Vasiliki kept us well informed before our arrival, and her husband Haris met us when we arrived. It was hands down the most warm, thorough, and hospitable reception we’ve ever had while travelling with Airbnb. It was our first time to Athens so he gave us a map and showed us how far everything was and where to go for the most important Athenian sites. His wife had also baked a chocolate cake for us made with olive oil which tasted AMAZING.
We were only in Athens for 4 days so we didn’t rent a car or scooter; we just walked and took public transportation when necessary. All the major sites in Athens are very close to this Airbnb and makes walking a non-issue. Fair warning though, you will do a TON of walking while there. One day we walked just over six miles and the next we walked eight miles. That’s simply because of how spread out all the ancient sites are. It can get a bit much in the heat so plan accordingly; bring plenty of water and break things up with a museum or siesta back at the Airbnb.
We were considering a place near Syntagma Square but ended up not booking it because we’d read reviews that protests happen there a lot (since that’s the current town square). Sure enough, while we were in Athens there was a protest that ended with bottle throwing and water cannons. Also, Syntagma Square seemed to be quite busy with traffic every time we visited. This Airbnb has much less traffic and is in a quieter neighbourhood.
Even though it’s right next to the Acropolis, this Airbnb is sort of on the southwestern fringe of all the major sites in Athens. However, instead of renting a place near the center such as in Plaka, we REALLY enjoyed the proximity to Filopappou Hill. It’s just a quick walk and the views of the Acropolis and the surrounding city are one of the best in Athens, specifically from the Pnyx and the rock which used to be a town but I’ve forgotten the name of (and it’s not listed on Google Maps). Plus it’s MUCH less crowded than the Areopagus at night. We spent two evenings there and would have spent more had we discovered it sooner.
I also tried flying my DJI Mavic drone from there.
Don’t fly your drone in Athens…
The guys were nice about it and after I deleted my pictures didn’t charge me a fine, but apparently you can’t fly over archeological sites. I’d done fairly extensive research online and knew, besides the usual restrictions, they didn’t like flights near the Acropolis. In my opinion, Filopappou Hill was the only place to fly in Athens - hardly any people, wide open spaces, no buildings, etc. But I wasn’t aware of the archeological restrictions for droning. So if you plan to only spend time in Athens while in Greece, don’t even bother bringing your drone.
As for the Airbnb itself, it is such a comfortable place to stay. The A/C units keep it pleasantly cool which was a welcome reprieve after being out in the heat. The balcony is very nice and provided a great place to play games at night once the sun had gone down. The kitchen had everything we needed to cook while we were there as well.
Speaking of cooking, there is an AB supermarket right next to the Acropolis metro station (5 minute walk from the Airbnb) with literally anything you might need.
Overall we had a great experience and we’ll definitely be back. The apartment was clean, the hosts were very hospitable, and the location was perfect.