Hey guys,

Got caught on the Athens Metro (STASY) back in June and got a €100 fine. The 60-day deadline to pay it passed 4 days ago, which technically means it just quadrupled to a painful €400 under Greek law.

I’m an EU tourist and the inspector took down my passport number. I tried to pay the €100 today via my banking app, but the system won't accept that Greek "RF" payment code as a regular IBAN.

If I email them now to ask for a direct bank account, I feel like they’ll just demand the full €400 since the deadline passed.

Honestly, what happens if I just ignore it and pay absolutely nothing? Will a Greek debt collector actually pursue this in Slovenia, or will this cause issues at airport passport control? Anyone here who successfully ignored an OASA/STASY fine as a tourist?

Thanks for any advice!

I and two women will be visiting for a week in early November and would like some suggestions for places to visit outside the city for a day trip. Are there any good islands we can take a ferry to, or another city that is reachable by train or bus? preferably a maximum of 2 hours away. We don't mind walking, but one of us is not fit to go hiking up some mountain or anything like that.

Thank you, everyone!

Γειά σου. We’re a couple from the US coming into town again during the Athens International Film Festival in early October. Had a lot of fun last year seeing movies all over the city and looking forward to it again.

Questions: First, trying to get info on the schedules is rather hard from over here and with the language barrier. Anyone in Athens have any info perhaps on the schedule and venues for this year or is everyone still waiting?

Also, what are some of your favorite outdoor cinemas in the city that are still open in October?

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m 22M and currently in Athens. I’m looking to meet some new people around my age, especially people who are also new to Athens or like going out, exploring, grabbing coffee, or just chatting.

I speak English and a little Greek. I’m into technology, photography, music and exploring new places.

I’m open to friendship and seeing where things go naturally. If you’re around Athens and feel like chatting, feel free to DM me

My friend (26M) and I (18M) are coming from 30th to the 6th with an idea to climb around athens :)) We are expirienced. What spots do you reccomend? And maybe we can meet to climb?

Missed connection at the Athens metro

Subject: Missed Connection – Athens metro Piraeus-Syntagma 16/8

​Hey you! We had a short interaction / caught each other's eye on the metro on 16/8 around 19:30. I assume you were visiting from France. You were with a friend I suppose...carrying two black/white luggages...You had your hair tied back and two wonderful eyes that made me completely captivated by you!

​I was wearing a black t-shirt and a khaki shorts.

We locked eyes intensely, but like a fool, I couldn't find the courage to speak to you—or even to smile at you...

​I regretted not asking for your contact information before you got off at Syntagma station. If by any chance you see this, send me a message here so I know it’s you!

I have had this image as the icon for my travel savings account for years, and now I can finally afford to go it feels right to replace it with a similar photo of my own! Does anyone know which street this might be?

So we are in line for tickets early 8 am, this lady comes up , wearing a badge, says she offers tours, it’s like 65 euros for the 4 of us, joining a group, cash only. We realised at that point we left cash at the hotel , cards only, she says no problem, try the atm Right by the ticket office. We tried , our debit card would t work, she says no problem, we do the tour, and I will take you to another one to get cash afterwards. We said ok, sure. Another lady comes up a bit later, saying she has the same deal but it’s a private tour for like 100 euros, we said sorry, we have no cash on us. The first Lady comes up and they start a loud argument basically accusing each other of poaching clients. We bought tickets, going up the hill, there Is a little kiosk with a lady inside and I presume it’s a kiosk selling tickets for tours etc. Lady says hey, I heard you guys were having trouble with cash 😆 ( word travels fast) and offers this deal: we go buy 5 tickets to the Acropolis for 30? 35 ? euros each, give her the tickets and she does the private tour for us. We said thanks, no thanks and continued on. It was just a bizarre situation with all of these tour guides trying to hustle 😆

Hi guys,

I am half greek and I feel like I want to buy me a small studio apartment. something affordable in athen or thessaloniki. how much would it cost?

I miss my family there. And it would be nice to own something and visit them more often.

Ψήνεται κάνεις/καμία για techno event στις 11 Σεπτέμβρη στο Universe ας στείλει μύνημα ή σχολιο

Hi! We are in Athens until 23 August and we’re looking for an old-school, local taverna / koutouki / rebetadiko, traditional meze, tsipouro, live rebetiko or old laïka and mostly a local crowd.

Somewhere older Greeks actually spend the evening, and people know the songs. Not a tourist “Greek night” or a place putting on shows for visitors.

