🇬🇷Athens
Twenty-five centuries of history under a hill you can see from almost anywhere in the city. Scruffier and far more alive than the ruins suggest, and one of the cheapest capitals in the eurozone.
Prices checked · how we work these out
In photos
Quick facts
Money & what things cost
Cards are accepted in most restaurants, hotels and shops, and a 2024 law pushed card acceptance much wider — but Greece still runs on more cash than Portugal or Spain, and small tavernas, periptera kiosks and markets often prefer it. ATMs are plentiful; use bank-branded machines (Alpha, Piraeus, Eurobank, National) rather than the standalone Euronet ones, which charge poorly. Athens is one of the cheapest capitals in the eurozone, and the gap between tourist-strip prices and neighbourhood prices is unusually wide — walking ten minutes from a headline sight regularly halves the bill.
What locals earn
| Average monthly salary | ≈ €1,180–1,470 gross ($1,290–1,600) | Sources vary by whether they use social-security records or OECD figures; the private-sector median sits at the lower end. |
| Minimum wage | ≈ €910/month gross ($990) | Among the lowest in Western Europe. |
| Typical hospitality wage | €800–1,200 ($870–1,310) | Waiters, hotel and shop staff — often seasonal contracts. |
Food & drink
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Souvlaki or gyros in pita | €3.50–5.00 | $3.80–5.50 |
| Taverna lunch, per person | €10–16 | $11–17 |
| Casual dinner with wine | €18–30 | $20–33 |
| Mid-range dinner, per person | €30–50 | $33–55 |
| Greek coffee / freddo espresso | €2.00–3.50 | $2.20–3.80 |
| Beer at a bar | €4.00–6.00 | $4.40–6.50 |
Transport
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Metro/bus 90-minute ticket | €1.20 | $1.30 |
| 24-hour pass | €4.10 | $4.50 |
| 5-day pass | €8.20 | $8.90 |
| Airport metro, one way | €9.00 | $9.80 |
| Airport taxi to centre (flat fare) | €40–55 | $44–60 |
| Ferry to Santorini | €40–80 | $44–87 |
Sights
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Acropolis ticket | €20–30 | $22–33 |
| Combined archaeological sites pass | €30 | $33 |
| Acropolis Museum | €10–20 | $11–22 |
| National Archaeological Museum | €8–12 | $8.70–13 |
Where to sleep & what it costs
| Tier | Per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | €15–30 ($16–33) | Good, cheap and plentiful around Monastiraki and Koukaki. |
| Budget hotel | €45–75 ($49–82) | Simple hotels in Koukaki, Exarchia or near Omonia. |
| Mid-range hotel | €65–120 ($70–130) | Plaka, Thissio or Koukaki. Rooftop bars with Acropolis views are common at this level. |
| Luxury | €200–500+ ($220–545+) | Syntagma and the grand hotels facing the parliament. |
Trip cost calculator
$180 per person per day · 4 nights of lodging (Mid-range hotel)
A rough estimate from this page’s daily budget and hotel prices — not a quote. Lodging assumes one room for the group.
Getting around
- From the airport
- Metro line 3 runs to Syntagma in about 40 minutes for €9 — more than the city fare but simple. The X95 express bus is €5.50 and runs 24 hours. Airport taxis have a regulated flat fare to the centre, around €40 by day and €55 at night; confirm the driver is using it.
- Public transit
- The metro is clean, air-conditioned and covers the sights well — three lines, easy to read. A 90-minute ticket at €1.20 covers metro, bus, tram and trolley with transfers. Validate your ticket at the machine; inspectors do check and fines are steep.
- Taxis & ride apps
- Yellow taxis are cheap but have a mixed reputation with visitors. Use the FREENOW app, which meters the ride and removes the argument. Uber in Athens dispatches licensed taxis rather than private cars.
- Ferries
- Piraeus is the main port and the metro runs there directly. Book island ferries ahead in summer; the fast boats sell out and cost roughly double the slow ones.
- On foot
- The historic core — Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, Thissio — is compact and best walked, along a pedestrianised archaeological promenade. Marble and polished stone underfoot get slippery, and there is very little shade.
Neighborhoods to stay in
- Plaka
- The old quarter right under the Acropolis: neoclassical houses, cobbled lanes and the most charm. Also the most tourist-priced part of the city.
- Koukaki
- Residential, five minutes' walk from the Acropolis Museum, full of good cheap tavernas. The best balance of price and position.
