Greek National Tourism Organisation Dionysiou Areopagitou Street 18-20 GR-11521 Athens

Tel. +30 210 331 0392 Fax +30 210 331 0640

Upon leaving for the islands, nobody wants to linger in the Greek capital, a sprawling and polluted city. Yet Athens and Piraeus are not without assets!

While waiting for your ferry, or to cut the trip after long hours of plane or boat, a small city tour may be a nice interlude!

Athens is relatively far from Piraeus but the metro will take you there fast enough. M1 line (station near E6 gate of Piraeus Port) will take you to Monastiraki station, a station away (with the M3 line) from Syntagma, the Constitution Square, in front of the Parliament.

You are now at the center of the city, near the hill of the Acropolis, the National Garden and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Lots of our photos were shot there, there is a lot to see in a relatively small area.

Piraeus doesn't have anything of a fishing port anymore, it is a big hideous city. Guides and tourists will not recommend you to visit it, but it's quite fascinating with its huge port and its sad streets leading to small quiet parks and lively pedestrian areas...

Piraeus is the perfect place to spend the night while waiting for your morning ferry: some hotels are close to the docks, you can walk there in 10-15min without worrying about taxis and traffic jams.

Some will tell you it's difficult to find restaurants. Do not go to the docks, go the other way. There are some areas within walking range where you'll find good restaurants.

And as you stroll around the harbor, pay a visit to the nearby market, just to dive into authentic Greece...