Long stopover/layover in Athens
 

I have a 5 hour stopover coming up in ATH. Is there anything I could do during my stopover, i.e. go outside the airport and do some activities or see some sights? (Is the airport far from the city?)

Thanks.

You could take the metro to the center, and get out at Syntagma or Monastiraki. That trip costs (from memory) about 8 euros one-way and takes about 45 minutes.

That would give you about 2 hours in the center - enough to take a look around. Monastiraki especially is great to just walk around to get a feeling for the city :)

Here's an alternative to the very good idea of Xandrios: Change trains at Syntagma and get out at Acropolis (one station away). Walk to the unique and amazing Acropolis Museum (5 minutes).

Keep in mind, for both alternatives, that although the trip to Syntagma takes 45 min., you should calculate much more than that (I'd say 90 min. average): Not only do you have to get from the plane to the train station (at least 20-25 min. if bussed, 10 min. if parked at a gate), the Airport-City Centre Metro trains leave every 30 minutes (ΧΧ:05 and ΧΧ:35 from Syntagma, YY:00 and YY:30 from Airport). Return ticket price is 14 €.

Which it all means you should probably stay at the airport, unless you are adventurous and like the thrill seeking of getting lost and barely making your flight.

The only thing I could possibly think you could do closer to the airport is take the local bus to Rafina. This is a small port on the east coast only about 8km north of the airport. There's not THAT much to do there but you could take a nice relaxing meal in one of the seafood tavernas overlooking the water and maybe even take a walk along the beach and dip your toes in the Aegean. A few ferries a day come and go from here to the islands of Evia, Andros, Tinos and Mykonos and it can be interesting watching life go by.

There aren't that may buses to Rafina but it's a much quicker journey than into Athens so may be more practical in the time you have. They're mostly about every hour (with some gaps) and take about 20 minutes. Just a thought.

Have you been to Athens before? If not Acropolis if a far better option than Rafina port.

By the way, you can use the X95 bus which costs 5eur o/way but you'll get a pretty good tast of Athens on the whole way. It leaves every 10-15 minutes from the Airport and will take you tou Syntagma square. Acropolis is around 10 minutes from there.

^^ Fantastic museum and well worth going.

I second the Acropolis museum. Well worth the visit, great view and great cafe/restaurant.

Honestly, I personally don't think the Acropolis museum is that great. (although the building itself is pretty nice).

If you want to enjoy about two hours in Athens, get out of the metro/bus at Syntagma, take a walk past the parliament and the national garden and then walk to Monasteraki and take the metro back from there.

But it will be a rush, whatever you do. A 5 hour layover in Athens is very short.

5 Hour stopover in Athens
 

If you're a sports fan, there's no greater sight than the 1896 Olympic Stadium, which has a cheap audio tour - a five minute tram ride and very short walk from Syntagma.

When we've had stop overs like that in Athens, we go to the Sofitel Airport hotel. We sit outside have some nice food and beers/cocktails.
The hotel is 50m away from the terminal building so very convenient.

I have an *EARLY* arrival in ATH (0400!!) and a very late departure (after 9PM) to JTR

Suggestions? (Will be kind of lack of sleep on arrival, maybe sometime easy?)

BTW, will I need to pick up luggage & clear custom at ATH assume it is checked all the way to JTR? If so, will I be able to re-check in my luggage that early?

Thx

That's a 17 hours layover, I would advise getting hotel in downtown Athens, sleep for a few hours, and go out see the city center a bit. Call the airline to ask about the luggage.

At that time of the morning, the metro won't be running so to get to the centre you'll need to take the bus. A hotel would be difficult, I suspect - I'm not sure City Centre hotels are particularly geared up to offering day rates, although others will have more experience I'm sure.

Your luggage should be through checked to JTR.

Lots to see, but I would definitely do the Acropolis Museum and the Acropolis itself - there's much more to it than just the Parthenon, and the views are magnificent.

Have lunch around Plaka/Monastiraki, watch the Changing of the Guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma Square, walk through the National Gardens, take a tram towards Hadrian's Arch, take a tour of the 1896 Olympic Stadium, have an early dinner then head back to the airport.

I would add that the bus at that time is probably actually faster and easier than Metro anyway. And a few bucks cheaper too.

Bus:
http://www.oasa.gr/xmap.php?id=px95

Click on "backward direction". You will start at KTIRIO AFIXEON (=arrivals) and go down till AFETIRIA (=bus starting point, being Syntagma square).

Regarding luggage: If you arrive at 4AM that sounds like the either the Aegean or BA flight from London. In case of BA I would suspect that the flight to JTR is on a separate ticket. If that is the case then you may need to retrieve and check your luggage again. Which probably will not be possible so early. If you are on one single ticket it should be no problem to check your luggage through to JTR from your starting point.