Athens On Our Own

[thunefeld]

The NCL Spirit Southern Europe * Eastern Mediterranean Cruise

October 26-Nov 6, 2013

Venice > Athens > Istanbul > Western Italy > Barcelona

 

We did several ports on our own.

 

Our best resources for our self-excursions into ports were Rick Steve’s Mediterranean Cruise Ports, Rick Steve’s Pocket Athens, the Rick Steve’s Free Audio Tours iPhone app and multiple posts to Cruise Critic by Puablo who did the same cruise (in reverse order) that we did 4 months earlier. (Search Cruise Critic for Puablo to follow his excellent posts on his visits into several ports – we printed him out and took he and Rick Steves with us into every port!)

Or just follow this link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=108486

 

Puablo’s Athens Post:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1656952

 

We wanted to be in the first group off the ship to “beat feet down the street” to get to the metro and to the Acropolis when it opened at 8 a.m. to beat the crowds because Rick Steve said that the best time to be at the Acropolis is before the tour buses disgorge throngs of tourists at 10 a.m. He was dead-on correct! Holy cow!

 

Our ship arrived at the cruise terminal at 6:40 a.m. We were told by two different NCL employees the evening before that there would be an announcement as to when we could disembark. They discouraged us from queuing up prior to the announcement. When we had not heard anything by 7:20, we wandered down to see what was happening only to find that disembarkation had begun 25 minutes before! I inquired why (again asked 2 separate NCL employees) who replied that the ship does not make announcements before 8 a.m. So, there you have it… if you want to be first off before 8 a.m. on an NCL cruise, you need to be aware.

 

The 15 minute walk to the Metro station was exactly as described by Puablo and Rick Steve. A 15 minute ride on the train brought us to the M. station. We walked out of the metro station and purchased an excellent Athens map for 3 euros from the kiosk vendor just setting up outside the front door, and were at the Acropolis ticket window 20 minutes later – less than an hour from the ship to the Acropolis. Cost: 1.60 euro per person one-way. Rather than try to figure out the machines, we just purchased our tickets from the pleasant tellers at the ticket windows both going and returning (this was a Sunday and the station was nearly empty at 7:40 a.m. – your mileage may vary).

 

We wanted to try the best Souvlaki and gyros in Athens so after visiting the acropolis and the Ancient Agora we found our way to what Rick Steves calls “Souvlaki Way” and found the restaurants identified by him. At Thanasis we bought a take-out Souvlaki Sandwich for 2 euros and found a nice tree shaded ledge in Monastiraki square to enjoy it. OMG! If you do nothing else in Athens, get this and eat it! I don’t usually eat 4-hoved animals but makes exceptions when traveling to savor the local culture and cuisine. The sandwich was all I hoped it would be and more.

 

We split the sandwich to “save ourselves for more Greek food and took Rick Steve’s recommended Old Town Walking Tour through the Plaka and Anafiotika (available in his book and for free on Rick Steve’s Walking Tours in Europe). We loved the magical street of Anafiotika, something we never would have found (or been able to navigate) with Rick.

 

After the two hour Old Town hike we were hungry again (as we had hoped) and had tired feet so wanted to look for a place to sit down. We returned to Mitropoleos Street and Souvlaki Row, but found we would have to pay 13 euro for the same sandwich that I had paid 2 euro for earlier to “take-out.” I questioned a couple of the hustling, hard-sell maîtredee’s on the Souvlaki Row, and they insisted that their best sit-down price was 13 euro (“But sir, this is a whole PLATE, not just the sandwich!”) We kept looking and talking to the maiter dees and got lucky – real lucky. The first street east of M square, running south off S. Row, has a big open air restaurant (with spotlessly clean restrooms inside, upstairs). I questioned the MD, “How much for a gyro sandwich and a glass of wine to sit down?” He told me 2 euro for the gyro and 3 euro for the wine for my wife. We sat down and he explained that if I wanted to share wine, we could get the 4 glasses of wine for less than the cost of 2 glassed individually. He could tell I was a skeptical American, and said “Look, I’m working for you, not against you, let me prove it” and bought over a menu where he showed me the prices.

 

Anyway, to make a long story short, he was honest, the food was awesome, we got a fantastic gyro sandwich for 2 euro and 4.50 euro half liter of great house white wine and a basket of delicious bread all for less than the cost of a “Gyro Plate” on the main drag and enjoyed an hour lunch while people watching on a beautiful 75 F degree day.

 

It had a very nice feel and local flavor. There was no blaring music. There was no crush of the masses crowding by (you will see what I mean when you get to Souvlaki Row). We were surrounded by Greeks, not tourists. We noted when using the restrooms that there was excellent dining inside as well. A bustling place full of Greek residents (on this holiday Sunday at 1 p.m.). We felt like we had a real taste of Greece and Greek food with real people, and we were just a half block off tourist-packed hard-hustling Souvlaki Row.

 

Rick Steves’ says they “offer lesser value” than Thanasis or Savas, but we found just the opposite – and we shopped it. We challenge you or Rick to find a sit-down Souvlaki or Gyro sandwich for only 2 euro.

 

The English name is Strathmos Bairaktari Café Resturant, 63Mitropoleos,Dimopratirious Square.

The sign in Greek with Greek letters is: Etaomoe Mhaipaktaph

 

During our day, we listened to Rick Steves' free audio tour app to guide us through the Acropolis. We also visited the Ancient Agora (and its excellent museum) the Roman Agora, Hadrian's Arch, Hadrian's Library, the Temple of Zeus, the flea market, Ermou Street, the Platka, Souvlaki Row (twice!) and a heap of cool churches all guided by Rick Steves books and audio. We were back at the ship comfortably with an hour to spare at 4 p.m. and I was typing this review by 5 p.m. from our balcony as the ship pulled out of Athens harbor.

 

Thanks Rick and Puablo!

 

By Terry Hunefeld, San Diego

[Lady Anna & Sir Troy]

Hi -

 

Thank you so much for the lovely review! I have reading Rick Steves Med Cruise Ports - Athens for the last two days and your review was the perfect Compendium to that. I especially appreciate the recommendation for the lunch restaurant with the cheap euro - that will be one of the highlights of my husband's day!!

 

I'm curious, when you say the Old Town Walk, do you mean the Athens City Walk? It looks like it would take more than two hours, but they don't count the time to see Agora and Acropolis in it. Did you see Agora after you made the circle?

 

Again, thanks so much!

 

L.A.S.T. :)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the DIY review.

[puablo]

You're so right about the pushy guys on souvlaki row. They were all pretty nice but I was turned off by the 13 euro souvlaki plates, I was expecting food stands, not restaurants. Finally I found the gyro window at Monastiraki Sq. and then had an idea - walked into one of the restaurants and asked the first person I found if they had takeout. The result was the best souvlaki I've ever had... for 2 euro!

[BeachBum1007]

What an awesome review! Thank you so much for posting this. We will be on the Spirit in July :)

[dgce]

That's great to know! I have been reading up on taking the Metro into the Acropolis and the Parthenon, etc.

 

How much time should I plan to get to the ship?

[Azure Moon]

Thank you so much for passing along the tips you read about and the tips from your own experiences.

 

With information from Rick Steves, you, and paublo, my husband and I think we will try doing Athens on our own.

[Jasjas]

Although we have never been to Athens, I have just been convinced to do it on my own due to your excellent post...thanx

[paul929207]

Although we have never been to Athens, I have just been convinced to do it on my own due to your excellent post...thanx

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Be sure to get Rick Steves' book or another good guide book.