| Before you get too excited, read below to | | | | Athens.National Archaeological Museum |
| find some great tips about travelling to | | | | |
| Athens. If you plan ahead, you'll ensure that | | | | The Benaki Museum |
| your Athens vacation is the best it can | | | | |
| be!Getting to Athens: Using a Greek Travel | | | | The Goulandris Museum of Cycladic and |
| AgentYou might be frightened about using a | | | | Ancient Greek Art |
| travel agent you're not familiar with - | | | | |
| especially from a foreign country. Have no | | | | Kerameikos Museum |
| fear, using a reputable Greek travel agent is | | | | |
| probably the safest and most affordable way | | | | Museum of Greek Folk Art |
| to schedule your visit to Athens.There are | | | | |
| several reasons why using a Greek travel | | | | Jewish Museum |
| agent can help your travels go more smoothly. | | | | |
| One, they are very familiar with the Athens | | | | National Gallery |
| area and can direct you to the right hotel, | | | | |
| activities and travel methods during your | | | | National Historical Museum |
| stay. A travel agent who is not located in | | | | |
| Greece will not always be able to provide the | | | | Museum of Popular Musical Instruments |
| best possible options. Second, a Greek travel | | | | |
| agent often has access to more discounted | | | | Byzantine Museum |
| packages for hotels, rental cars, cruises, | | | | |
| resort packages, tours, airline tickets, etc. | | | | War Museum |
| So, you will probably save money on your | | | | |
| overall travel expenses by using a Greek | | | | Greek Historical Costume Museum |
| travel agent. Third, if you run into problems | | | | |
| during your stay, get lost or lose something, | | | | Theatrical Museum |
| a travel agent who's actually located in | | | | |
| Athens will be able to assist you directly. | | | | Frissiras Museum of Contemporary Greek and |
| If your travel agent is located thousands of | | | | European Painting |
| miles away, you're pretty much on your | | | | |
| own!Ferry Schedules and Travel AgentsFerry | | | | Acropolis Museum |
| schedules are a whole other ball park when it | | | | |
| comes to planning your trip. By using a Greek | | | | Athens NightlifeAthens has a nightlife |
| travel agent, you'll have access to the most | | | | that's constantly on the move. You'll never |
| up-to-date ferry boat schedules. Ferry boats | | | | grow bored during your trip. In the evenings, |
| are used to travel to and from the Greek | | | | you can dine at fine Greek restaurants, enjoy |
| islands, so you must be able to schedule your | | | | live music, go dancing or whatever suits your |
| ride at the right times if you plan to visit | | | | fancy. There are theatrical shows and dinner |
| any islands while in Athens. The problem with | | | | theaters where you can enjoy a variety of |
| ferry schedules is that they're are usually | | | | entertainment. Much of the activity at night |
| released and changed at the last minute. So, | | | | can be found in the Plaka, Psiri or Thission |
| even using the Internet to research your own | | | | areas.Use the information above to make the |
| schedules will not always be accurate. The | | | | most of your visit to Athens. You can enjoy a |
| last thing you need is to be stranded on some | | | | great getaway if you plan ahead!Touring the |
| island!Recommended Hotels in AthensWhen | | | | Museums of GreeceGreece offers hundreds of |
| planning your trip to Athens, be sure you | | | | museums, whether in the main cities, on the |
| understand where your hotel is located, what | | | | islands or in remote villages. There are |
| rating it has and the expense of staying | | | | museums everywhere in Greece, and they each |
| there. Many hotels and resorts are available | | | | focus on different aspects of Greek culture |
| in Athens, but you want to be sure it will | | | | and history. Below is a list of museums with |
| meet your needs. The best way to know for | | | | a brief description of each. Be sure to visit |
| sure is to talk with a travel agent and | | | | a museum in the area of Greece you |
| explain the type of room and price you | | | | visit.Museums in Athens, GreeceNational |
| desire.Great areas to stay in Athens include | | | | Archaeological MuseumThis museum ranks in the |
| Makrianni, Plaka, Thission, Syntagma, Koukaki | | | | top ten museums in the world and offers its |
| and Monastiraki. These are within walking | | | | collection display in a lovely building near |
| distance of many of the major attractions and | | | | Alexandras Avenue. The museum has a cafe, |
| sights in Athens, so you can avoid driving | | | | gift shop and sculpture garden.The Benaki |
| downtown as much as possible. Also these | | | | MuseumThis is a multi-floored museum with |
