Guide to Budget Traveling Athens

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Traveling to big cities does not always need to break the bank. Being Greece’s capital city, Athens has so many amazing things to offer. Whether you’re a history addict, a salt water lover, or a party-all-nighter, you will definitely find a good time in Athens. It is known as being one of the cheapest cities in Europe, making it a great budget-friendly destination! Here are some of my suggestions for having an amazing trip without emptying your wallet in Athens.

Getting There

The best way to find the cheapest flights anywhere is SkyScanner. If you are able to be flexible with your travel dates or locations, you can find lots of incredibly cheap flights. My flight from New Orleans to Athens was $324, which is cheaper than flying almost anywhere within the US! Europe also offers a variety of budget airlines, like Ryan Air, Wizz Air, Norwegian Airlines, and others if you prefer checking the airline websites specifically.

Kayak.com is also a great travel resource to find cheap flights. The best feature is the advice tab. It tells you if you should book now or wait for the prices to drop depending on past trends. They even tell you how confident they are in their prediction!

Getting Around

The metro is definitely the cheapest and best way to get around and it takes you to almost anywhere you would need to go in Athens. Getting a 90-minute ticket costs only 1.40€. If you know you will be using the metro a fair few amount of times during your time in Athens, it will probably be beneficial to get either the five or ten ride pass. This will ultimately save you about 1€, which obviously isn’t much, but hey, those small amounts can add up especially if you’re traveling on a budget! If you’re in the city for more than a few days, it also might be best to get the 5-day pass for 9€.

If you are coming from the airport and you only have a few days in the city, the 72-hour pass will be your best budget-friendly option. It is 22€, which includes a round-trip ticket from the airport to the city center (10€ one-way when purchased separately), and unlimited uses during the 72 hours from when you first activate it. This is definitely the way to go if your time is limited in the city! Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which pass will be the most cost-effective for your trip!

Athens also offers public buses that serve the city center and suburbs. Operating hours depend on the line and time of year, but they generally run from 5:00am until midnight, with a few lines running 24 hours. Train tickets can be purchased in the same way as metro tickets, at the kiosks inside the metro stations.

Another option for travelling around (and definitely my favorite way) is to make friends with a local who owns a motorbike! They’ll be sure to take you around town and it’s by far the most fun way to get around town! And you’ll totally look like a local too! So it’s a win-win-win-win kinda situation!

Where to Stay

There are accommodations for every budget in Athens. If you are on a crazy tight budget (which is usually where I stand on the spectrum), then try CouchSurfing. CouchSurfing is a community of travelers helping out other travelers, providing them with free accommodations. It’s free to join and you can send up to ten messages in a seven-day period with the free membership. If you want to have the freedom to send unlimited messages, it’s a one-time payment of $60 to become a verified surfer. Putting it into perspective, that is about how much you would spend on one or two nights in an AirBnB! This is also a great way to meet locals and get an insider’s input of the best things to do in the city! You can go online to cousurfing.com or download the free app.

If you would rather not stay on some random guy’s (or girl’s) couch, and you’re okay with spending a bit, then use HostelWorld to find the best and cheapest accommodations in Athens. There are over 25 hostels within the city and they are all incredibly affordable. Most of them range from about 10-15€, but the real budget ones can be as low at 7€ a night! Many of them are centrally located and have easy access to many of the shops, restaurants, and historic sites in the city. Some of them even provide free breakfast (my favorite type of breakfast!). I spent one night at SmallFunnyWorld Hostel and I loved it. They had a great rooftop terrace to hang out and look out at the city and all of the rooms had different funky themes, which gave it a fun vibe.

AirBnB is another great tool to find amazing and affordable accommodations all over the globe! I have stayed in some of the most amazing places through this website and they are almost always cooler than an average hotel. Just be careful when checking the prices. The price for the room is displayed in bold, but there are almost always extra fees that come with every booking, like cleaning fees or service fees, so make sure you check the price under that one before getting your heart set on a place. Those extra fees have definitely tricked me before, leaving me pretty disappointed.

