User:(WT-en) Cynthiamarie

Athens  is a city in GREECE.

Understand
The city with the most glorious history in the world, a city worshipped by gods and people, a magical city. The enchanting capital of Greece has always been a birthplace for civilization. It is the city where democracy was born and most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of ancient world flourished in Athens and relives through some of the world's most formidable edifices. A safe place to journey!

Get in
The easiest way to get to Athens is to fly. If you are coming from the USA there are non-stop flights from New York by Delta Airlines and Olympic and then a dozen other airlines that you have to connect somewhere in Europe. Continental flies non-stop from Newark and US-Air non-stop from Philadelphia to Athens.

GREECEFLIGHTS specializes in finding the best rates to Greece and knows all the secrets for finding cheap flights.Visit www.greeceflights.com to find great rates.

Get around
The Athens Metro (subway) Attiko Metro has 3 Lines the old one Line M1 (ISAP) that starts from Piraeus and ends in Kifissia and the new Athens Metro lines M2 that starts from Agios Antonios and ends to Agios Dimitrios and the line M3.that starts from Egaleo and ends at Doukissis Plakentias from there you can take the Athens suburban railway (Proastiakos) to the Airport.There are parking spaces in Line M2 at the stations of Egaleo, Eleonas, Keramikos, Katehaki, Ethniki Amyna, Nomismatokopio, Halandri and Plakentias ,at the stations of Line M3 there are parking space at the station of Sygrou (Fix).

A combination of poor road infrastructure and bad driving leads to horrendously congested roads, particularly in suburban areas of Athens and Piraeus. Private parking spaces are a rare luxury. Due to lack of facilities, drivers will double or triple park or park on the pavements. It is not unusual to find yourself blocked in when someone has parked too close to your own car making it impossible to maneuver your way out.

GEORGE is the most famous Taxi driver in Athens. He'll accommodate you with:

Trips around the mainland: George is a wonderful host and translator and will make your experience in Greece a remarkable one. Imagine a trip to Delphi, Epidavros, Sounion, Evia, Myceneae and rather then sitting on a big tour bus you are cruising in an air-conditioned Mercedes taxi. You will be able to stop at quiet seaside tavernas, remote beaches where and when you want to. Shopping trips around Athens: Athens by Night or to take you from one Archeological site to the next, saving you time and wear and tear on your feet. To the ancestral village: perhaps you are going back to find your roots and need a translator as well as transportation. Business Trips: Maybe you are a businessman who wants to use his time efficiently or a traveler who wants to experience Athens with a knowledgeable friend. Making Connections: Got a 6am flight, cruise or ferry and want to make sure you are on it? Leave it to George. Arriving by Ferry: Imagine standing on the ferry from Mykonos or Santorini, full of people and as you arrive, you see three taxi cabs waiting for the hundreds of people about to get off the boat and you wonder how you are going to get to your hotel. Then imagine how you will feel knowing that one of them is George and he is waiting for you. Got a connecting flight and a few hours to spare? Let George help you make the best of your time in Greece even if it is just a few hours. Traveling with an Infant? George provides a car seat.

Contact info: Phone from the USA:(01130) 210 9637030 Visit: www.taxigreece.com

See
In Greece, you are in a crossroad of colors and cultures; you feel the strength of History and the warmth of the southern extremity of Europe and you discover the evolutionary course of thought, influence and experience.You are in a country with a uniquely affluent historical past, whose people, however, do not rest on their laurels and are not stuck in that past. You are in a country that, though statistically small, is huge in its diversity. You see landscapes that have given thousands of postcard images but remain incredibly vivid and of unrivalled beauty.

Greece is a country of beautiful contradictions, a constant journey in time, from the present to the past and back again. Walk through the olive groves, through archaeological sites; move to clusters of islands, go through beaches and mountains and explore the breathtaking scenery.

In Greece the succession of images is not just our imagination; it is a sheer reality.

