Athens no longer cheap, but bargains exist

Athens is no longer a discount destination.

Cab fares, taverna meals, and other costs have steadily crept up. Many Greeks blame the euro for higher prices following the demise of the unsteady drachma, Europe’s oldest currency.

But Athens, noisy and densely populated, remains a place where outdoor enjoyment is a way of life: open-air cinemas, restaurants and bars with little care for closing time, and late-night walks made safe because so many people remain outside at all hours.

Of course ancient sites abound, and not just the Acropolis that looks over Athens and is spectacularly lit up at night. You’ll bump into marble monuments and centuries-old churches all over and even below ground: on the new subway system, ancient artifacts are displayed where they were excavated.

Public transport is reasonable and subsidized. Once-shabby hotels have been smartened up since the 2004 Athens Olympics, and have kept their rates down because of the economic downturn.

And don’t buy a guidebook that says Athens is heavily polluted. It hasn’t been for more than a decade, since cleaner cars were introduced and factories were pushed out of urban areas.

GETTING AROUND: Crammed with apartment blocks, Athens offers residents little tranquility, but its compact city center is easily toured on foot.

A new walkway, sometimes called the grand promenade, was finished for the Olympics and takes you around the Acropolis Hill for a half-hour stroll through the ancient center to Thisseio, a district where main streets are lined with bars and cafes. The walk is a good starting point for a visit.

Public transport is integrated. A $1.50 (?ket gives you a 90-minute pass to hop on and off buses, trams and subways; http://www.oasa.gr/index.asp.

Yellow taxis are everywhere but no longer cheap, with daytime fares set to rise to $1.05 (?per kilometer next year. Most but not all cab drivers are honest; they can occasionally be heard bragging about overcharging tourists. The most common scam is to turn off the meter and quote an inflated price. Don’t be surprised if taxi drivers pick up other passengers on a long fare — technically illegal, but a common practice seen as a courtesy by stranded commuters.

The global franchise City Sightseeing runs tours with open-top double-decker buses. Tickets are priced at $26.30 (?r the tour that’s ideal if you’re short on time. Several mini-train rides, like Sunshine Express, priced at $7.30 (?e popular with families; http://www.city-sightseeing.com or http://www.sunshine-express.gr.

THE SITES: The marble monuments on the Acropolis date from the height of Athens’ power and influence, 2,500 years ago. The Parthenon is the main building, dedicated to the city’s ancient protector, goddess Athena, and is the iconic image most visitors simply call “the Acropolis” — Greece’s greatest monument. Over centuries, it was turned into churches, then a mosque, and was more seriously damaged by wars than time. Sculptures were removed — out of greed or for protection, depending on whom you believe — and are now in the British Museum.