Essential Athens Travel Tips
Here is a quick roundup of the things I learned during my short trip to Athens.
1. Double-check the bus schedule from the airport to the city.
You definitely shouldn't expect it to be like Seoul, where buses run past midnight. When I got to the bus stop at 10 PM, the service had already ended. Greece has some of the strongest labor unions in Europe, so never assume public transit will run late. They frequently stop running even in broad daylight due to protests, so why would they run well at night? Also, if you use Google Maps, it will tell you which bus to take to your hotel, even in Greece. Otherwise, be sure to ask the staff. I think the best option is to take an Uber or a taxi, or just arrive during the day. But that's expensive!!
2. Never walk around at night.
This place isn't Seoul. The security situation isn't great, making the streets dangerous at night. People often feel really intimidated by Russia, but to me, Russia feels like a city aiming for a zero crime rate compared to Athens. The nighttime safety is so bad that if Gotham actually existed, it would probably be Athens. In fact, when the buses stopped running and I was walking around at 11 PM, I heard someone yelling from afar for me to wait every time I passed a block. Especially near Omonia (a neighborhood in central Athens), you can hear screams and the sound of breaking glass about once a day at night. Please don't do something as stupid as walking around alone like I did.
3. If you have time, definitely take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea.
It takes about an hour and a half by tram from Athens to get to Glyfada. It doesn't necessarily have to be Glyfada, though. Honestly, if you don't study up beforehand, the ruins in Athens are just an uninspiring series of rocks, and they won't even stick in your memory after you return. However, the crystal-clear water and the relaxed vibe of the Mediterranean Sea are still with me even a year later. I highly recommend setting aside at least one day to dive into the Mediterranean and enjoy the unique laziness and food of this region.
4. Read a Greek history book, or at least a guidebook, before visiting the ruins.
There are so many ruins in Athens, but contrary to our expectations, most of them just look like scattered rocks. To feel moved by those rocks, you absolutely need some background knowledge. Otherwise, you'll just find yourself fighting off thirst under a hair-scorching sun, staring at pale stones that people are only looking at because they're supposedly famous. If you don't have enough time to read a history book, I recommend thoroughly reading at least one guidebook. Guidebooks don't neglect this aspect, so reading just one will help a lot.
5. Wine with meals is a must, and so is olive oil when heading home.
I haven't traveled extensively in Western Europe, so I can't fully gauge exactly how cheap Greek prices are, but you can assume it's about half the cost. In particular, we might not know much about Greek wine, but given Greece's location in Southern Europe—very similar to Italy and Spain—it's impossible for it not to be delicious. It's really cheap and tasty. A wine that costs about 10,000 KRW here would magically turn into a 40,000 to 50,000 KRW bottle at a Korean supermarket, or a bottle costing over 100,000 KRW at a restaurant. If you like to drink, drink as much wine as possible.
Along with that, the olive oil is also amazing. A Greek salad is honestly nothing special—just roughly chopped vegetables and cheese with olive oil poured all over it. But it tastes so good. It's all because of the olive oil. That's why olive oil is the best souvenir for your parents or friends when you return home. There are quite a few types of olive oil, but if you ask the chatty Greeks, they will answer very kindly. If the language barrier is too high, just buy olive oil in a glass bottle to bring back. When I was picking out olive oil at the supermarket, locals passionately insisted, practically spitting as they spoke, that extra virgin in a glass bottle is the best, and they literally dropped a bottle into my basket. They advised me to make sure I buy the glass ones because the plastic ones are fake, and they didn't forget to add that Italian olive oil tastes bad so I should buy Greek;;
6. Always keep an ear out for strikes.
They write down when they will go on strike on A4 paper in the subways or trams. Strikes feel like a daily occurrence in this country. You might think, "I'll just take a taxi if there's a strike," but you have to assume that every road in Athens will instantly become gridlocked. Think of a strike day as an "all-day walking day," and try to visit the tourist spots closest to your accommodation on that day.
7. No matter how broke you are, don't sleep in Omonia.
I mean this literally. Do not stay there. My eyes widened at the cheap prices and I booked a room, but I was too scared to even go out to buy water at night. I'm a natural coward, but it feels like the kind of place where someone would demand your money even in broad daylight. If price is a major factor, look carefully on Airbnb. It's often considered a secondary option because the price difference with hotels varies wildly by region, but there are plenty of cheap and nice Airbnbs in Athens.