Greece - Korina Miller [67]
Other bars lure intoxicated males with talk of sex and present them with outrageous bills.
TAXI TOUTS
Some taxi drivers work in league with overpriced, low-grade hotels around Omonia, though it’s not widespread. The scam involves taxi drivers picking up late-night arrivals and persuading them that the hotel they want to go to is full – even if they have a booking. The taxi driver will pretend to phone the hotel, announce that it’s full and suggest an alternative. Ask to speak to the hotel yourself, or simply insist on going to your hotel.
TRAVEL AGENTS
Some travel agents in the Plaka/Syntagma area employ touts to promote ‘cheap’ packages to the islands. These touts hang out at the bus and metro stops, hoping to find naive new arrivals, take them back to the agency and pressure them into buying outrageously overpriced packages. You will always be able to negotiate a better deal when you get to the island of your choice. If you are worried that everywhere will be full, select a place from the pages of this guide and make your own booking.
Slippery Surfaces
Many of Athens’ pavements and other surfaces underfoot are made of marble and can become incredibly slippery, especially when wet, so tread carefully and wear sensible shoes.
Adulterated Drinks
Some bars and clubs in Athens serve what are locally known as bombes, adulterated drinks that have been diluted with cheap illegal imports or methanol-based spirit substitutes. They can leave you feeling decidedly worse for wear the next day. To avoid the risk, drink beer and other alcoholic drinks that are bottled, ensure that you ask for a drink with a distinctive taste or name your brand.
Taxi Drive rs
Athenian taxi drivers have an awful reputation and it is certainly not entirely undeserved – most locals and tourists alike will have horror rip-off stories to report. While the standards of the city’s taxis and their drivers’ manners have improved dramatically overall, it can still be a bit of a toss-up whether you get polite, efficient and honest service or one of the nasty ones. Beware: the friendly ones can be the worst offenders.
Most (but not all) rip-offs involve taxis picked up late at night from the ranks at the airport, train stations, bus terminals and particularly the port of Piraeus. Some drivers don’t like to bother with the meter and demand whatever they think they can get away with – and refuse to take you if you insist on using the meter. Only negotiate a set fare if you have some idea of the cost; you are better off getting the driver’s details to report them to the tourist police, then finding another taxi. At Piraeus, avoid the drivers at the port exit asking if you need a taxi – it’s better to hail one off the street further away.
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ATHENS IN…
Two Days
Start by climbing the glorious Acropolis, winding down through the Ancient Agora. Stop at a cafe along Adrianou before exploring Plaka and the Monastiraki flea market. Head to the new Acropolis Museum for lunch and the Parthenon masterpieces. Amble around the grand promenade, then up to Filopappou Hill and the cafes of Thisio, before dinner at a restaurant with an Acropolis view.
On day two, watch the changing of the guard at Syntagma before heading through the gardens to the Panathenaic Stadium and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Take a trolleybus to the National Archaeological Museum and spend the afternoon exploring downtown Athens or revisiting Plaka. Catch a show at the historic Odeon of Herodes Atticus, or head to Gazi for dinner and nightlife.
Four Days
If you’ve got a couple more days, you can add the following activities to your itinerary.
On the third day, head to the Benaki Museum and nearby Byzantine & Christian Museum before lunch and shopping in Kolonaki. Take the teleferik (funicular railway) up to