Advice on disembarkation at Athens - Piraeus

[caviarforme]

We will be disembarking Piraeus on a Sunday at the end of our next SB cruise and have a flight from Athens airport (ATH) at 4.00pm. Whilst SB have organised our flights and will therefore provide transfers to the airport, we fear we will be put on an advertised SB tours/transfers that departs 7.30am or 8.00am (which is far to early for us), include various sights we have visited before and state that include stairs, slopes rough ground and much walking (both deemed unsuitable for those with limited mobility (that's us!) despite one being classed as "easy").

 

We will discuss with SB but need a plan "B". Any suggestions/recommendations for a Sunday morning in Athens for a couple who have done the sights before, nothing strenuous, disembarking around Piraeus 9.30am'ish and getting to the airport by 1.00/1.30pm'ish?

[marazul]

On 5/1/2024 at 4:01 AM, caviarforme said:

We will be disembarking Piraeus on a Sunday at the end of our next SB cruise and have a flight from Athens airport (ATH) at 4.00pm. Whilst SB have organised our flights and will therefore provide transfers to the airport, we fear we will be put on an advertised SB tours/transfers that departs 7.30am or 8.00am (which is far to early for us), include various sights we have visited before and state that include stairs, slopes rough ground and much walking (both deemed unsuitable for those with limited mobility (that's us!) despite one being classed as "easy").

 

We will discuss with SB but need a plan "B". Any suggestions/recommendations for a Sunday morning in Athens for a couple who have done the sights before, nothing strenuous, disembarking around Piraeus 9.30am'ish and getting to the airport by 1.00/1.30pm'ish?

You could book a transfer with georgestaxi.com and have them drive you to Sounion and then to the airport.  You can include lunch at a beach taverna. Four hours are plenty of time for all of that.

[fdnycruiser]

I was going to recommend the same marazal. Have always used George’s Taxi. 

[galeforce9]

Does anyone know whether, for flight ease flights after a certain time from Athens, Seabourn provide a lunch in a hotel somewhere?  We’ve had this elsewhere but sometimes the cut off for applicable flights differs, so does anyone recall the cut off time if they do please?

[marazul]

22 minutes ago, fdnycruiser said:

I was going to recommend the same marazal. Have always used George’s Taxi. 

Great minds ... 😁

[galeforce9]

1 hour ago, marazul said:

You could book a transfer with georgestaxi.com and have them drive you to Sounion and then to the airport.  You can include lunch at a beach taverna. Four hours are plenty of time for all of that.

Sounian as in the archaeological site? 

[marazul]

13 minutes ago, galeforce9 said:

Sounian as in the archaeological site? 

Yes, Sounion. A beautiful temple in a gorgeous setting by the sea. Not much else there, but there are beaches and tavernas on the way. 

If you are still allowed in the ruins, you can see Lord Byron's graffiti carved on a column.  It is also the place where Aegeus jumped into the sea which was named after him.

 

The last time we were there we were actually staying at the airport Sofitel. We had arrived in the afternoon and had a very early morning flight to the islands. We had George's pick us up, go to Sounion, had dinner by the beach,  watched the sunset and back to the hotel.

Edited May 3 by marazul

[galeforce9]

9 minutes ago, marazul said:

Yes, Sounion. A beautiful temple in a gorgeous setting by the sea. Not much else there, but there are beaches and tavernas on the way. 

If you are still allowed in the ruins, you can see Lord Byron's graffiti carved on a column.  It is also the place where Aegeus jumped into the sea which was named after him.

It sounds amazing. I will definitely do this.  3.20pm flight and have been to and stayed in Athens so many times during or before cruises but never been to Sounion.  

[Hlitner]

Plan "B" can simply be to grab a taxi (there are usually some available at the port) to the airport at your chosen time.  When it comes to Sunday mornings/afternoons in Athens, our goto place is the huge Sunday flea market located in Monstiraki.  If you wanted to do this, DIY, you could arrange, online, to hire a car/driver and pay to have that driver wait for you while you explore the expansive outdoor market area (this covers an entire neighborhood).  

 

As to Sounion, it is a pleasant drive (we have done it with rental cars) although, IMHO, there is not a lot to offer other than the decent views from Sounion.  While the Temple of Poseidon is OK, it pales by comparison to the ruins that are within the city of Athens.

 

Hank