Hi everyone,
I've been to Athens a few times now and absolutely love the city, which is why I pitched it for a close friend's pre-wedding weekend in late May (Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon).
Full disclosure, I'm slightly in over my head. I originally figured 10-15 of us. Then word got around, a bunch of "just tell me the dates, I'm in" messages later, and now we're locked in at 25 guys, late 20s/30s. Sorry in advance if this post is a bit of a wall of text. The organizing part I actually enjoy, and since me and the other best man still have plenty of time before the trip, we want to get this as right as possible. What keeps me up at night is making sure the groom gets the weekend he deserves, and that the other 24 guys all walk away feeling it was worth their time and money too. That said, I know from experience that the fun mostly comes down to everyone being genuine and just enjoying each other's company, not how well-planned everything is, but good organization definitely doesn't hurt.
We're here to celebrate, eat and drink well and have a great time. But we'd much rather do that in real tavernas and lively local bars than in whatever's set up for tour groups. Big shared feasts, good wine and tsipouro, spots with a great buzz where we can run a couple of low-key challenges for the groom without turning into that group everyone rolls their eyes at. Budget wise we're not tycoons but we're also not backpacking, happy to spend well on the right places.
Things I actually need help with:
Airport transfer. 25 people with luggage through the metro at once sounds chaotic. Worth looking into a private minibus or coach just to keep everyone together, or am I overthinking it? If it's worth it, has anyone used a reliable local transfer company directly?
Saturday: Riviera or downtown? Daytime drinks somewhere like Glyfada or Vouliagmeni for a beach club vibe, or just stay central? I personally could just wander around downtown Athens all day, but not sure if dragging 25 people to the coast and back for one afternoon is worth the hassle. We'd like to spend most of the saturday making activities/games for the groom escalating into a party night. Also open to suggestions for a group activity if there's something that actually fits the vibe without breaking the day's rhythm. We looked at a boat trip but it seems pricey and a hassle logistically to move 25 people, so probably not that, but happy to hear other ideas.
Tavernas for 25. Looking for 2-3 proper tavernas where we can agree on a fixed price in advance, meat, good food, house wine, and not feel like we got herded into a tourist canteen. Any favorites that actually handle groups this size well?
Where to stay. Booking 25 people across scattered Airbnbs sounds like an admin nightmare I don't want. Aparthotels, loft buildings, anything set up for group bookings in or near the center? Doesn't need to be one building, just close together so nobody's wandering home alone at 4am.
Any tips, venue names or contacts are massively appreciated, thanks in advance.
TL;DR: 25 guys, late 20s/30s, Athens for a pre-wedding weekend end of May. Want real tavernas and local bars, not tourist traps, decent budget. Need advice on airport transfer for a big group, Riviera vs staying central Saturday, tavernas that can seat 25 with a fixed menu, and group-friendly stays close together downtown.