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Piraeus

Piraeus, the port gateway to Athens

Port of Piraeus
Piraeus is the ancient harbour and gateway to Athens. A huge city in it's own right, Piraeus is the largest port in Europe and third largest in the world, and hosts a huge number of ferries which service the Greek mainland and islands, whilst also acting as a main cargo port and cruise terminal.

The ports three deep water harbours have been a bonus for centuries, with the city of Athens actually fortifying a passage way from Athens to the harbour city.

Both the city of Athens and the harbour city have prospered, thanks to the natural layout, and both have grown. Many passengers do not realise that Piraeus is actually a city in it's own right, and presume that it is just a part of Athens.

In modern times, the harbour has become a hub for both ferries and of course cruise ships.
Piraeus, gateway to Athens The Harbour itself is not particularily attractive, being a functional busy port, however, there are plenty of oportunities to take a good look at the variety of ships in port, from the pleasure cruisers of the rich, to the rusting ships of old cargo companies.

The port has very good security with police and luggage scanners at the terminal building. For passengers wishing to go freestyle and explore on your own, there are maps on the termianl wall to help and a large taxi rank outside the terminal door.

There are also trains into Athens, as roads can get very busy at peak times. Athens has a huge host of ancient buildings to visit and explore, some of these are instantly recognisable, such as the Acropolis, which dominates the skyline for miles to the National Garden and the Zappeion

Transport is easy to find and use and although most taxi fares are standard, there is some room for haggling. For instance, on one ship, the tour to the Corinth canal was cancelled. The trip had orginally been sold by the shore excursion staff as £40 per person, we managed to do a deal with a driver for €80 for three of us. This included the 60 mile drive to the canal, but also some time on the bridge and a look around the old city.

By undertaking the more personal small trips, especially in taxi's, it's possible to see more and get a veyr personal service. We were able to pause and watch the bungee jumpers over the canal, and watch local people going about their business rather than being herded as a large group.

Information

Places to see
Panathinaikon Stadium
Home of the first modern Olympics which took place here in 1896.
Temple of Olympic Zeus
The ancient temple of Olympic Zeus standing proud amongst the new buildings of the modern day Athens.
Acropolis
No trip to Athens would be complete without a trip to the Acropolis, or at least with a view of this ancient structure visable for miles.
Corinth Canal
Approximately 60 miles from Athens but well worth the visit.
Local info
Coming soon
Photos - coming soon

In honest my opinion - coming soon

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