Coming to Athens should be a fun experience, so here are some things not to do while you’re here. These tips will help you make the most of your trip, stay safe, and fit in a little bit more while you’re here.
Don’t rent a car
The first thing is don’t rent a car when you’re coming to Athens. You will be able to walk to all of the sites that you want to see. We also have really great public transportation here, including metros and buses. The other thing is driving here can be a little bit crazy; the drivers are very used to being very aggressive, and parking is also very difficult. So just save yourself distress and don’t rent a car. If you are going to go somewhere in which you want to drive, rent the car when you’re leaving Athens.
Don’t call the Parthenon the Acropolis
Number 2: don’t call the Parthenon the Acropolis. I know that a lot of us say, “I want to go see the Acropolis,” but the Acropolis is actually the hill that the Parthenon sits on. So when you’re looking at it, you’re going to see this beautiful building, and that is the part on the hill that it’s sitting on, along with all the other buildings on that hill goes the Acropolis hill.
Don’t be inflexible
Number 3: Don’t be inflexible. That sounds harder than it really is. Greece is sort of known for being very flexible, and I say that because sometimes strikes happen, and sometimes they affect public transportation. So if the metro is closed, for example, you can take a taxi. Sometimes, occasionally, very rarely, I think of the one time that I have lived here, the workers at the archaeological sites have gone on strike. So you just need to plan to do something else that day; maybe that’s the day that you hit the beach.
Do not leave your cellphone out on a table
Number 4: Do not leave your cellphone out on a table. If you’re sitting outside and dining, there’s a common scam here where people will come up to your table, put something like a piece of paper or cardboard in front of your phone, asking you to donate money to them or that they’re trying to sell you something. And what they’re actually trying to do is steal your phone. So your phone needs to be put away, either in your front pocket or in a bag.
Don’t assume that everything will be open all the time
Number 5, don’t assume that everything will be open all the time. Greece is still a very religious country, so on Sundays, lots of things will be closed. Not necessarily the archaeological sites and museums and restaurants; those will still be open, but things like stores and supermarkets are not going to be open on Sundays. If you’re coming in the off-season, sometimes the archaeological sites and museums will close a little bit early, so make sure you check those opening times on their websites.
Don’t flush toilet paper
Number 6, and probably the one people freak out about the most and the one I hate talking about the most, is no flushing toilet paper here. This also applies in Athens as well. On the islands, there are a few newer buildings here in Athens will now tell you it’s okay, but for the most part, you cannot flush toilet paper here in Athens. You will probably be assigned in your hotel and any restaurant you dine in. And yes, I know this sounds awful, but there’s a little bin next to the toilet for you to put it there. Don’t worry about it; it’s totally normal here.
Don’t book an airbnb
Number 7: This might be controversial to some people, but my advice ultimately is that you should not book an Airbnb if this is your first time coming to Greece. And that is because a lot of the Airbnb hosts are very hands-off. They don’t greet you to check-in, and they might have some information for you in the apartment, but they’re not available all the time. Most people that I’ve rented to here that are running European news or working Greeks, so they’re at work, and they can’t necessarily be looking at the Airbnb app to see what you might need. Now, some of them will; some of them will be just like being in a hotel. But it’s going to be hard to determine that before you get here. You can look at reviews and see what they say; you can send them a message and see. But I’d say for your first visit, you should definitely try to book a hotel rather than an Airbnb.
Ladies, do not wear high heels in Athens
Number 8: Ladies, do not wear high heels in Athens. The streets are very uneven, the sidewalks are uneven, and sometimes non-existent, and a lot of the streets and sidewalks are made of marble, and they’re very slippery, even more so when they’re wet. And also, if you go to the Acropolis or a lot of the archaeological sites, they are not allowed. I don’t know what they would do to you if they saw you wearing them; I don’t know if they’d stop you and make you leave. I haven’t really heard this happening, but don’t take the chance. Just wear some nice flat sandals; it’s totally nice. I don’t even see Athenian women wearing high heels here very often.
Don’t do this in church
Number 9: Do not wear revealing clothing when you’re visiting a church or monastery here in Athens. This applies to both men and women. You’re going to want to make sure that your shoulders and/or your knees are covered. So, like, this T-shirt would be OK, and I’m currently wearing these fairly short shorts, so I probably wouldn’t go in if I was wearing these in Athens. I find they’re a little bit more understanding if women wear shorts, as long as they are not too short. If you want to feel more comfortable with us and know that you’re going to be visiting a place that you’re like when you’re covered more, bring like a big scarf or a sarong to put over your shorts. I would say as long as it’s one or the other, and like if you’re wearing a tank top, just make sure it’s not like super spaghetti straps or something. So just be mindful of your clothing when you’re entering a church here in Athens.
Don’t forget to tip
Number 10: Don’t forget to tip. I know that a lot of people are conditioned to think that there isn’t a tip here in Greece or in some places in Europe. That’s not the case here in Greece. Tipping when you’re eating at a sit-down meal at a restaurant, it is customary to tip about 10%. It is preferable that you leave the tip in cash because usually, the machines don’t have a way for them to add a tip, since it’s not as big of a deal here if you don’t tip. So there isn’t a line for that says tip on the credit card machine. If you want to add a tip to the credit card, you need to tell them that you want to add it. However, they’re more likely to get it if you just leave them over a few coins on the table.
Of course, there are probably other things that I might not be thinking of that you shouldn’t do while you’re here in Athens. And if you’ve been here before and you want to share with the rest of us what you think your do’s and don’ts are, please leave them in the comments below so others can benefit from your knowledge. Thanks so much for reading , guys, and I’ll see you in the next blog.