The best areas to stay in: Monastiraki- city center with the flea market and lots of coffee shops, Plaka- cute picturesque village, Syntagma- near the National Gardens and Parliament, Psirri- lots of restaurants and bars, Gazi-great nightlife.

Free Things To Do

Athens is a great budget traveler’s destination, offering a variety of free events and attractions!

One of the best things I think you can do any time you’re visiting a new city is start with a free walking tour. First off, its free (ahh, again, my favorite word!), and it gives you a chance to see the city and learn a few things about it before going off on your own. Your tour guide will probably give you suggestions on what to do in your own time after the tour and from there, you can decide what things you want to dedicate more time to! Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to go on one in my time in Athens, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about them from TripAdvisor. Just Google Free Walking Tours in Athens and you will find all of your different options.  

Right in the city center near Monastiraki metro station, you can find the Athens Flea Market where the streets are lined with dozens of vendors of every type. Okay, I know this is only free if you don’t actually buy anything, so this is where you can work on your self-control skills! This might be difficult if you find yourself in need of traditional Greek instruments, miniaturized versions of the ancient marble statues, random assortments of knick knacks, or life-sized portraits of Jesus and blessed virgin Mary. I know the temptation can be real, but it might be a slight challenge to bring all of your newfound goods on the plane home with you!

Another great free activity to do is walk around the ancient sites and walk around the Acropolis hill. Yes, all of the historical sites do require an entrance fee to go inside, but most of them, like Hadrian’s Library and the Roman Agora, you can see clearly from outside of the fences. I think it is worth it to actually go inside an see them up close and personal, but if you’re running on a tight budget and trying to cut out a few costs, this is a great way to do it while still getting to see the beauty of the history of this city.

Probably my favorite free thing to do in the city his hike up to the Areopagus (or Mars Hill) just at the foot of the Acropolis. From here, you are provided with a breathtaking view of the city of Athens and the Acropolis. I would suggest making your way up here late afternoon to get the perfect sunset view.

One of Athen’s most popular free attractions is watching the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This happens right in front of the Parliament building in Syntagma. It happens every hour, on the hour, no matter the weather. Get ready for a treat because this is not a typical changing of the guards event. First off, they have the best outfits of any military personnel I’ve ever seen (complete with elaborate hats and pom pom shoes!). But second off, they didn’t just march up and replace their counterparts, they have almost a silent, synchronous dance sequence. It was so interesting to watch and definitely a must see while in Athens.

After watching the changing of the guards, make your way past the Parliament building to the National Botanical Gardens. This is a popular spot for runners, botany enthusiasts, picnickers, and general nature lovers. Within its borders, you will find over 500 different species of plants from all over the world, a small zoo, and a few ponds where dozens of different bird species enjoy congregating. Taking a stroll through the gardens is a perfect relaxing activity on a nice sunny day, and after, you can stop and get a coffee at the little café inside.

Another simple, free thing to do around the city (and one of my favorite things to do in any city) is to just walk around different neighborhoods and explore the winding city streets and quirky street art. Some of the most popular areas to walk around are Plaka, Kerameikos, Exarchia, and Psirri. Here you will find some of the most picturesque areas of Athens complete with beautiful alleyways, incredible murals, and cafés on every corner. This is also a nice way to get away from the tourist crowds for a little while.  

Cheap Things To Do

After free, cheap is the next best thing, right? Along with free things in town, Athens offers lots of fairly inexpensive activities for all the budget travelers out there.

Greeks sure do love their coffee! Because of this you have a plethora of options for a nice caffeinated beverage. As you are walking around, enjoying the beautiful city sites, grab yourself a nice cup of coffee from one of the dozens of cafes on every street.

Being one of the oldest cities in the world, Athens contains infinite amounts of history. Because of this, Athens offers dozens, upon dozens of museums for all the history enthusiasts out there. Most of the museums around the city usually cost less than 7€ . The Acropolis museum (one of the most popular ones) was shockingly inexpensive. It was 5€ for the entrance fee, but only 3€ if you have your student ID! It is definitely worth checking out. I learned so much and got the chance to see some amazing architecture and art work. If you are a true museum-goer, check out some of the unique ones like the Shadow Puppet Museum, Museum of Popular Music Instruments, Museum of Engravings and Graphic Arts, the Zoological Museum of the University of Athens, or one of the other hundred museums within the city limit!