| areas all border the Acropolis and its | | | | every level moving up in history. The bottom |
| surrounding archaeological park. Shops, | | | | floor displays the most ancient items.The |
| restaurants, taxis, ferry ports, buses, etc. | | | | Goulandris Museum of Cycladic and Ancient |
| are all nearby these areas as well.Below is a | | | | Greek ArtThis Athens museum offers a great |
| list of some great hotels in Athens, some | | | | collection of old Cycladic art. It opens |
| being upscale and others being | | | | daily except Sundays and Tuesdays.Kerameikos |
| family-oriented or inexpensive.Avra RafinaThe | | | | MuseumThis museum is located at the ancient |
| Avra Rafina is a great three-star hotel | | | | Athens cemetery at the bottom of Ermou. It's |
| that's located near the ferries. It's a great | | | | just past the Monastiraki Flea Market. The |
| place to stay if you want to be away from the | | | | museum has tombstones and pottery.Museum of |
| city life of Athens and take a visit to the | | | | Greek Folk ArtHere you'll find wood carvings, |
| islands.Hotel Athens PlazaThis is a fine | | | | embroideries, jewelry and traditional folk |
| hotel that has a building on Syntagma Square | | | | art. There are also fabulous ceramic |
| as well as one building that sits away from | | | | collections.Jewish MuseumThe Jewish Museum in |
| the Grande Bretagne. It's elegant and the | | | | Athens offers a display of artifacts and art |
| price shows it!Armonia Hotel The Armonia | | | | from Jewish communities. You can also learn |
| Hotel is located out of the center of Athens | | | | about the Holocaust here, which makes the |
| at a quiet beach location. It's close to the | | | | visit worthwhile.National GalleryAt the |
| airport with easy access to cruise ships and | | | | National Gallery you'll find a terrific |
| ferries. The rooms are of high quality, and | | | | collection from Greek painters and also |
| it offers a swimming pool.Electra Palace | | | | international artists, which includes some |
| HotelThe Electra Palace Hotel is an | | | | impressive sculptures.National Historical |
| A-category hotel that has been renovated | | | | MuseumIf you love learning about the history |
| recently. It has an indoor pool, comfortable | | | | of war, you should definitely visit the |
| rooms and great views of the Acropolis. The | | | | National Historical Museum. Here you'll get |
| location is in the Plaka and only two blocks | | | | to learn about the Greek War of Independence |
| from Syntagma Square.Astor HotelThe Astor | | | | and see some fabulous artifacts from the |
| Hotel is an A-category hotel that is located | | | | war.Museums on the Greek IslandsThere are |
| only a half a block from Syntagma Square. It | | | | also some great museums on the Greek islands. |
| offers a delicious breakfast at the | | | | Every island has its own history and culture. |
| restaurant, a roof garden, gift shop and | | | | The museums display these differences. Here |
| more! A conference room is also available for | | | | are some popular island museums along with a |
| meetings. The rooms are well-furnished and | | | | brief description of each.Archaeological |
| have central heating, air conditioning, color | | | | Museum of ChaniaThis museum is located in the |
| television and radio. Upper-level rooms have | | | | Venetian monastery of St. Francis and offers |
| balconies.Athens Cypria HotelThis hotel is | | | | many treasures such as prehistoric artifacts |
| located on a small street just a couple of | | | | from caves, finds from the city of Chania, |
| blocks from Syntagma Square, and near the | | | | Minoan finds from Chania and coins and |
| shopping street that welcomes pedestrians - | | | | jewelry from historic times.Archaeological |
| Ermou. It's also close to the Plaka and the | | | | Museum of CorfuHere you'll find interesting |
| archaeological sites.The Adams HotelThe Adams | | | | exhibits from the excavations of the ancient |
| Hotel is family-owned and operated. It has | | | | town of Corfu, Cassiopi and |
| been completely renovated and all rooms now | | | | Thesprotia.Archaeological Museum of ParosThis |
| have television, bathrooms, air conditioning | | | | museum was founded in 1960 and offers |
| and some have balconies with a terrace. It's | | | | visitors a chance to see archaic and |
| located on a quiet street in the Plaka, and | | | | classical sculptures as well as pottery and |
| is only a block from Kydatheneon Street. | | | | sculptures from the Neolithic up to the Roman |
| Although not fancy, the renovation helped | | | | period. Also, there's a Mosaic floor that |
| this hotel tremendously with comfort and | | | | dates back to Roman days.Archaeological |
| appearance!Cecil HotelThis hotel is in a | | | | Museum of RhodesThis Rhodes museum is located |
