Would anyone have travel tips for Athens, Greece? If I only have 48 hours, what should we do? Thanks.

Parthenon and Acropolis of course. One less visited sight was the Lycabettus hill which you can reach by funicular and offers a good view of the bowl that modern Athens sits in. The Plaka also a top sight and wandering around for hours on your own will probably give you a better sense of the city than rushing to try and see everything in your limited amount of time.

One tip I can pass along is if your flight out leaves early, like 6:00 AM, consider staying at the Sofitel at the airport. It might cost a few extra dollars but I sure whished I'd done it a few years back and saved myself some extra winks betting up middle of the night at a downtown hotel.

Enjoy.

Assuming this is your initial trip to Greece.....

I would recommend taking an Aegean Airlines flight to Santorini, and spending a couple of days wandering the villages of Fira and Oia.

I can assure you the memories of dining on the cliffs of Qia at sunset will stay with you at lot longer than the Archaeological museum of Athens, or the overly touristy Plaka.

Here is a look at the Santorini volcanic caldera from a cam in Fira.

http://www.santorini.net/caldera.html

Many assumptions, including assuming OP isn't visiting Athens on their way to/from other Greece destinations such as Santorini. OP specifically did ask how to fill 48 hours in Athens.

Actually, we're starting our cruise in Athens and I just wanted some suggestions on what to do with my time for 48 hours before we left.

www.greektravel.com will give you absolutely everything you need to know.
Highly recommended.
He'll even answer your emails.

Athens is a very interesting city, although a bit of a jumble to some visitors who may be used to the wide boulevards and straight avenues of Western European cities such as Paris, for example. Yes, it can be touristy at time and in places but I would still recommend braving it for some time in areas like the Plaka. A nice meal in a small taverna practically at the base of the Acropolis is a nice way to end an Athens day. Syntagma (Constitution) Square also worth seeing and it is in the centre of the city so many sights are fairly close by.

However,beware of Athens taxi drivers - they'll rob you of the clothes you're standing in !

A very dangerous generalization. I've had many rides in all seasons in Athens taxis and found them generally no better but also no worse than other major cities like NYC, LAX or HKG.

Your right...I stand corrected.

After the Acropolis, the highlight of my trip to Athens was visiting the
archaeological site of Delphi.

It is an easy day trip from Athens, about two hours away.

Well,I've been visiting Athens regularly for 30 years and have lost count of the number of times they've tried to rip me off.
They've always practised their nefarious arts but fine-tuned them during the Olympics.
Each and every time I've travelled from the airport they've tried to add all sorts of " taxes " and each and every time I point out that the fare is clearly stated on a sign at the taxi rank and their licence number is clearly visible in the cab.
Cue taxi driver exiting fast accompanied by exhaust fumes and insults.
Even Athenians are embarrassed by their taxi drivers.

I've been travelling regularly to Athens on business for the last seven years. I had noticed a significant improvement in the attitude of taxi drivers before and during the Olympics. My (limited) personal experience over the last two years is that some of them seem to be falling back to their old tricks.

I also have extensive experience with Athens taxi drivers. In my experience, about a third of them are cheats, about a third are honest but couldn't care less about service and don't know the city well, and a third are pleasant, honest, and competent. I'm talking about the official, metered taxis: there are also unlicensed "gypsy" taxi drivers who will approach you in Piraeus and other touristed spots. These are to be avoided like the plague.

One of the worst things about Athens taxis is that so many of them are in disgusting shape: broken air conditioning, filthy interiors, and sometimes, astonishingly and outrageously, with seatbelts that are broken or deliberately disabled.

You're much less likely to have a problem with a taxi called for you by your hotel, though this costs a few Euros extra.

Outside of Athens taxis and their drivers tend to be much better.

One recommendation for Athens is for accomodation-we stayed at the Acropolis Select the night before we headed of for a cruise. It's right beside the Sygrou-Fix Metro station, and for 81 Euro (taxes in) we had a decent room with a partial view of the Acropolis, a big deck, and in the morning we had a fantastic buffet style breakfast. Definitely would stay there again for the great value and location.

We've stayed in the same hotel although with not such a good view. Agree though that the hotel is of good quality, in a relatively nice area and within a short walking distance to the Plaka and even the Acropolis.

We've had good luck with our taxi drivers in Athens and elsewhere in Greece. The Greeks are generally very honest and friendly people. Don't know about the ethnicity of all of the taxi drivers though.