Jumping back to the historical sites, I feel like if you made your way all the way to Athens, Greece, one of the oldest cities in the world, why would you not want to see the ancient sites? If your heart is only drawn to one or two of the sites, you can get individual passes just for those places specifically. If, however, you want to see many of the sites, depending on what time of year you go, getting a combined ticket will be your best budget-friendly option. It costs 30€ which gets you into the Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Archaeological site of Lykeion, Kerameikos and the Olympieion. If you plan on visiting all of these sites during the summer months, then the combined ticket is absolutely worth it; it gives you almost a 50% discount from buying individual passes for each of these sites.

However, during the winter, it would be beneficial to figure out which sites you actually want to go to. If you get the combined ticket and visit all of the sites, you only save about 2€ compared to buying each pass separately. If you get the combined ticket and miss one or two of the sites, then you overpaid for your experience. This is something I wish I would have known before I went. I visited in the winter and bought the combined ticket, but didn’t get a chance to visit all of the sites, so I technically lost money. This is a part of your trip that should require a bit of planning just so you’re getting the most bang for your buck!

What to Eat

You will never find yourself at a loss for food in Athens. There are restaurants, bars, taverns, and cafes every direction you look. The difficult part is to choose where to go because they all claim to have the best Greek food you can find! Most places have their menus posted right outside, so you can take a look to see if there’s anything you would like before you make your decision.

Trying to stay on the cheaper side? Try souvlaki, ahh it is delicious! It’s basically a Greek fast food of different types of meat with vegetables and tzatziki rolled up in a pita (and they usually come with French fries in them!). It was probably my favorite food that I had in Greece. And the best part about it? It’s very inexpensive, usually no more than 5€ and you can find it at almost any food vendor in the city center. I had one for lunch from El Greco Project right near the flea market and it was wonderful.

If you are staying in the city for a few days and you’re rolling on a tight budget, one of the easiest ways to save money is to cook your own food. You can find plenty of supermarkets and farmer’s markets within the city where you can buy your own food to cook for the time you are there. I suggest to cook most meals yourself, but definitely let yourself splurge a little on some amazing, authentic Greek cuisine. My favorite dishes were moussaka (a casserole-type dish with potatoes, cheese, eggplant, vegetables, and béchamel sauce) and gemista (rice and veggie-stuffed peppers and tomatoes), which you can find at almost any café in town.

Night Life

Athens is known as the city that never sleeps, and for good reason. Athenians are known to party, with certain clubs and bars staying open until 6 or 7 in the morning (like, what?!)! If you are in Athens, and you enjoy having a fun night out, take advantage of this party lifestyle and check out one of the dozens of bars and clubs Athens has to offer.

If you’re like me and your feet just need to boogie, check out this list of all of the best places in Athens to go dancing. You can find almost any type of dancing your soul is desiring: swing, Latin, disco, traditional Greek…ahh so many options! I was able to go to Lost n’ Found for some old school swing dancing the Wednesday night that I was there and it was SO much fun!

Most bars don’t have a cover charge unless there is a live band playing that night, so that is definitely something to look into before going to a particular place to save a few euros.

The best areas of town for nightlife are Gazi, Psirri, Karamikos, and Exarchia, all with their own unique nightlife scene ranging from relaxing night out with a fancy cocktail or a wild, party-all-night-and-dance-on-top-of-a-table kind of night!

So there you have it, there are so many options for the budget traveler in Athens. I spent five days in the city and spent a total of 73€. As one of the oldest cities in the world, Athens should definitely be on your list of places to visit. And while you’re there, make sure to give yourself some time to explore the rest of this beautiful country. Take a day trip to one of the islands, or get a super cheap flight up to Thessaloniki or Ioannina. Greece has so many incredible things to offer, so go see for yourself!

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Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times

Asian proverb