[Travel] Holiday suggestions Marrakesh or Athens.....

swindonseagull · Apr 2, 2018

Was recently thinking about Santorini but have now spread the net further..... any comments about Marrakesh, Morrocco or Athens ?

good, bad or indifferent please.

Not interested in beaches, British Airways has some good deals ATM

Thunder Bolt · Apr 2, 2018

I love Athens and have friends who live there. There are demonstrations in the main Syntagma Square occasionally which it would be wise to avoid, but there's plenty of other places to visit.
Food is good, cheap but steer away from the main tourist restaurants.

Thunder Bolt · Apr 2, 2018

If you want to stay in the posher part of Athens, Glyfada is very good. You can buy a travel pass which will get you onto any tram, bus or tube train.

swindonseagull · Apr 2, 2018

Thunder Bolt said:
I love Athens and have friends who live there. There are demonstrations in the main Syntagma Square occasionally which it would be wise to avoid, but there's plenty of other places to visit.
Food is good, cheap but steer away from the main tourist restaurants.

Athens is getting my vote at the moment because of food/ sights..... how much is an average drink ?

Just come back from Koln and a pint ( sorry 0.5l) of weiss beer was 7 euros ( 9 in the hotel) even Calais was 6 euros!!

Lurchy · Apr 2, 2018

swindonseagull said:
Athens is getting my vote at the moment because of food/ sights..... how much is an average drink ?

Got back from Athens a few days ago, and most places were selling a pint of Mythos for 5 euros.

astralavi · Apr 2, 2018

For a nice day trip, take a coach (3hrs) From Athens to Delphi - for lovely views and history/monuments

Cowfold Seagull · Apr 2, 2018

Thunder Bolt said:
I love Athens and have friends who live there. There are demonstrations in the main Syntagma Square occasionally which it would be wise to avoid, but there's plenty of other places to visit.
Food is good, cheap but steer away from the main tourist restaurants.

This. Plus of course Athens is also very close to several lovely islands in the Saronic Gulf, a few of them, such as Aegina, Hydra, and Spetses are accessible from Piraeus, (the port for Athens), on a day trip. Ferry fares are very cheap and it makes for a great day out.

swindonseagull · Apr 2, 2018

Thunder Bolt said:
If you want to stay in the posher part of Athens, Glyfada is very good. You can buy a travel pass which will get you onto any tram, bus or tube train.

Looking at Acropolis Hotel, ever heard of it?
https://www.acropolishill.gr/

Notters · Apr 2, 2018

Lurchy said:
Got back from Athens a few days ago, and most places were selling a pint of Mythos for 5 euros.

Sounds incredibly expensive?!

sir albion · Apr 2, 2018

Since the bloody euro it's become a rip off in these countries.....I really feel for the locals who wearnt used to these hideous prices.

Rabeen · Apr 2, 2018

Athens is great fun - especially if you are adventurous and are happy to go to places away from the classic tourist areas (other than sight seeing). It's more expensive since the Euro but that's true of most single currency places.

Airbnb has some gems in the suburbs if you are happy to jump on the excellent metro back into the city.

My friends live in Argypoypoli and it's an excellent spot for proper Greek food that locals enjoy - we stayed in a lovely apartment nearby back in February half term for £45 per night. Glyfada is really nice too.

I've not stayed at the Acropolis Hill hotel but pre-Airbnb have stayed at the Royal Olympic which was great first time then meh the second. Other hotel stay was at the Herodion which was fine but Airbnb offers much better value IMHO.

If you go, have a great time.

crookie · Apr 2, 2018

swindonseagull said:
Looking at Acropolis Hotel, ever heard of it?
https://www.acropolishill.gr/

Sure it was where I stayed with my daughter a couple of years ago when we were in Athens. Good location, close to the Acropolis, but if you aren't keen on climbing steps I wouldn't stay here as you are at the top of a hill !! Fairly quiet area, though but short walk to plenty of nice restaurants. Room was nice with balcony and had great views down over the city. Tiny pool, and only a few sunbeds, but we were usually out most of the day so didn't really matter. Delphi was fantastic for a day trip

Birdie Boy · Apr 2, 2018

Guaranteed Sun in Marrakech, it only rains between November and January. I haven't been to Athens so I would choose there but Marrakech was good for family and couples. I went with my older children so not so good when stuck out in middle of nowhere in an A/I. The market was amazing and an absolute rabbit warren. Go on a Saturday, it is very busy in a good way. Friday dead due to their Sabbath.

Cheshire Cat · Apr 2, 2018

Athens is hideous, especially when it gets very hot. Get a ferry to the islands (but not the mainstream tourist traps). Or try somewhere different like Thessalonika.

Raleigh Chopper · Apr 2, 2018

Cowfold Seagull said:
This. Plus of course Athens is also very close to several lovely islands in the Saronic Gulf, a few of them, such as Aegina, Hydra, and Spetses are accessible from Piraeus, (the port for Athens), on a day trip. Ferry fares are very cheap and it makes for a great day out.

Exactly what I was going to post.
I would certainly mix Athens with an island.
Those Saronic Islands are extremely expensive though, especially Spetses, which is a playground for the very rich.
I used to holiday on the Greek Islands every year when I was younger and island hopped for a whole summer in the 80's.
£250 worth of Drachmas would easily last for a 2 week holiday, now if you go clubbing you could do that in 2 days, extraordinary.
The euro has ruined the drachma cash loving, no tax paying Greeks, when they got the Euro I knew financially it would send Greece down the tubes. Having known and worked for many Greeks and the way they went about their business financially, once the EU poked their nose in to how the country ticked (banks, government, tax etc) for decades,it was always a disaster waiting to happen.

Rodney Thomas · Apr 2, 2018

Thunder Bolt said:
If you want to stay in the posher part of Athens, Glyfada is very good. You can buy a travel pass which will get you onto any tram, bus or tube train.

I would disagree with this. If you want posher then stay in Kolonaki.

Mr Banana · Apr 2, 2018

Athens, then an island for a few days :thumbsup:

Thunder Bolt · Apr 2, 2018

swindonseagull said:
Looking at Acropolis Hotel, ever heard of it?
https://www.acropolishill.gr/

No, sorry but looks ok on Trip Advisor.

Raleigh Chopper · Apr 2, 2018

If you previously had Santorini in mind you could still go by mixing Athens with Santorini.
A long way on the ferry but easy to fly there from Athens.
Santorini is well worth seeing but not for a week so to mix the two would be perfect.

Thunder Bolt · Apr 2, 2018

Cowfold Seagull said:
This. Plus of course Athens is also very close to several lovely islands in the Saronic Gulf, a few of them, such as Aegina, Hydra, and Spetses are accessible from Piraeus, (the port for Athens), on a day trip. Ferry fares are very cheap and it makes for a great day out.

Aegina & Hydra are lovely.

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[Travel] Holiday suggestions Marrakesh or Athens.....

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