I'll be moving to Athens for grad school at the end of August and I was wondering if you had any tips? I've only ever been there in January so I'm not quite sure what the weather's like during the rest of the year
Thank you!
First of all, my best wishes for your upcoming studies in Athens. I hope that the world will be almost back to normal by that time so that you get to enjoy your time there.
I am not from Athens but here’s some tips I can still give you:
If you live in a cold place / country, summer Athens might come off as a shock. The average high is 34°C (93°F) in August and at noon the thermometer will often hit 40 °C (104°F). Come as lightly dressed as possible, t-shirts, shorts, sandals, hat, sunglasses, SUNSCREEN. You must always have a jacket!saver because August can get windy in Athens and there are random chills happening. A light jacket will become necessary in October and in late November you will need to have warmer clothes (proper jackets, jumpers etc) just in case. It rarely rains in Athens, the driest place of the country, but most rains will probably occur in December. Because of how densely populated Athens is and the crazy traffic, Athens can become almost suffocating in the hot months. You should always have ways to cool off, from buying some cold juice to owning these tiny fans that work on batteries.
You said you have been there in January but I don’t know for how long so I will give some general tips for living there:
Athens is big and a hot mess. You should start becoming familiar with it through maps for a little time before. An absolute must have is the app Moovit which has many details for all the routes you can take with public transport or on feet. It’s a life saver and also works for many other cities in Greece (let alone other countries). The best mode of trasportation in Athens is the subway.
Criminality rates in Greece are low. Being the largest city in the country, Athens has the highest rates but you shouldn’t worry much. Just keep your wallet and phone safe in crowded public transportation and avoid walking all alone in streets you don’t yet know well after midnight and you will be fine.
If it is a public university, the student pass that they will give you in University will come with discounts in several locations such as archaeological sites, theatres, cinemas etc Some will be entirely for free. Make use of that. In the University’s Club you will be able to eat for free. I don’t know which University you will attend but it might also have a gym which you can join for a tiny fee. I don’t know if they all have this one.
Athens has A LOT of stuff to enjoy and experience. If the world is back to normal, I suggest you grasp this opportunity. What many travel guides say about going to Acropolis and then leaving for an island is nothing short of a disgrace. In this unfinished page I have made, you will find all the basic attractions of Athens you should not miss under ATTICA.
From Athens, you can make short excursions. Within the prefecture of Attica, Mount Parnitha is the best option. In the east and south suburbs, there is the long Attican coastline. There are some fine beaches there that you should take advantage of as long as the weather is warm. Short trips out of the prefecture that you can make at weekends are to Argolis (Nafplion) and the Saronic islands in warm weather and to Arahova and Mount Parnassus in winter. Delphi and the Corinth Canal can be reached quickly and are good for all times too.
Food will not be a problem. You can find tasty food for all budgets. Tripadvisor and online delivery apps reviews are your best friend. I recommend the e-food app. Also, the supermarkets are your friend for filling the belly. (It is snack day here on the blog so I must promote our snacks XD we have good snacks)
That’s all from me. I leave it to any Athenian followers if they have anything to add / correct. Again, best wishes, I hope you will have a great time x
