The Greek capital, Athina is well known for its beautiful old-world monuments and sights, which ensue mainly from the 5th century B.C. or earlier. The very first thing that comes to our mind when talking about Athens, is the Acropolis (which means citadel) high above the city and of course the Parthenon, but The Dionysus Theatre, the Church of Zeus, the Hadrian’s gate and the Agora (bazaar) are all to be find here as well. There are daily passes for visiting the monuments, which are kind of combined tickets – you can see several sights with it, but are only valid on the given day. As for the accommodation, there are many cheap hotels in the city centre, but on the coast as well, in popular holiday zones like Glyfalda, Kavuri, Vuliagmeni, Varkiza or Anavissos.

If you want more than just a typical beach holiday in Greece, Athens is a really great option, since it has many places of cultural interest, but the coast is also easily accessible, within 10-15 minutes. On Liligo.com you can find everything you might need in connection with travelling: low cost airline tickets, cheap hotel rooms and car renting possibilities.

If it is the first time you are visiting Athens, you should definitely see The Parthenon, a temple built for Athena, the daughter of the Greek God Zeus, known as the warrior Goddess and protector of the city. Fortunately, most of the cheap hotels can be found here, in the vicinity of Philopapous hill, which is next to the parks Kerameikou and Thiseio. The city centre with shopping areas, museums, galleries are only in a 500-600 metres distance as well.

Some things to take care of when planning your trip

To have a holiday without setbacks, it helps a lot to take into consideration what simple measurements can be done that would save you many bad shots.
First of all, always check your documents that will be requested at the entrance of your destination country, consult the competent government agency, and even if you do not leave the country, keep in mind that it is obligatory to carry along your identification papers. Moreover, many accommodations request documents at registration. You may also want to rent a car, so you'll have to take your driver's license with you (get informed about the international driving license, too). Do not forget your travel insurance, your health insurance card (we strongly recommend you to take your health card). There are some countries where a visa is required to be allowed to enter the country at all. But do not worry, in most countries you can enter and stay without visas or special permits for some months (usually 90 days).
A good tactic is to photocopy important documents you might need, so in case they get lost or stolen, it will be really useful. Furthermore, it is also a good idea to carry along two extra passport photos.

Thanks to the Schengen agreement, one can freely cross the borders of ‘Schengen countries’, so EU travellers travelling within this area won’t be asked to identify themselves. Even so, you should always carry along identity documents, because police might ask for identity checks, any time. The following countries form part of the Schengen Agreement:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland (non-EU), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway (non-EU), Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland (non-EU).
EU countries that do not belong to this agreement are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, UK and Romania. Citizens outside the EU will need to apply for visas and documents to enter the Schengen area. The maximum length of stay for travellers is 3 months.
Bear in mind that some documents and visas are not that easy to get, one has to wait for them. Therefore it is recommended that you plan the travel and learn about these documents well in advance.

In addition to paperwork, when travelling within or outside the borders of the EU or the Schengen area, don’t forget to be informed of the required or recommended vaccinations in certain countries. If you know exactly the health care situation of the country which you plan to travel to, you can avoid many unpleasant surprises.
Again, please note that some vaccines require more than one dose, sometimes with large temporary spaces between them, so it is advisable to act well in advance. Be cautious with consuming food, especially fruits, and for your security, drink bottled water only.
Also, the maximum weight of your luggage is usually around 20 kilos –depending on the airline-, so it might be a good idea to make a list of most necessary things before packing your suitcase. Your passport (and anything fragile) is best to be guarded in your hand luggage that you bring along into the cabin.
Note that you can’t have scissors (or any kind of cutting or stabbing tools) with you, nor liquids of any kind (water, tee, juices and all types of cosmetics), or at least only a small amount.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that your luggage gets lost. In this case it might be helpful to have some clothes with you in your hand bag, until your luggage is found.

Further information:

Foreign and Commonwealth office

European Health Insurance card

Healthcare abroad