NJV Athens Plaza, Athens

Advantages: fun, charming and diverting city with plenty of interesting things to see and do; great variety of bars and restaurants
Disadvantages: has some shonky areas, may bring you to spend more than you'd like

...The city of Athens, Georgia, USA, is one of those eclectic university towns scattered all the way across the country. If you're an American and a seasoned college student, you know all about what that means - an infinite variety of bars, pubs, theatres and crack houses. And, of course, a vast number of students to take advantage of whichever of these vices may take their fancy. In this particular case, it's the enormous campus of the University of Georgia which has set up shop in this interesting town. Athens is about 70 miles from Atlanta, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half drive depending on various things - the traffic, whether there is a thunderstorm present, or if someone has managed to cark it somewhere along the road and has thus blocked it in some manner. Once you're out of the suburban and ugly sprawl of Atlanta you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Vibrant, cheap excellent public transport. Famous historic sites. Eating out
Disadvantages: Not as 'Greek' as it used to be. Poor air quality. The drivers!

...I'd been to Athens before, but not since 1973 so I was fully expecting a lot of changes, and to a greater extent I was right. For example, I was probably amongst the last tourists to be allowed full access to wander all over the famous Parthenon on the Acropolis hill. Since then it has been fenced off and variously concealed behind one piece of scaffolding or another, and is rumoured to stay that way for decades. I remember that summer of '73 with some trepidation - it was damned hot to be in a city and the traffic was truly awful, with blue fumes from two-stroke 'pop-pops' everywhere. Since then, cars have got a lot cleaner, but regrettably more numerous. Of course, going there in the October half-term holiday helps with the air-quality too! WHERE IS IT? It's the capital of Greece and lies in the province... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Position, Price
Disadvantages: Basic (but plentiful) breakfast

...The Plaka Hotel is a real find. It is ideally situated at the foot of the Acropolis and is amongst ,or within easy walking distance, of many of Athens attractions. It is on the corner of a small side street just a hundred yards or so from the metro station that is at the end of the line from the airport. Some bedrooms do have a direct view to the Acropolis. The hotel staff are friendly and helpful and the accomodation is generally clean and modern. Our room was quite small but not so much that it was a problem. There was an adequate amount of storage space. The bathroom was small and a bit dated but ok, considering the price! We paid £33 a night for a double room with breakfast and thought this was a real bargain. Make sure you compare sites for prices as they vary considerably. The breakfast was quite basic but included... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful