Athens

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:39 pm

I know we have to get through but I like to plan ahead.

Has anybody got any info or knowledge about Athens and which area to get hotels etc..?

Flights look reasonable with a back up of Thessalonika if they shoot up.

superdimitri · Post by **superdimitri** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:44 pm

Or Luzern?

Claretmatt4 · Post by **Claretmatt4** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:45 pm

I can't afford it unfortunately, but you can get to athens via Berlin for £280, weds to Sat

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:46 pm

superdimitri wrote:Or Luzurn?

That's another thread.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:47 pm

Claretmatt4 wrote:I can't afford it unfortunately, but you can get to athens via Berlin for £280, weds to Sat

Yeah plenty of flight options.

Grumps · Post by **Grumps** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:55 pm

Glyfada is a seaside resort nearby where hotels might be cheaper.... It used to be next to the airport, but a new airport was built several years ago

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:34 pm

Had a quick nosy, looks like the ground is in the port area of Piraeus. Plenty going on round there with lots of hotels and bars by the look of it.

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:35 pm

Lots of half finished old buildings....

Targetman · Post by **Targetman** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:49 pm

Grumps wrote:Glyfada is a seaside resort nearby where hotels might be cheaper.... It used to be next to the airport, but a new airport was built several years ago

Went to Athens to watch England several years ago, we stayed 4 nights in Glyfada, nice hotel right across from the beach.
Plenty of bars there and not too far from the centre of Athens.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:09 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02JzwF9vpCY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's a video of United there a few years ago, shows a bit of what we can expect.

I'm sure it says there's only 6 toilets in the away end.

Foreverly Claret · Post by **Foreverly Claret** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:03 pm

I usually go to Athens once a year so can give you some pointers re travel etc .I use Piraeus a lot because the hotels are cheaper and I use the ferries to get to the Greek Islands.

Olympiakos stadium is in Piraeus and the locals / fans don't like to be associated with Athens.

I've only seen the stadium from the outside but it looks good .Its right beside the Metro line..the station being FALIRO which is the first stop heading out of Piraeus to Athens. Trains every 10 minutes or better .Depending on where you are staying you could also use the new tram system..the nearest stop being the Peace and Friendship stadium ..the tram lines run from Syntagma Square in Athens and from Voulas which is on the bay to the east of Athens ..somebody mentioned Glyfada and its near there..about 1 hour away I would say.You can see Olympiakos stadium from the P & F .which used to be the terminus but last time I was there ( 2017 ) they were extending the line into Piraeus city centre . Plenty of decent hotels in Piraeus ( I stayed at Scorpio )..especially round the headland loads of fish tavernas and decent places to eat and good bus / taxi services into the town centre .The Piraeus Metro Station is bang opposite the port.

Athens airport is way out of town BUT the Metro station is right by the airport...Line 3...if you want to go to Piraeus you change to Line 1 at Monastiraki..about 1 hour to Piraeus metro station.Watch out for pickpockets at Monistaraki I got turned over there and smoothly relieved of £180...silly bugger me for having it in my arse pocket .An alternative to the Metro is the express bus services from the airport into the Athens city centre OR directly to Piraeus...the X96 goes direct to Piraeus port and last time I used it it cost about 5euros...they run up to 6 times an hour.

Flights are plentiful..Ryanair from Stansted ( or Manchester via Milan ) Easy Jet Manchester and Gatwick , British Airways Heathrow and Aegean did have a service from Manchester direct but I don't know the frequencies .Somebody mentioned going by Thessalonika...that's a fair way from Athens..Ryanair used to do three flights a day from T to A but I 'm not sure about getting to T..Jet 2 do it at the moment but might have stopped by the date of the match.

intrepid Clarets will be sure to find a way...LETS HOPE WE GO !!!!!

Claret&Green · Post by **Claret&Green** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:14 pm

Foreverly Claret wrote:
Olympiakos stadium is in Piraeus and the locals / fans don't like to be associated with Athens

Isn't the official name of the team Olympiakos Piraeus?

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:54 pm

Spent a bit of time there a few years ago. Apart from the historical sights (well worth a visit) there is nothing much to recommend the place. Humid with awful pollution. Avoid anything around a place called Omonia Square. It's one of the main squares in the city but, at least when I was there, it is dirty and somewhat dodgy at night. Syntagma Square in front of the parliament building is quite nice with a lot of very good cafes and bars. 4/5 star hotels are fine but anything less and you are not getting very much for your money. If for any reason you have to go to Salonika be mindful of the fact that the train service is dire with only one line running up and down the country and the service is poor. Of course some of this may have changed but I haven't heard anything to suggest it has.

mybloodisclaret · Post by **mybloodisclaret** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 4:25 pm

houseboy wrote:Spent a bit of time there a few years ago. Apart from the historical sights (well worth a visit) there is nothing much to recommend the place. Humid with awful pollution. Avoid anything around a place called Omonia Square. It's one of the main squares in the city but, at least when I was there, it is dirty and somewhat dodgy at night. Syntagma Square in front of the parliament building is quite nice with a lot of very good cafes and bars. 4/5 star hotels are fine but anything less and you are not getting very much for your money. If for any reason you have to go to Salonika be mindful of the fact that the train service is dire with only one line running up and down the country and the service is poor. Of course some of this may have changed but I haven't heard anything to suggest it has.

Take it you enjoyed it then?

simonclaret · Post by **simonclaret** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 4:36 pm

Claretmatt4 wrote:I can't afford it unfortunately, but you can get to athens via Berlin for £280, weds to Sat

£263 Manchester direct, EasyJet, Wed - Fri.

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 4:41 pm

mybloodisclaret wrote:Take it you enjoyed it then?

Actually I loved it but I was younger then. I liked Greece generally but the problem at the time was they were having a heatwave that was literally killing people and everyone was a bit miserable for a good few weeks. Greece is brilliant but Athens disappointed me greatly. Was there a couple of times while we were staying over there, thankfully in someone's private flat the second time. As I said it is well worth a visit for the history, it is kind of magical in that respect, the cradle of democracy and all that, but the city itself is not the nicest place I've ever been in.

The railway system IS a bit of a joke though, even with Greeks.

mybloodisclaret · Post by **mybloodisclaret** » Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:14 pm

houseboy wrote:Actually I loved it but I was younger then. I liked Greece generally but the problem at the time was they were having a heatwave that was literally killing people and everyone was a bit miserable for a good few weeks. Greece is brilliant but Athens disappointed me greatly. Was there a couple of times while we were staying over there, thankfully in someone's private flat the second time. As I said it is well worth a visit for the history, it is kind of magical in that respect, the cradle of democracy and all that, but the city itself is not the nicest place I've ever been in.

The railway system IS a bit of a joke though, even with Greeks.

Never been to Athens but been to a lot of the Islands, esp Crete. I will be making the trip if we go that way!!

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am

Flights have jumped up so it must mean plenty of Clarets have booked already or the shear number of searches has alerted the travel companies.
Lots of options to go to nearby islands and get the ferry in.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:12 am

The ground itself is supposed to very hostile along with surrounding area and train station.
A lot of Everton fans got attacked at the train station by a big mob with no police presence.

The city during the day will be fine though.

Paul Waine · Post by **Paul Waine** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:21 am

Think twice before you book Ryanair. Pilots seem happy to call a strike with only a couple of days notice. Lot's of Ryanair flights cancelled today. it will happen again.

Maybe threat of Ryanair strikes is also impacting demand for other airlines - pushing up fairs.

And, don't forget, Thurs 23rd August is (early) start of bank holiday w/end.

Pity I'll be in Denver for work for a couple of weeks. The Parthenon is an absolute must to visit, but please don't bring back any souvenirs, there are enough already in the British Museum.

Clevedon Claret · Post by **Clevedon Claret** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:52 am

Anyone thinking of driving, or motorcycling to Olympiacos, presuming we beat the Turks?

A really good opportunity for a nice touring holiday.

From Calais take a route to Ancona in Italy, then a Superfast ferry to Patras, then a short drive to Piraeus. much easier than going the long way round.

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:01 am

Surely no Clarets have been brave enough to book flights already? I'm really hoping to get to this one after missing out on Istanbul, just have to find some way of getting time off work and paying for it!

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:22 am

Paying for it is the worst haha

padihamclaret · Post by **padihamclaret** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:37 am

Booked to go 22nd to the 24th on the chance that we get through. If not, we'll have 2 nights in a historical city. We'll also try and get tickets if we don't get through, can't see olympiakos blowing a 4 goal lead.

Clevedon Claret · Post by **Clevedon Claret** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:39 am

Quickenthetempo wrote:Paying for it is the worst haha

No doubts..
Good option for 4 or 5 wanting to travel together though?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:47 am

I was looking at taking the kids via Mykanos and Ferry but the hotels in Mykonos are sky high.

I will see if flight times and ferry times link up to go straight to Athens

Dyched · Post by **Dyched** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:58 am

If we get through it all depends on the ticket office.

If they announce tickets like they did for Istanbul then Im not sure what Ill do. Book a flight risking they dont hit general sale?

Im quite glad of what they did in the end today

£600 it would have cost me for about 6 1/2 hours in turkey

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:22 am

Paul Waine wrote:Think twice before you book Ryanair. Pilots seem happy to call a strike with only a couple of days notice. Lot's of Ryanair flights cancelled today. it will happen again.

Maybe threat of Ryanair strikes is also impacting demand for other airlines - pushing up fairs.

And, don't forget, Thurs 23rd August is (early) start of bank holiday w/end.

Pity I'll be in Denver for work for a couple of weeks. The Parthenon is an absolute must to visit, but please don't bring back any souvenirs, there are enough already in the British Museum.

The Parthenon is a magical place to visit and the climb up to it definitely keeps you fit (love all the cats), but the view is kind of odd if you look out over the city because (of course it might have changed in 30 years) it gives a terrific but slightly sad view of just how polluted Athens is, we could see the haze hanging over the place.

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:27 am

Clevedon Claret wrote:Anyone thinking of driving, or motorcycling to Olympiacos, presuming we beat the Turks?

A really good opportunity for a nice touring holiday.

From Calais take a route to Ancona in Italy, then a Superfast ferry to Patras, then a short drive to Piraeus. much easier than going the long way round.

Done the long way round on trains and buses years ago. An interesting experience. Travelled the whole length of the old Yugoslavia before the war there, a beautiful place. Stayed with a woman and her daughter in a flat in Sarajevo (beautiful city at that time). It was the centre of many of the atrocities in the civil war and I often wonder what became of the lady and her daughter.

gingerstudios · Post by **gingerstudios** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:27 am

EasyJet flights out of Manchester to Athens on Wednesday now sold out - some very confident Clarets out there!

nyclaret · Post by **nyclaret** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:32 am

gingerstudios wrote:EasyJet flights out of Manchester to Athens on Wednesday now sold out - some very confident Clarets out there!

Still showing available flights when I just checked?

gingerstudios · Post by **gingerstudios** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:33 am

nyclaret wrote:Still showing available flights when I just checked?

Shows for me too until you try to book and it shows sold out on all flight checkers and esyjet site

gingerstudios · Post by **gingerstudios** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:37 am

Manchester to Athens showing flights for Wed 22nd Aug
19 people currently looking

Wed
22 Aug
Dep15:45
Arr21:40
Outbound Flight Departure Time Wednesday 22nd August, 15:45. Arrival Time Wednesday 22nd August, 21:40. Sold out

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 12:16 pm

Booked a hotel in Piraeus this morning.

In Dyche we trust.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 12:21 pm

Let's just hope that Burnley officials and Police go out to Greece on the way back to get all the information needed for fans. That way it can be posted straight away should we progress.

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 12:38 pm

Has anyone got any experience/advice on travelling between Thessaloniki and Athens?

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 2:52 pm

I have just booked after hesitating and eventually missing out on Istanbul.
Cannot see Olympiakos blowing it so the only problem is ourselves.
I have booked with the option of cancelling the flight but with it being reimbursed in another flight to be taken within one year so not bad a deal,cost 230 euros in total arriving at 0900 Thursday morning coming back Sunday evening 2100.

Indecisive · Post by **Indecisive** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:24 pm

diamondpocket wrote:I have just booked after hesitating and eventually missing out on Istanbul.
Cannot see Olympiakos blowing it so the only problem is ourselves.
I have booked with the option of cancelling the flight but with it being reimbursed in another flight to be taken within one year so not bad a deal,cost 230 euros in total arriving at 0900 Thursday morning coming back Sunday evening 2100.

Who is this deal with? Looks reasonable.

On the basis I haven’t even arrived back from Istanbul yet to face the wife though.... could well be getting ahead of myself.

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:44 pm

Volotea, only problem is if there are problems on the way out being Thursday, day of the game. Been a busy Summer with lots of cancellations and delays so fingers crossed everything goes well if we get to that point.

Burnleybabe · Post by **Burnleybabe** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:16 pm

tybfc wrote:Booked a hotel in Piraeus this morning.

In Dyche we trust.

Which one tybfc

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:28 pm

There's plenty of hotels so not in a rush to book that but flights shoot up massively.

bfcmartin · Post by **bfcmartin** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:52 pm

I've had a look at Manchester to Corfu Wednesday 5.35pm over night in Corfu then Thursday morning 7am Corfu to Athens gets in at 8am back to Corfu Friday morning then back to Manchester about 1.30pm arrives back at 3.30ish. Manchester to Corfu return is £152 then Corfu to Athens return is £100

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:03 pm

Corfu is a good shout foe booking early as you have the option of going to Sidari, Ipsos or the livelier Kavos if we don't get through.

Nonayforever · Post by **Nonayforever** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:26 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:Let's just hope that Burnley officials and Police go out to Greece on the way back to get all the information needed for fans. That way it can be posted straight away should we progress.

They are going out on Tuesday to do a reki with the local plod / club / council.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:45 pm

Burnleybabe wrote:Which one tybfc

Scorpios Sea Side Hotel Piraeus.

Looks really nice and cheap and close to the ground.

You can book on a cancellation basis so if we get beaten next week you don't have to pay.

KeighleyClaret · Post by **KeighleyClaret** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:01 am

Grumps wrote:Glyfada is a seaside resort nearby where hotels might be cheaper.... It used to be next to the airport, but a new airport was built several years ago

Got an excellent golf course with an international membership. I play with a group from Glyfada every year in Ballater, near to Aberdeen.

KeighleyClaret · Post by **KeighleyClaret** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:02 am

There used to be a bus to Athens from London, took most of a week.
http://www.roadjunky.com/1921/the-speci ... to-athens/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RingoMcCartney · Post by **RingoMcCartney** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:06 am

May 19, 1994, Plymouth 1 Burnley 3

JIMMY Mullen’s pre-match team talk was quite simple.

Having played out a goalless draw at Turf Moor, Plymouth were confident of success in the second leg of this old second division play-off tie.

Too confident in fact, given that they had already booked transport to Wembley.

Longsider · Post by **Longsider** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 9:20 am

If we get through how many tickets are we likely to get. I have a season ticket but not thousands of points.

Granny WeatherWax · Post by **Granny WeatherWax** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 9:31 am

At least 1600. No need to worry about not getting one.