Do
Touring the Heart Athens Syndagma Square (Constitution Square) is located directly across from the Greek Parliament and is considered to be the heart of modern Athens. Syndagma Square is called Platia Syndagmatos in the Greek language. Ermou is the popular pedestrian-friendly street that connects the Greek Parliament to the Old City of Athens Greece. The Greek Parliament Buildings (Vouli) is an attractive neoclassical building located next to the National Garden and across from Syndagma Square. The parliament buildings are also called the Royal Palace. The goose-stepping Greek Guards (called Evzones) can been seen doing their thing in front of the Greek Parliament and in front of the Presidential Residence. The National Garden is a unique urban park. The garden is comprised of both natural areas and formal gardens. Many Athenians as well as tourists, love to escape the summer heat in this beautiful green oasis located directly behind the Greek Parliament. The first stadium to host the modern Olympic Games in 1896 was built on the site of a historic Athenian stadium called the Panathenaic Stadium.

Piraeus (Pireas) is Athens' main port and the departure point for ferries to the Greek islands. The community is quite large and features some attractive waterfront cafes, bars and hotels. The Piraeus Archaeological Museum is a popular attraction in this Athens community.

They say the nightlife of Athens rivals that of New York, London and Paris and maybe surpasses those cities. One thing is for certain. You won't find more restaurants, bars, discos and clubs in a smaller area than you will in Athens with the majority of the nightlife being in central areas such as Psiri, Plaka, and Thission.

Walking Tours through Athens. A sightseeing city tour through the Syntagma area and the Plaka. Visit the old town of Athens as well as an intricate visit to the Acropolis of Athens. It is considered a "must" for all visitors to Athens, whether their stay is long or short, because Athens was, is and always will be a magnetic destination for those who long for historic value. Check out the amazing structures of Roman times.

Buy
Shopping in Athens. Downtown Athens is a shoppers paradise. Besides the areas of the Plaka and Monastiraki which are well known to travelers for their large variety of tourist shops all of central Athens is a shopper's Mecca. Streets that were once choked with traffic have now been closed to all motor vehicles and this diverse shopping area has become a walking shoppers paradise with every kind of shop you can imagine, and some you never imagined existed. There are street merchants selling everything from scarves to devices that make stuffed grape leaves or hollow out a zucchini. The clothing shops have quality men and women's apparel from all over the world and the shoe stores make you wonder why your choices at home are so limited. It is like a shoe-free-for-all that can be like the NY Stock Exchange during a buying frenzy.

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Eat
Matt Barrett states "The Greeks love to eat. (Who doesn't?) Many Americans have a fear of coming to Greece because they are afraid of the food. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's not like Mexican. Nothing is so spicy you can't eat it and the seasonings they use are the very same ones you have on the spice shelf in your Kitchen. And unlike the crappy oil that terrorizes the hearts of many Americans, Olive oil is good for you and will keep you alive long after many of your friends have taken the next step in their spiritual evolution."

Types of Restaurants

-An estiatorio is a restaurant that serves cooked foods from the oven called magerefta but it can also have grilled to order foods called tis oras, and even fish, as well as appetisers (mezedes), and salads. -A psistaria is a grill house where you get spit-roast lamb, steaks, kokoretsi, grilled or rotisserie chicken as well as salads and appetizers. You can even get lambs heads. -A taverna usually has a smaller menu and specializes in something and are mostly for nighttime, long meals, lots of wine and conversation. -There are psaro-tavernas (fish tavernas) by the sea or even in Athens and of course on the islands. -Ouzerie and mezedopoulions specialize in smaller dishes which you eat with ouzo, though they serve wine and beer too. -All over Athens are fournos (bakeries) that along with loaves of bread sell tiropitas (cheese-pie), spanakopitas (spinach-pie), prasatopita (leek-pie), kolokithopita (zucchini-pie), kremedopitas (onion-pie), melitzanitopita (eggplant-pie), kaseritopita (kaseri-cheese-pie), kotopita (chicken-pie), kreatopita (meat pie) and tipatopita or zeropita (pies that don't appear to have anything in them.

