| Athens has a wide range of excellent mid-range | | | | many more facilities and is three times as costly the |
| hotels, many conveniently placed in and around the | | | | former. It is perfectly acceptable to ask to see a room |
| Plaka district. They give easy access to the Acropolis, | | | | before committing yourself. Foreign visitors must |
| many museums, good shopping and the widest choice | | | | surrender their passports until the details have been |
| of eating places, only a few minutes' walk from | | | | entered in the hotel's records. This can take anything |
| Syntagma Square and fashionable Kolonaki. It is far | | | | from one minute to several days. |
| easier for the average visitor to find a good and | | | | Arriving without Accommodation |
| affordable central hotel in Athens than it is in most | | | | If you are arriving by air, the Greek National Tourist |
| other European capitals. | | | | Organization has an information desk at the El |
| Accommodation is inspected regularly by the Tourist | | | | Venizelos Airport (tel: 210 3530000) or visit the airport |
| Police and graded according to a range of criteria. The | | | | site and can advise. In Piraeus, their office is in the |
| top grade is Luxury, the rest go from A to E class. | | | | EOT building on the Zea Marina harbor (tel: 413-5716). If |
| The grade affects the prices, which are fixed by law | | | | these are closed, head for central Athens, taking the |
| ¬though this is not to say that an unofficial price may | | | | airport bus to Syntagma or the metro from Piraeus to |
| not be sometimes agreed. Prices are per room not | | | | Monastiraki. Both destinations are on the edge of the |
| per person, though a single traveler may be offered a | | | | Plaka, where there are many excellent inexpensive |
| discount on a double room, if available. Prices should be | | | | hotels. There are three on Kodrou alone, and if these |
| displayed in the room, though this is not always | | | | are full the owners will direct you to others near by. In |
| adhered to, and in any case price lists can be | | | | any case it is difficult to walk in Athens with baggage |
| confusing. Prices vary with the season, last year's list | | | | for more than five minutes without being asked if you |
| may not have been updated, and prices might be | | | | are looking for a hotel. Here common sense must |
| quoted with or without taxes, and with or without | | | | prevail. Some of the offers will be genuine, though |
| breakfast. In the unlikely event of your being grossly | | | | naturally you will be guided to a friend's or relative's |
| overcharged, report the matter to the Tourist Police. | | | | hotel. |
| They have the power to close establishments down, | | | | It is unlikely you will be led down a dark alley and |
| and few hotel owners would risk that against a | | | | mugged, though there are confidence tricksters as in all |
| short-term gain from a tourist. | | | | cities. Ask the person the name of the hotel, where it |
| Luxury hotels are of the same standard as anywhere | | | | is, how far it is and how much it will cost. If the |
| else in the world, A and B class generally have all or | | | | answers are vague ('come with me, I show you, not |
| most of their rooms with private facilities, C class | | | | far'), it is best to stay where you and ask a policeman |
| hotels can be anything, while in D and E class you | | | | or shopkeeper for help. It is better to ask a |
| should not expect private facilities and these are | | | | shopkeeper, who knows the area and is known, rather |
| mainly low budget options. The grading system is only | | | | than rely on an unknown stranger in the street. |
| a general guideline to standards. An A class hotel has | | | | |