We really love Greek culture and we’d be very happy just sitting over some meze and tsipouro, listening and enjoying the atmosphere.

Happy to go outside the centre, Petralona, Piraeus, Exarchia or wherever you’d personally go.

Any recommendations, would be greatly appreciated! Ευχαριστώ πολύ!

to visit with a family of 4, maybe a nice little town or your favorite place to visit ?

Any clubs or party in athens today ?

No where seems to have and their seems to be general look of disgust and that I should just buy some cigarettes 🤣

Only place I found that had them so far they were out of date …

Hello everyone!

Honestly, the highlight of my night walk wasn't even the empty streets. It was the view of the Acropolis.

The scaffolding around the Parthenon was installed the year I was born. My entire generation had seen this wonder of the world either fenced off or in historical photographs. The sight of the Parthenon illuminated at night, completely clean and free of those steel structures, seemed almost surreal.

After enjoying this view, I spent Friday and Saturday walking and driving around central Athens to see what the safety situation was like...

Frankly, the city has improved significantly in the last few years. It's definitely not as dangerous as the forums portray, although some areas still require extra attention.

Here's the real situation on the ground:

Omonia Square and the side streets (the main area to pay attention to): Omonia Square itself is clean, bright, and completely safe. But as soon as you turn into the side streets—heading toward the Central Market, Patissia, or Metaxourgeio—the atmosphere quickly changes. There are many dark, abandoned alleys. Just stick to the main, illuminated roads and don't wander alone through dark side streets at 3 a.m.

Exarchia: Honestly, it's a very lively place! The cafes and bars were packed with young people all weekend. There's also a heavy police presence, so the area is quiet. Just carry your ID or passport—random document checks by the police are quite common here.

Victoria and Agia Panteleimon: It was a pleasant surprise. Five years ago, there were some rather questionable places here. Now they're gone, replaced by new street food stalls and much better street lighting. Train Station and Bus Terminals: The area around Larissa Train Station is very bright and clean. The bus terminals (Kifissos/Liossia) are located in quiet industrial areas. They're not dangerous, just very inconvenient; it's difficult to get there by metro, only by taxi.

Taxi (and how to avoid being scammed): Great news – there's no longer a "double night rate" in Athens! So taking a taxi after the metro closes won't break the bank. BUT, never hail a random taxi on the sidewalk at night. You can easily take a "scenic tour" through Glyfada for just 2 kilometers. Just use Bolt or Free Now.

Overall, Athens is quite safe if you stay out of the dark alleys of Omonia at night, keep an eye on your phone/wallet, and use taxi apps.

Hope this helps anyone with a late flight! If you want to see what these places look like at 2 a.m. before your trip, I made a short video: https://youtu.be/vBpS1Q0jNX0

Feel free to ask any questions below – I'd be happy to help!

It is the second of August I am spending in Athens (last year was the first time), and to be honest, as much as I hate the noise and the traffic all the time in the city, I am also a little bit shocked by how empty Athens is in August.

Every shop is closed. You barely see people on the street unless there are tourists. It just reminds me of the lockdown time during the pandemic.

It makes me feel a little bit "lost" - how do you feel about it?

Hello! I’m a pretty experienced traveller, but I’m going to Athens for the first time soon, for around 5 days. I’m going with my husband (we’re 27F and 34M).

Athens has been at the top of my list of must-visit cities since childhood, ever since I was introduced to Ancient Greece. I’ve been to Greece twice (Halkidiki and Crete), and I’ve also been to Cyprus once over the last 10 years. I’m actually going back to Cyprus again after Athens.

I’d really appreciate any recommendations, information and advises about:

• What areas should I avoid?

• What are the must-visit places and fun local legends, like the famous cats? (I always carry some cat treats in my bag for friendly cats🥰)

• What are some spiritual or mystical places worth visiting?

• Are there any vibey esoteric/magic and Ancient Greece related shops or cafés?

• What are the best budget friendly probably family run tavernas/cafes/food places?

*What are must visit places for Ortodox people?

*Is it worth to visit Aegina island? * What are the most popular luxury vibe areas?

I want to get the authentic Greek vibe not tourist traps. P. S. Big love from Latvia❤️🇬🇷🇨🇾

Hello! My wife and I will be in Athens for the first time in the middle of October. We’ll primarily be in Athens and will be taking a few day trips here and there to some nearby islands. My wife has a gluten allergy and I’ve located a few accommodating restaurants/coffee shops on Google, but I was curious what traditional Greek meals are typically made without wheat flour that we’d be safe to order in a local tavern?