There are approximately 52 restaurants in Athens. There are the "touristy" restaurants that would normally serve what travelers most often desire, and there are restaurants that cater exclusively to tourists. If you visit Greece as part of a tour group, chances are that you will mostly frequent such establishments. The food quality and service in both cases is exceptional, and the restaurants themselves are very clean. You normally find them in or around the most touristy spots of Greece (like Olympia) and the tour busses automatically unload their passengers at such restaurants before or after a visit to a major archaeological site. The prices vary but as a rule they are high, although they are often included in the tour price for a substantial discount.

Recommended Restaurant.

IDEAL is one of the longest surviving restaurants in Athens. It's about 80 years old. IDEAL provides the Athenians and tourists of Attica, region surrounding Athens, a wide menu of great quality and taste, in a friendly relaxing environment. Located at the very center of Athens. Their goal is to always work towards merging the Greek traditional cuisine with the today needs of the people and to ensure customers can enjoy a coffee, a dessert from our menu, or to taste a Greek traditional plate where it's rare to find nowadays. Located at

Drink
To enjoy people watching and internet browsing, there are numerous Internet Cafes and Sidewalk Cafes to meet local people and get a feel of the Greek culture. Other great places to enjoy a drink and get a feel of the Greek nightlife are the numerous variety of clubs, bars, pubs, discos, live music, DJs, Rembetika, Jazz, etc. There is no drinking age limit in Greece. Anyone is welcome to drink as much as their heart desires. Everyone is expected to act civil before, during, and after drinking

Ouzo is a well-known traditional Greek drink. At it's best, Ouzo is tasty with a seafood dinner. It is a very strong liquor with a distinct minty odor. It is best sipped out of a shot glass straight, on the rocks, or diluted with water. It is famous for the major hangovers it produces the "day after" and should be taken with some care. Ouzo "12" and "Metaxa" are the most popular brands of ouzo in Greece, although you can find local varieties of good quality in different rural areas.

Metaxa is a special Greek spirit invented by a silk trader named Spyros Metaxas. This happened in 1888 in Attica region. Since then, the product has earned world recognition for its quality, color and taste. The product has been marketed very well all around the world and became famous creating a very large number of dedicated lovers. Expressions of admiration and adjectives like "The Elixir of Life", "The Nectar of the Gods", "The Blessed Spirit" accompanied Metaxa from its birth.

Sleep
The Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (Athens International Airport) is located 26 kilometers east of Athens Greece. A number of hotels are available near the international airport. Both inexpensive and five start hotels are available in the heart of modern Athens. Hotel Grande Bretagne, which is centrally located on Syndagmatos Square kitty corner to the Greek Parliament, is one of the most exclusive hotels in Athens Greece. Popular hotel districts in central Athens include Plaka, Monastiraki and Syndagma. Many tourists to Athens Greece enjoy staying at hotels situated near the Acropolis. The rock of the Acropolis and the ruins of the Parthenon symbolize the emergence of western culture. They attract visitors from around the world. The Exarhia district of Athens is the student oriented area of Athens Greece located near the Polytekhnio (Polytechnic University). Some budget accommodation can be found in this neighbourhood of pleasant tavernas and restaurants. The Monastiraki district of Athens Greece is a popular tourist location that offers an assortment of hotels and other accommodation. It is located between the Acropolis and Omonia Square and is within easy walking district of many Athens attractions.

A great link for all different types of hotels: http://www.greece-athens.com/hotels/

Contact
Dolphin Hellas is a Greek travel agency specialized in incoming tourism since 1970. The primary advantage of making your travel arrangements for Greece through our agency is that they offer tailor-made services in accordance with the specific needs of our clients, be it groups or individuals. Their experienced agents will help you materialize your dream vacation in Greece.

Visit web site at (http://www.dolphin-hellas.gr) They will provide all the information you need to know. Get information on hotels and apartments in Greece (Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Delphi, Olympia....), villas in Greece and the Greek islands, cruises sailing the Greek seas and the Mediterranean, organized tours, fly&drive programs, car rentals, spa centers, private transfers, ferry and plane tickets, as well as any other service you may require.

Address : ATHENS 16, Syngrou Ave. Zipcode : 11742 City : ATHENS Phone : +30 210 9227772 (up to -5)

Get out
13:44, 9 April 2010 (EDT)13:44, 9 April 2010 (EDT)13:44, 9 April 2010 (EDT)~