Where to live in Athens?

I get asked this question often. Couldn’t I personally recommend something? When you start googling with the big search engines, you quickly lose the forest for the trees… I have listed my absolute top hotels for you here.

I definitely advise you to go into town!

Athens is a fantastic metropolis where you can eat delicious food and stroll around.

You will find everything, modern shops right next to ancient sites, small bazaars with an Arabic flair, the famous Monastiraki flea market and Plaka, the winding old town. Don’t even get me started on the Acropolis and the ancient Roman market. Read my tips for a successful stay in Athens.

From Athens Airport there is a direct bus X95 with the final stop at Syntagma Square. It is just as easy to take the metro to Monastiraki Square into the heart of the city. The journey takes exactly 45 minutes without changing and you have a train every half hour. If you want to continue traveling by ship the next day, you can also take the connecting train to Piraeus from Monastiraki train station. This trip only takes 20 minutes and you are directly at the ship port.

To avoid having to lug your luggage into the city, be sure to only take an overnight bag with you, because who wants to lug a heavy suitcase from the bus/metro to the hotel? There is a baggage claim in the airport. When you come out of customs clearance, it’s at the back left of the entrance hall. I have put together all the useful tips on the “From the airport to the city” page.

360 Degrees Hotel

Located in the heart of Athens, right on Monastiraki Square, in the middle of the flea market of the same name. But the absolute highlight of the 360 Degrees, I want to emphasize right away, is the cocktail bar on the roof with panoramic views of the city and the Acropolis.

Even though I don’t live at 360 Degrees (unfortunately it’s beyond my wallet’s capacity), I drink my Freddo cappucchino here every time I visit Athens. The cafeteria bar is open in the morning and accessible to the public. I sat comfortably in the shade of an olive tree (you read that right, on the roof terrace!) overlooking the hustle and bustle of the square in front of the stunning panorama of the Acropolis. Priceless!

The 360 Degrees has a modern industrial design. The simple neutral colors of the rooms provide a refreshing, calming atmosphere in contrast to the constant hustle and bustle that surrounds the center of the city. Nevertheless, the rooms are quiet and comfortable, some even with partial views of the Acropolis.

Another plus point is of course the central location. The subway takes you from the airport directly to the hotel door. All the important archaeological sites are located around the hotel. You can easily reach it on foot, as can the famous shopping street Ermou or the old town Plaka.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

Athens Cypria Hotel

If you would like to see and experience Athens, I can recommend a small hotel right in the center, 300m from Syntagma Square, in a side street of Ermou, the most important shopping street in Athens.

The path to Plaka is a pedestrian zone and takes barely 10 minutes, a stone’s throw. The Acropolis and museum too! The little train also stops at Syntagma Square (it’s brilliant, even for adults!!! I once did it with my son Konstantin, really fun!) and the double-decker bus, so you can take a tour of all the sights in the center with one ticket and get in and out wherever you want. It’s worth it, you don’t have to look long. Or you can take the metro directly to the museum. It couldn’t be more central!

The hotel is quietly located near Syntagma Square, in the pedestrian zone on a side street of Ermou Street (the so-called Bahnhofstrasse in Athens). From the upper rooms you can see the illuminated Acropolis at night. The Plaka is very close with cozy little taverns and the Ermou is a lovely place to stroll.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

Hotel Plaka

Small but nice in the middle of the Plaka of the old town of Athens. It is a 5-minute walk from Syntagma Square and 2 blocks from Monastiraki Metro Station. And again such a great roof terrace with a view of the Acropolis!

Most rooms have balconies with views of the Acropolis, the Plaka district or the city’s Mount Lycabettus.

Rich, American breakfast buffet and friendly staff at the reception who will be happy to inform you about restaurants, excursions and transport.

Plaka Hotel is an ideal base for exploring the Acropolis, the Archaeological Museum, the Monastiraki flea market and the Ermou shopping area.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

A for Athens

The A for Athens is new and is located directly opposite the Monastiraki metro station in Monastiraki Square. Just like 360 Degrees, it has a rooftop bar with stunning views of the Acropolis. You can tell I have a thing for roof terraces! There is coffee and snacks during the day, and cocktails in the bar in the evening until the early hours of the morning. This roof terrace is also open to the public.

Breakfast is of course served on the panoramic terrace with a view of the Acropolis. And since A for Athens is directly opposite the Acropolis, there are bright, stylish rooms with stunning views of the city or even directly onto the Acropolis.

The hotel is located in the trendy Psirri district. Definitely worth a walk in the evening! I go every time because I love the small ouzerias and traditional taverns in tastefully renovated new-classic old buildings. Monastiraki and the old town Plaka, all in close proximity. A for Athens is located in the heart of the historic center.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

Hera Hotel with underground parking

The Hera Hotel was recommended to me by Klaus. It is located near the Acropolis metro station at the foot of the Acropolis hill. The Acropolis and Plaka are within walking distance. But the deciding factor for me to include it on this list was: it has an underground car park! So ideal for travelers with a car. It has a lift, so it is also wheelchair accessible. And it also has a rooftop terrace with Acropolis views.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

Attalos Hotel

I recommend Attalos, where I always stayed in the eighties. And during my last stay, the hotel manager really wanted to greet me personally because he had finally figured out that I had been coming since time immemorial and that he had also lived near my hometown for a long time, as a guest worker. The Attalos is wonderfully untouristy, also has a wonderful roof terrace with a view of the Acropolis and is good value for money. In Athina Street, near Monastiraki and the traditional meat and fish market, which is well worth seeing.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

Phidias Hotel in Piraeus

Newly renovated, cheap, located next to the ferry port and right in the center of Piraeus. There are small coffee houses and taverns all around. The hotel offers free transfer to the port, metro or airport bus X96. If you are traveling by car, you can rent a private parking space in the immediate vicinity.

Further information and price information via Booking.com

The practical paperback city guide from DuMont direct travel guide Athens. With the 15 “direct chapters” of the travel guide by Klaus Bötig and Elisa Hübel, you can mingle casually with the Athenians, immerse yourself directly in city life and get to know the highlights and hotspots: old and new trendy districts, the hustle and bustle in the old town district of Pláka or everyday life in the market district, green and young Athens, exciting museums and archaeological sites.

If your focus is on art history, I recommend the DuMont art travel guide to mainland Greece. The Greek mainland with its wealth of archaeological and art-historical sights – including legendary sightseeing destinations such as the Acropolis of Athens, the stadium and temple district of Delphi or the Meteora monasteries. Factually sound, extremely informative and clearly written, this art travel guide is a “must” for every culturally, politically and historically interested visitor to Greece.

Or you can continue browsing at your leisure here: Athens city guide

The author’s insider tips let you experience Athens individually and authentically, and the low-budget tips will save you money. Explore Athens in all its facets with the tailor-made MARCO POLO adventure tours. The specially developed design ensures the greatest possible orientation – even when reading and even more so on site.

This current City Trip Athens city guide is the ideal companion for discovering all sides of the Greek capital independently: the city’s most important sights and museums as well as lesser-known attractions and districts are presented and evaluated in detail. Fascinating insights into a city between antiquity and modernity. Varied city walks around the Acropolis and through the new town. Experience suggestions for a short trip.

111 must-see places in Athens! Another city could collapse under the weight of the cultural burden. But Athens is carried away. History is everywhere, yet the city has developed a thriving, edgy, diverse, colorful lifestyle that is unique. This city guide impresses with its stunning photos! You’ve never seen Athens like this! Makes you want to go out and discover!