| neo-classical building located in old Athens. | | | | in the Medieval building of the Hospital of |
| It's near the Ancient Market and the New City | | | | the Knights and contains collections of |
| Market. The central pedestrian street is also | | | | classical and Roman sculptures, Mosaic floors |
| nearby. The Lycabettus Hill, the Syntagma, | | | | from the Hellenistic period and more.While in |
| the Acropolis and the Philopappus are all | | | | Athens, Greece you will want a cell phone for |
| near as well.Hotel AttalosThe Hotel Attalos | | | | use and with the local GSM service you'll be |
| is located near the Monastiraki Flea Market | | | | amazed at how much better the service is in |
| and Metro Station, and only a five-minute | | | | Athens than back home. Virtually everywhere |
| walk to the Acropolis and Plaka. It offers | | | | in Athens and Greece, yes even islands and |
| air conditioning for the rooms, breakfast and | | | | mountains, is covered by superb GSM cell |
| a rooftop cafe where you can view the | | | | phone service. With a local service provider |
| Parthenon.St. George LycabettusThis is a | | | | all your incoming calls are 100% free and |
| deluxe hotel that has its own restaurant, | | | | calling the states is just $.84 / minute. Or, |
| bar, swimming pool and more. It's located in | | | | to be 100% sure, you can rent a satellite |
| Kolonaki and is only a 15-minute walk to | | | | phone and as long as you can point it to the |
| Plaka. Rates are really good if you travel in | | | | southern hemisphere you'll get service across |
| August.The Hotel HiltonThe Hotel Hilton is a | | | | Europe. Free incoming calls day and night |
| deluxe hotel with four restaurants, a health | | | | from every country on earth and only $1.99 to |
| club, shops, in-house movies and more! There | | | | call any country, always.For more information |
| are many great features about this hotel, but | | | | on renting/buying these type of phones and |
| if you stay here, you'll have a long walk to | | | | getting this type of super low cost service |
| the Plaka.Hotel Divani AcropolisAnother hotel | | | | take a look at or call 800-514-2984 inside |
| in the deluxe category, the Hotel Divani | | | | the States or 925-686-9945 from outside. They |
| Acropolis offers a restaurant, great rooms, a | | | | ship worldwide and are based in |
| roof garden, a pool, air conditioning and | | | | California.Cell phone use overseas. In 99% of |
| heat and conference facilities. It is only a | | | | the world the local cellular service standard |
| five-minute walk to the Acropolis and the | | | | is called GSM. We use this in the states as |
| Plaka.The Athens CentralThis is a lovely | | | | well. When combined with a SIM CARD (which |
| hotel located in the Plaka that has been | | | | usually goes under the battery of the phone) |
| renovated to a more modern style. It offers a | | | | the phone is able to communicate and the SIM |
| great view of the Acropolis and city from the | | | | CARD also holds the telephone number and |
| roof garden and many of the rooms. The rooms | | | | memory for pre-paid credit. Rates can be |
| have air conditioning and television. The | | | | extremely low using this system. For example |
| hotel has low rates also.Hotel Royal | | | | in 99% of all SIM CARDS incoming calls are |
| OlympicThe Hotel Royal Olympic is located | | | | free and calls to the states can cost a |
| only ten minutes from the Syntagma and the | | | | trifle. Such as, from the UK to the USA 7 |
| Plaka. It offers air conditioned rooms with | | | | cents/minute, from Israel 22 cents, from |
| satellite television, a restaurant and bar, a | | | | Australia 27 cents. Yes, USA Dollar cents! |
| garden pool and more!Athens | | | | There are today even prepaid service |
| IntercontinentalThis is another deluxe hotel | | | | providers in the USA offering rates of 10 |
| with in-house movies, a health study, shops, | | | | cents per minute to call anywhere in the US |
| a bank, four restaurants, etc. It is located | | | | to any type of phone. No contracts, no credit |
| 20 minutes from the Plaka if you go on | | | | card checks, no bills. Pre-paid always means |
| foot.Museums in AthensWhile in Athens, don't | | | | no minimums no contracts, no obligations. You |
| forget to tour some of the city's unique | | | | only pay for the calls made. You'll need an |
| museums. Athens has museums to suit all | | | | unlocked GSM tri-band or quadband UNLOCKED |
| tastes. Whether you enjoy art, culture or a | | | | phone. You can buy factory unlocked phones |
| modern theme, a museum awaits. Below is a | | | | and sim cards for more than 170 or the 193 |
| list of the most popular museums in | | | | countries on earth from Tel. |