Athens travel guide
Athens Tourism | Athens Guide
You're Going to Love Athens
With 664,046 inhabitants, Athens is the most populous city in Greece. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Athens has to offer.
Where to Eat in Athens
Plaka is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Athens. These include popular favourites such as Grande Dame Athenian Tavern (46 Nikis), Hard Rock Cafe - Athens (Adrianou 52) and Birdman Japanese Grill & Pub (Voulis 35). If you’re looking for affordable options, Aleria Restaurant (57 Meg. Alexandrou str.) and GB Roof Garden Restaurant (Vassileos) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Tudor Hall (3 Vasileos Georgiou A) and Balthazar - Athens (27 Tsocha street) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Athens.
When to visit Athens
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Athens in July, when the average temperature is 28 °C, and the highest can go up to 32 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 7 °C, with an average temperature of 10 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in December, when precipitation is around 64 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Athens, with an average rainfall of 5 mm.
How to Get to Athens
Plane
When flying to Athens, you’ll arrive at Athens Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) (ATH), which is located 12 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Athens from Malaysia departs from Kuala Lumpur and takes around 13h 35m.
Train
The train station in Athens is called Athina, and is located 0.7 miles from the city centre.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Athens, including Union Ivkoni, FlixBus and City Lines. From Sofia, the bus ride to Athens takes 680 miles and will cost you around RM 398. From Istanbul, the ticket costs about RM 678 for a journey of 930 miles. The most popular bus station is Athens Karolou, located 0.4 miles from the city centre of Athens. Athens Acharnon is also a commonly used station, and is 0.4 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving Athens
Where to stay in Athens
From 5-star hotels such as the Wyndham Athens Residence to great affordable options like the Iasonos Suites, Athens offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around RM 541 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to RM 890 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Athens Backpackers and Bedway Athens Hostel. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Athens, with prices from RM 71 to RM 3,785 per night. Plaka is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Athens are about 40% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Omonia - In Athens’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Brown Kubic, a member of Brown Hotels, Epidavros Hotel and Athens Tiare by Mage Hotels.
Neos Kosmos - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Acropolis Ami Boutique Hotel, Royal Olympic Hotel and Athenaeum Intercontinental, An IHG Hotel. The average nightly price for a double room in Neos Kosmos is RM 315.
Kolonaki - Coco-Mat Hotel Athens, Periscope Hotel and St George Lycabettus Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Kolonaki will cost you about RM 382 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Athens
Most booked hotels in Athens
Hiring a car in Athens
Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Athens is the Centauro branch at Attiki Odos, Spata Artemida, which is 12 miles from the city centre.
Expect to pay RM 10.05 per litre in Athens (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between RM 120.56 and RM 160.75. The most frequently booked car type in Athens is Full-size (Opel Vivaro or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini car hire (Suzuki Celerio or similar) is, on average, 92% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.