Athens has always been a popular travel destination thanks to its unique charm. For the history enthusiast, Athens is the place to learn about democracy and visit the important ruins. While for the party lovers, Athens’ night life must be checked out before heading to Thessaloniki or one of the islands.

But in most cases, the budget doesn’t allow for splurges and we can barely manage to fit half of what we want to see. Someone told me a while ago: “bring half the clothes and double the money”. And it’s so true, no matter where you are heading to.

Airfare to Athens

Tickets to Europe are easy to find but scoring a good deal will take you some time. Ideally you should start researching the destination couple of months in advance but with the current economy still not working properly, it’s possible to find excellent last minute offers.

If you depart from USA, you might want to fly into a major hub (like London or Paris) first and then catch a low-cost flight to Athens .

Places to stay in Athens

By far the most affordable type of accommodation is the hostel. Make sure to check out Europe hostel blog and read more about hostels and what you should look for. Also you should probably also check if the hostel you want to stay in is one of the Europe hostels where parties take place all night long.

Consider that Athens is a large city and you should probably stay close to the center so you won’t need to use the public transport that much. A bed in the hostels near Syntagma Square costs between €13 and €37 per person, per night, depending on your preferences (dorm or private room). Or you can choose a hostel near the Acropolis and pay between €13 and €46 per night depending on your choice. Both locations are great for exploring the city. You are close to the historical sites but also have access to the metro , which can take you to Piraeus port and from there to a lot of interesting islands.

>>read more about The Neighborhoods of Athens

Having fun in Athens

Usually when we are on a low budget, the first thing we tick off the list is visiting more than one or two museums. But things chance when there are plenty of free things to do in Athens . Watch the changing of the guards in front of the Parliament, then head to one of the museums you can visit for free.

Eating out in Athens

Figuring the daily food budget is not that hard since there is always some taverna where you can enjoy mezedes for €5 per person. Add some ouzo and you still won’t break the budget. Plan for about €15-20 per person per day for the meals.