Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Welcome to the Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Destination Guides

bthere! Destination guides

Previous issues for Athens

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy,
please confirm event/venue details in advance.

Greece : Athens - March 2008

Country Code: Dial for Greece

Getting around

The nearest airport is Athens International Airport, 33km southeast of the city.

Bus: Six express bus routes serve Athens and Piraeus. Buses leave from arrivals. Tickets cost €3,20 and are valid for 24 hours on all public transport.
Taxi: You can pick up taxis from exit 3 at arrivals. A journey to the city centre costs from €25 to €36, and takes about 30 minutes.
Tourist information: The main office is at 26 Amalias (tel. , gnto.gr).

PALIO FALIRO

Minutes away from downtown Athens via bus and tram, Palio Faliro is the first stop along the Athenian Riviera on the Attica coastline.

Sleep soundly – The Metropolitan Hotel (rooms from €145) offers splendid views of the Saronic Gulf. Hotel Poseidon and Coral Hotel (35 Possidonos Avenue, coralhotel.gr, tel. , rooms from €85) are both great value.

Culture vultures – 387 Syngrou Avenue) is one of the largest, most advanced digital planetariums in the world.

Must eat – (Trocadero tramstop, tel. ) is an esplanade of cafés and restaurants catering for all tastes. Enjoy Greek meze, seafood and Mediterranean dishes while gazing at luxurious yachts.

Must drink – take it to Edem and head straight to Kitchen Bar (3 Possidonos Avenue, Marina Alimou).

KERAMEIKOS

The site of an ancient burial ground is now one of Athens’ hippest districts.

Culture vultures – For modern Greek cuisine, head to Varoulko (80 Piraeus Street, tel. ) or Athiri (15 Plateon Street, tel. ).

Must eat – See the Ancient Agora brought to life at Foundation of the Hellenic World (254 Piraeus Street).

Must drink – (61b Agisilaou Street) is good for modern design, music, brunch and bloody Marys.

Dance the night away – The best spot for dancing is Villa Mercedes (11 Andronikou and Tzaferi).

KOLONAKI

This area is home Athens’ most popular people-watching square.

Sleep soundly – Choose from boutique hotels such as Periscope Hotel and legendary St George Lycabettus Hotel.

Culture vultures – Bookworms should visit Gennadius Library (61 Souidias Street), which houses thousands of rare volumes dealing with Hellenic culture.

Must eat – Newcomer People (11 Amerikis Street, ) does pasta, meats and hearty salads.

Must drink – The Kolonaki crowd congregate in Mai Tai (18 Ploutarhou) and Tribeca (46 Skoufa and Omirou).

Dance the night away – Hear progressive dance at Plus X Club (37 Patriarchou Ioakeim).

Shop til you drop – Pick up shoes and bags at Vassilis Zoulias (17 Kanari).

KIFISSIA-KEFALARI

This northern suburb is the epitome of chic suburban Athens.

Sleep soundly – The artsy design of Semiramis Hotel stands out in this leafy district. The rooms at The Kefalari Suites have lovely large verandahs.

Culture vultures – See Greece’s flora and fauna at Goulandris Natural History Museum (13 Levidou Street).

Must eat – Berdema (20 Vassilisis Amalias, tel. ) specialises in modern Greek cuisine.

Must drink – Local (21 Christou Lada and Olympiou) is a popular haunt that gets livelier later in the evening.

Dance the night away – Try Boudoir (50 Deliyianni and Georganta) for a glam end to the evening.

Shop til you drop – Tsoureki (Easter bread) from Varsos Pastry Shop (5 Kassaveti) is a must. SoHo-SoHo (8 Kolokotroni) is the Kifissia outpost of the Mykonos favorite.

Compiled by Athena Vorillas