- Monastiraki & Psyrri
- Flea market by day, bars by night. Central and lively; noisy if your window faces the street.
- Exarchia
- The anarchist-intellectual quarter — political murals, bookshops and the city's best cheap food. Grittier than it looks in photos, and much friendlier than its reputation.
Things to do
Ancient sites
Museums
Neighbourhoods & views
Food & nightlife
Tipping & etiquette
- Meals run late. Greeks eat dinner from 9pm and tavernas stay open past midnight — arriving at 7 means an empty room.
- Coffee is a sitting activity, not a takeaway one. A freddo espresso can occupy two hours and nobody will hurry you or bring the bill unasked.
- You generally ask for the bill; it won't arrive on its own. Doing so is not rude.
- Sharing plates is the default in tavernas. Ordering one dish each and eating separately is the tourist tell.
- At churches and monasteries, cover shoulders and knees. Some hand out wraps; many don't.
- Nodding upward with raised eyebrows means no. A small tut is also no. It reads as dismissive to foreigners and isn't.
- Older plumbing in some buildings can't take paper — if there's a bin beside the toilet with a sign, it's there for a reason.
Safety & common scams
Athens is a safe city with a bad reputation it has mostly outgrown. Violent crime against visitors is rare and the centre is comfortable to walk at night in the areas you'll be in. Pickpocketing on the metro — especially the airport line and the Monastiraki–Syntagma stretch — is the genuine and persistent risk, and it is skilled. The other real hazards are environmental: summer heat that has forced the Acropolis to close mid-afternoon, and marble underfoot that is treacherous when wet. Protests and strikes happen and can shut transport or close streets; they are announced in advance and easy to avoid.
Scams to know
- Metro line 3 pickpockets — the airport route and the central stations are worked professionally, particularly at doors as they close.
- The friendly bar invitation — a stranger strikes up conversation and suggests a bar, where the bill arrives at hundreds of euros. Almost always targets solo men. Decline invitations from strangers to specific venues.
- Taxi meter 'broken' — insist on the meter, or use the FREENOW app. Airport runs have a fixed regulated fare.
- Plaka menu pricing — restaurants with a host outside waving menus charge tourist prices for tourist food. Walk two streets uphill.
- Petition and bracelet approaches — around Monastiraki and Syntagma, usually a distraction for a second person.
Emergency numbers: 112 for all emergencies. 171 is the dedicated tourist police line, English-speaking.
Phone & internet
Very good across the city and in the metro. EU and UK visitors roam at no extra charge. Otherwise Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova sell prepaid tourist SIMs from around €10–20 for 10–20GB, available at the airport and in any phone shop, and all support eSIM. Free Wi-Fi is standard in cafés, and the municipality runs free hotspots in the main squares.
First-timer FAQs
Do I need a visa?
Greece is in the Schengen Area — US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most other Western passports get 90 days in any 180 visa-free. Check whether the EU's ETIAS pre-authorisation has taken effect before you travel; it has been delayed several times. Passport valid three months beyond departure.
How many days do I need?
Two full days covers the Acropolis, the Agora, the Acropolis Museum and the old quarters properly. Three lets you add the National Archaeological Museum and a day trip to Cape Sounion or Delphi. Most people use Athens as a two-night bookend to island time, which works well.
Should I buy the combined ticket?
If you'll see three or more ancient sites, yes — the €30 combined pass covers the Acropolis, Agora, Roman Forum, Kerameikos, Hadrian's Library and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and pays for itself quickly. Book Acropolis entry online with a time slot in high season.
Is the summer heat really a problem?
Yes. July and August routinely pass 38°C and Athens has closed the Acropolis during afternoon heatwaves in recent years. If you go then, do sightseeing before 11am and after 5pm, and take the heat seriously — there is almost no shade on the rock.
Is Athens safe at night?
Yes, in the areas visitors use. Plaka, Koukaki, Thissio, Monastiraki and Psyrri are all comfortable after dark. Around Omonia and parts of the area north of it feel rougher late at night. Pickpocketing on the metro is the crime you're actually likely to encounter.
Can I get to the islands from here?
Easily — Piraeus is 25 minutes by metro and ferries leave for most of the Cyclades daily in season. Santorini is 5–8 hours by ferry or 45 minutes by plane. Book ahead in July and August, when both sell out.
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