum have all the artefact from Greece dated 3000BC which is the oldest stuff that I ever see in my life. It is very interesting.

I suggest you to checked the official sites directly to checked the “free dates”. There is no reservation or anything you just need to queue (if there is any) on the locket and they will give you the ticket for free.

There is no queue from the side entrance. I was shocked, I watch some random youtubers that mentioned always go from the side entrance (near Acropollis Museum, the one that we took), and barely any queue. It was worked. Another thing is we go not so early around 10, but when we go back around 13:00 it was packed.

Take a free walking tour. 

Free walking tour will force you to do the 3 to 4hr walking to cover whole Athens with very useful tips. We did book one with Jhonatan and we ended cover so many places with fantastic view and nice guide! (At the end you can gave the tips as much as you like people usually gave from 5 to 20€). Use your comfortable shoes, bring small stuff, water and bring umbrella incase its raining.

During the walking tour these sites are covered : 

Holy Trinity Church - Zappeion Hall - Athens National Garden - Statue of George Karaiskakis - Panathenaic Stadium - Athens Academy - Plateia Syntagma - Omonia Square - Central Municipal Athens Market - Monastiraki Square - Hadrians Library - Roman’s Agora - Stairs Athen - Anaphiotika - Plaka. We also did stops to see the president coming to the office, changing guards and buy coffee in nice place.

We covered almost the whole Athens during this tour. Took the 10am one is very recommended. This is the tour that we use and very recommended: https://www.athens-free-tour.com/book-athens-free-tour. They will send you an email of confirmation and meeting point. 

Remember to always be on time, or ahead of the meeting time. They will always start on time from my experienced and its nice to get an explanation about the city in depth and knows some places recommended by local. 

Some of this part I wrote it on the plane because I feel bored. That's it. I hope you enjoy athens.