To ask where you'd stay in Athens (and if it really is as scary as San Francisco in terms of street chaos)

[valianttortoise]

Have heard a few scare stories but determined to give it a go and I know some people love it

What street chaos? Not scary at all. I have done solo trips there and stayd at the Novotel one time and an AirBNB another time

I would stay in Plaka. It’s touristy as hell and you need to avoid all the restaurant touts, but it’s pretty and characterful (much of the city is modern and grey) and right by the Acropolis.

I have been told there are a lot of stray dogs, distressed mentally ill homeless people and bad sewerage

But I have also been told it's gorgeous, passionate, real and exciting with awesome food

Tbh I'm really looking forward to it although want to plan sensibly (am scared of dogs)

We came back about a month ago and had a fabulous time with none of the scary experiences you describe. It’s a beautiful, friendly and very reasonably priced city! We stayed at the Living Stone Boutique Hotel and it was honestly perfect for us (2A+2C)

enjoy!

Street chaos?

I didn’t see any. We went Feb last year.

Love Athens.

One of the best hols I've ever been on.

If you want a capital city without homelessness, drugs and litter you'll be looking a long time.

Well, I didn't notice any of these.
But I travel alone in India, so I have a high tolerance for chaos.

Athens isn't a very pretty city compared to the rest of Greece, but it has great museums, sights and day trips. Don't miss Delphi or Epidaurus.

Not sure who is telling you that it's scary or that you need to be careful but they maybe aren't the best people to be getting travel advice from! Athens is a great city - one of my favourites up there with Naples and New York in terms of feeling "real" and interesting.

As another poster says, homelessness, chaos and litter are part and parcel of a big city - wherever you are in the world.

And I don't remember seeing any stray dogs?! (and believe me, I am a huge dog person so always on alert for a cute dog 😂)

We stayed here if you wanted a hotel recommendation. It was absolutely gorgeous.

The Monument Hotel - Athens

I don't know why this link didn't work in my last post!

It's a noisy modern city with a fair amount of poverty but no worse than anywhere else. The sewer system is different from Britain - you put lavatory paper in a bin rather than flushing it but it seems to work perfectly well

Plaka is manicured and touristy.

We stayed in Psirri which is supposed to be 'edgy'. It was not remotely edgy and was a great place to stay if you don't want that 'done for the tourists' look. Athenians like to stay out late (don't bother going to dinner before 9pm) so there will be street noise.

Bear in mind they have a different attitude to graffiti and its presence does not mean you are somewhere run down or unsafe.

If you go to Greece you have to accept not flushing your toilet paper, it's surprising how quickly your brain is OK with this. You also have to be OK with street cats and dogs - don't recall dogs in Athens but they are everywhere else. They don't bother you.

I went there three years ago. No different to any other big European city. And none of the homeless encampments I saw in LA last year

I went a few years ago it was amazing the people the places and the food.there was loads of dogs but the dogs are monitored and taken care of each block had their own Dogs who are fed and watered by everyone.the homeless you do see but they where all friendly as far as I know they are looked after too by the state too.id go back tomorrow!also the pharmacy’s are everywhere and the pharmacists are actually doctors who can write to scrips there and then my dad needed something and the man couldn’t have been more helpful.we stayed in the centre of athans have a lovely time

Well it’s definitely not the city it was.. But most places in Europe have changed significantly in the last 30years.

So go with that in mind. Plaka is the best area to stay.

The Parthenon.

Quite old but I believe they've just finished some work on it

Athens is amazing, however those people who didn’t see any of the “chaos” must have stayed in the most touristy areas. There are streets, especially more north of the city centre, which are derelict, empty, graffitied, and there are obvious drugs going on (people openly injecting themselves in the street, needles left about) However none of them caused any issues, approached us, asked for money, nothing. Our hotel was great, and we did walk nearly everywhere, but my son was an older teen. I wouldn’t stay in the same area again, I’d definitely stay more touristy, but our hotel was lovely itself and very safe.

Not scary at all - you are reading the wrong stuff, if you think it's full of sewage etc etc.
It's the cradle of civilisation, FFS.
Stay in Plaka, or near the new(ish) Archeological Museum, and then you can walk everywhere.

Loved Athens. Stayed in Plaka two years ago. It was great! But I am a Londoner so maybe I don’t notice the bad stuff ;-)

People talk absolute horseshit. Athens is fine and has almost zero in common with any American city.

Every capital city has its dark side tbf. When we went stayed in Monastiraki. Loved mooching round Plaka and it was freezing as February. But few tourists and the Parthenon was deserted. This was before the financial crash and the refugee crisis but am sure it’ll be fabulous. The Greeks are fiercely proud of their heritage-just lean into that and you’ll find it an amazing experience.

I’m not sure what you’ve been told about street chaos but that wasn’t my experience at all. That’s on foot mind you, I think you’d have to be brave or stupid to try to drive in the centre of Athens.

Oh no I thought the toilet paper thing was just on the islands!!!!! :(

We stayed this summer in Exarchia which is a studenty area about 25 mins walk from the centre - or a fairly short bus ride. There were nice restaurants and cafes and people were generally friendly. There was quite a bit of anti tourist graffiti but people weren’t unfriendly. We saw a few people on the streets who were clearly drug users but they were pretty isolated examples. It didn’t feel unsafe walking around even at night.
Would definitely recommend for a city break - there’s lots to see and we ate some lovely food.

I live in Athens and don’t think I’ve ever seen a stray dog in the city 😅😅

Don't waste your money its horrid there.