Athens DO Dec. 17-19, 2010

I'm still holding my original res for the Airotel Parthenon, but thinking if others will be at the IC a switch might be in order, especially if I'm now the only one at the Parthenon. (Decided against the Sol Melia because of the neighborhood. Tried to book the Plaka Hotel, but sold out. Not up for your choice MikeMpls, although the price has great appeal.)

I'm returning to FRA Sunday evening because I really don't want another 3 am taxi ride through the streets of anywhere. This trip will finish my 200,000 miles BIS this year and I'm getting tired and cranky. The clock will reset Jan 1 and along with losing unused system wides, I promise to lose this bad attitude.

Greece sounds like a place I need to be right now, assuming I survive the inhumane temps in FRA this weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all.

I'm in the Airotel Parthenon and will stay there. Since I bought flight and Hotel through Expedia I got a nice discount which I will loose if I switch the hotel.

I do hope the weather cooperates two weeks from now. Bundle up and have a Hot Toddy.

Have fun! I was in Athens two weeks ago, and had a blast. Weather was great, and the city was pretty much devoid of tourists. Prices at restaurants were lower than I expected too.

Forget anything I said in the past regarding my plans for this trip.

Firm: (aka prepaid)

Hotel: Plaka Hotel 72 USD per night from HotelClub.com (hotel's website shows them sold out but priced at 90 Euro) Residual HotelClub credits bring it down to $66.50. Sold!

Air:
Arriving Dec 16 at 5:50 pm on Aegean
Departing Dec 19 at 6:10 pm on Aegean

Looking forward to seeing you all in Athens!

I took up MikeMpls' recommendation and got a room @ the Hotel Aristoteles for $31/night
Arriving Dec 17th EasyJet 4983 @ 10:35 AM
Departing Dec 22nd Royal Jordanian 132 @ 4:10 PM

Hope to make it in time for the 1 pm Rendrezvous @ National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Any other members of the Do staying past the 19th of Dec? I am planning a trip to Delphi and Olympia after the Do.

Looks like we are on the same flight back to FRA on sunday.

Looking forward to see you everyone in Athens.

I've updated the list of attendees. At this point I assume the "maybe"s aren't going to make it, which leaves 13 of us:
For this DO, it appears that the Levites are split between the Parthenon & the IC, and the Bittites are hanging out at the Aristoteles.

We are arriving Sunday evening (MSP blizzard permitting) & will be doing some earnest research on the open dinners & lunches & the likely Sunday trip to Piraeus. If anyone else arrives before Friday & wants to join us, please look us up at the Aristoteles Hotel (Acharnon 15) near Omonia Square.

Greek alphabet & (mis)pronunciation lessons will be available on request. My Greek background is classical (undergrad degree & grad school) but it's the same weird alphabet.

We are leaving on the 21st for Frankfurt & K�ln.

The degree of planning as well as the occasional violence can be uncanny. Last time we were there, there was a well-planned two-day transit strike (during we the trains were conveniently running so the strikers could get to/from their demonstrations), which were mostly peaceful although a few cars were rolled & burned, but not in the central part of the city. The day before we arrive, anarchists blew up the main post office across the corner from Syntagma Square.

A couple years ago rioters trashed & burned the Christmas carnival in Syntagma Square.

If the group wants to, we can do the Aeropagus Saturday after we exit from the Acropolis. It won't be much of a climb back up. Such a detour would not include Filopappou Hill & the Cave of Socrates.

Hi, all. I arrive in Athens Thursday morning around 10:00 a.m. Any others, besides MikeMpls going to already be there? I would love to meet up with folks for dinner Thursday, maybe even a little sight-seeing that afternoon. I will be at the Parthenon hotel. Would other Parthenon guests PM me with contact info please? I am a novice DOer and would appreciate having others to hang out with. See y'all soon.

I plan to have only carry-on luggage and will arrive in Athens about 10:00 a.m. Is the metro o.k. from airport to hotel (Parthenon) or should I just forget that and get a taxi?

The Metro is fine or you can take the Express Bus X95 to Syntagma Square. The bus is cheaper and probably just as fast

Just some last minutes news from Swiss.

Hope no one is affected by this.

Thanks for the info, Blank Sheet.

Flight cancellations due to 24Hours strike of CAA and Air Traffic Control personnel in Greece on 15th December 2010
Press Releases - 12/13/2010

As a result of 24 Hours strike of CAA and Air Traffic Control Personnel in Greece, Aegean Airlines is being forced to cancel all flights on its network on Wednesday 15 December, 2010. Every effort is being made to re-accommodate passengers on flights on following days.

In addition, the following services due to operate on Tuesday 14 December, have been rescheduled:

A3 606/607 ATHENS � LONDON � ATHENS on 14 December, rescheduled to depart ATHENS 14:20� local time instead of 17:20� and to depart LONDON 17:20� local time instead 20:20�.

A3 132 ATHENS � THESSALONIKI on 14 December, rescheduled to depart ATHENS 22:30 instead of 23:00.

A3 664/665 ATHENS � MILAN � ATHENS on 14 December, rescheduled to depart Athens 17:30 local time instead of 18:00 and to depart MILAN 19:45� local time instead of 20:25.

A3 928 ATHENS � TEL-AVIV rescheduled to depart Athens on 14 December at 18:00 local time instead of 02:15 local time on 15 December.

A3 929 TEL-AVIV � ATHENS reschedule to depart Tel Aviv 21:00 on 14 December instead of 05:40� on 15 December.


Customers are kindly advised to check the latest flight details by calling:

From Greece 801 11 20000
From abroad or mobile + 30 210 6261000

Yeah, I woke up to this news then realized my flight on the 15th is to FRA and it will be the 16th when I arrive in FRA for my Aegean flight to Athens.

...and my upgrade cleared last night

...and my unassigned seat is now the last seat on the Upper Deck.

Life is so good I'm thinking about buying a lottery ticket. See you all in Athens!