2023
A few words from me:
Regarding the Erasmus exchange with West Attica University in Athens, I was first a little nervous about the idea of going far from home and my family, in a country with a different culture. Ultimately, it turned out to be one of the best experiences I had in my entire schooling. I strongly think that the choice to participate in a research project and not to follow traditional courses in an amphitheater strongly contributed to this.
About Athens:
First of all, Athens is a European capital with a relatively young population and warm, friendly inhabitants. Most people speak English very well, so there's no problem here.
We arrived in the capital in February, and to tell the truth, it's best to travel well equipped with warm clothes, as winter is pretty cold.
Athens is a very green city, with many well-kept parks.
The cost of living is around 30% lower than in France, which is a real plus compared with other destinations such as the Nordic countries.
About food:
Only happiness !
I’m not going to tell which are the best gyros, falafel, pasticcio in town. The best thing is to try them all and make up your own mind, but in general, google reviews help you avoid falling into tourist traps.
About museums:
Shame on me, I’m not a museum guy.
I’ve only done the acropolis museum and it was nice.
About transportation:
Firstly, when you arrive in Athens, I can only advise you to take the X95 bus to the city center and then take the bus or metro to your hotel. (approx. 5e bus | approx. 40e taxi).
It is important to apply for a transport card by bringing a school certificate to the transport office in Syntagma.
Everything can be done by metro and bus, Athens is incredibly well connected. (use the app Moovit or even Google map).
When we needed to take a taxi, we used the app called Taxi Beat (taxis are pretty cheap compared to France).
About islands:
As for the islands, I visited a few of them, preferring the less touristy ones. (-Santorini – Mykonos)
For those I visited :
- Aegina : Nearest Island from Athens (1h30 from Piraeus). Although Aris wouldn't recommend it, If you want to enjoy quad biking and sunbathing on the many beaches, Aegina is a good compromise.
- Paros : Good island for food, beautiful lands, nice beaches (a bit expensive for few things such as accommodation)
If you’re looking to rent a car or atv : https://best-paros-rentals.com/
- Naxos : My best island so far, pretty identical to Paros but with lower prices and less tourists!
- Zakynthos : Big island with few good beaches but we did come across plenty of jellyfish in the water during our trip. Must do : Navagio (Shipwreck beach)
About mainland:
At the end of the project, when we had a bit more free time, we had the opportunity to travel to many regions in Greece.
We started with a trip from Athens to Zakynthos, via the Peloponese and its Corinth Canal.
For this we rented a car in Athens. We did compare several companies, the one offering the best service was Europcar (in 2022 approximately 25-30e/day). We then booked a ferry with a place for the car to the island of Zakynthos.
Driving in Greece is similar as it is in France, in general all road users complying with the traffic laws. Greek highways are just as well maintained as those in France, and most of them are free of charge :-)
We then visited the Meteoras at the North of the country (approx. 5h drive from Athens).
It was in the Meteoras that I realized the diversity and variety of magnificent landscapes that Greece had to offer.
Best things to do and places to visit:
In Athens :
- Acropolis
- Lycabethus Hill
- Plaka
- Shopping streets near Syntagma
- Nightlife in general, good bars : Six dogs and all the ones in Psyri
- Nice rooftops at Monastiraki
About your expenses:
350e for the flat + approx. 300-400e for all expenses.
About your safety:
As a man, Athens is a very safe city. I can even say that I felt safer in Athens than in Lille.
Of course, as in all European cities, beware of pickpockets on buses and metros.
About accomodation:
For accommodation, we went through an agency that is well known by students. For research we spoke to Marina, who speaks very good French. (Agency name : Unlock Athens-www.unlockath.com)
We rented a flat (40m²) for two with two big bedrooms in the neighborhood of Pagrati.
About weather:
Don’t forget to bring a hot jacket in your luggage for February and early March.