Friday Travel Tip - Athens - WALKING

If you're visiting Athens you're probably going to do a lot of walking. Unless you have a car and driver to chauffeur you around town, public transportation and walking are really the best way to get around. Fortunately all of the main tourist sites are close together and all in the downtown area. The streets of Athens however aren't really that walking friendly. They can be narrow, broken, and filled with danger. For a city that relies so much on walking, they sure don't take very good care of their streets and sidewalks.

The downtown of Athens is a mess of small streets twisting and turning in all directions. If you're looking to walk someplace in particular it can be confusing, if you're looking to just explore it can be very fun and adventurous. The best landmark to get your bearings is the Acropolis, however with all of the narrow streets and tall buildings you can lose sight of it very easily.

You also have to be very weary of cars, potholes, and broken sidewalks. Drivers can be rather inconsiderate of pedestrians in Athens, and cars are often parked in the middle of the sidewalk. You’ll also come across many sidewalks that are falling apart, have trees blocking the way, or are completely taken over by local business. It’s also important to note that Athens is not a flat city at all, there are hills everywhere and some streets are so steep they require you to use stairs. Walking around can be a challenge, but it can be a challenge that heeds great rewards.

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