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Athens guide #106074 02/27/08 12:27 PM
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Ms Understood Offline OP
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Anyone know one? We will be there in June and the only post here is for George and Spiro. No idea who Spiro is and apparently George sent his son who wasn't very good. We have not been to Athens before so not comfortable "DIY". Might have to take the ship excursion if no one here has any advice?
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Helen

Re: Athens guide #106075 02/27/08 03:42 PM
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Wandra Offline
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Are you just stopping there, or embarking/disembarking? How long do you have in port?


Wendy
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Booked: Uniworld Egypt, 2015
Tauck Amsterdam to Budapest, 2016
Paul Gauguin, Societies & Tuamotus 2016
Re: Athens guide #106076 02/27/08 08:16 PM
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Ms Understood Offline OP
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Hi Wendy, just there for the day. I think its 8am to 5pm or thereabouts. Its a Celebrity cruise of Turkey and Greek Islands. We are all set for all ports exc Athens. I just don't hear too much good about it but was kinda hoping someone knew a tour guide that would make it a great day.
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Helen

Re: Athens guide #106077 02/27/08 08:22 PM
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jhp Offline
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Helen, private guides in the ports in Greece, Italy and France are costing a fortune these days I used a person sent by the Greek Taxi driver who is all over the net only because we wanted to drive out to Cape Sounian. If you only want to see the Acropolis and environs, just take a cab from the port.

Re: Athens guide #106078 02/28/08 03:52 AM
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Wandra Offline
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If you're mobile and like to walk, try getting a cab over to the Piraeus metro stop. Then you can get into and out of Athens quickly.

But, you might have trouble finding a cab that will take you there, since it's a short distance and not much of a fare. In fact finding a cab to come back would be even worse; we had great problems finding a cab to take us from the Piraeus ferry port into Athens after a trip to an island (we were chickens, didn't take the subway, but we had luggage.)

I believe the subway stop is about a 15 or 20 minute walk, but Athens can be pretty hot in summer, and you'll do lots of walking once in town. So getting a cab straight to Athens might be best in the long run, but remember traffic can be pretty bad, so give yourself lots of time to get back to the ship.


Wendy
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Booked: Uniworld Egypt, 2015
Tauck Amsterdam to Budapest, 2016
Paul Gauguin, Societies & Tuamotus 2016
Re: Athens guide #106079 02/28/08 07:45 AM
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ChatKat... Offline
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You can take a cab to the Acrpolis, tour there - you want to be early since it will be hot. Then you can take a cab to the Plaka. The subway is right there at the Plaka and very easy to put your money in the kiosk to get a ticket. Or you can just grab a cab from there back to port.


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Re: Athens guide #106080 02/28/08 11:41 AM
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Ms Understood Offline OP
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Sounds like Athens is pretty easy to get around. Thanks for the help.
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Helen

Re: Athens guide #106081 05/06/08 12:18 PM
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Ngaire Online
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Found a WONDERFUL person.

Found this good taxi driver coming from the Silver Whisper to the airport.

Stelios Spinoulas

Stelios_spinoulas@hotmail.com
Mobile: 697-651-8378
Fax: 210-4632-152
8 Anakou Street
187 56 Piraeus – Greece.

He lived and worked in the merchant shipping business in the States for years and then moved back to Greece. This is his "retirement job".

Great English. One of his sons was born in the USA and is an American citizen. Can organize more than one taxi and also do tours. He can also get vans to do tours for multiple people. Getting a new Mercedes taxi in January 2009.

Cost was 50 euros for the cab with tip included from the port to the airport which was what everyone was charging with their baggage charges and he was delightful to travel with.

No commission or referral fee for Brown and Keene here you just contact him and make all the arrangements directly. If you want to tell him Brown and Keene or Ngaire sent you that is fine. I would like him to know I am sending him people as I promised, but this is 100% between you and him.

Athens is notorious for rip off artists with taxis. They are all independently owned and operated and can charge what they like. We have had more trouble in Athens than anywhere so nice to have found Stelios He is the "taxi leader" and knows everyone.

Re: Athens guide #106082 05/06/08 06:31 PM
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Claudia Offline
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For driver in Greece/ Athens try emailing Paul
at:

athenstaxi@athenstaxi.org


Re: Athens guide #106083 05/07/08 07:44 AM
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Ms Understood Offline OP
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Thanks Ngaire, I will keep him in mind but meanwhile I have already booked Paul. He seems to be "the guy" in Athens I guess at least until the word gets out on Stelios.
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Helen

Re: Athens guide #106084 05/07/08 08:28 AM
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Freddie Offline
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For your additional consideration, we had a very good experience on Monday with Vassilis Vassolos.

We used Vassilis on Monday to pick us up at the ship, take us on a great tour of the Attica coast down to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, then on to the airport Sofitel. He speaks very good English, is enormously amiable, and is quite passionate about Greece and Greek culture (think of the father character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

He does airport transfers, as well as tours. We will likely use him again for a day tour to Corinth or Delphi at the end of CAVIAR.

Vassilis Vassalos

His website with all the contact info is:

www.athenstours.gr

Re: Athens guide #106085 05/07/08 03:50 PM
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TedC Offline
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Quote
Originally posted by Ms Understood:
Thanks Ngaire, I will keep him in mind but meanwhile I have already booked Paul. He seems to be "the guy" in Athens I guess at least until the word gets out on Stelios.
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Helen
On our most recent trip to Athens we used Paul and were pleased. It was the year the "new" Olympics were in Athens.

There were four of us in his new Mercedes and we went to the usual sites in Athens and also to Cape Sounion.

Traffic was heavy and we worried we'd miss the ship.

Paul said if we missed the ship his wife would feed us and put us up for the night and he'd drive us to the next port, Katakalon.

I knew then we'd make the ship for sure!

Paul lived in the US for several years and must be the only cab driver in Greece who doesn't smoke. He claimed there was one other nonsmoker.



"Life is far too serious to be taken seriously."
Re: Athens guide #106086 05/07/08 04:48 PM
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Freddie Offline
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Ted - We will happily add Vassilis Vassalos to the short list of non-smoking taxi drivers in Athens. Perhaps he was the other nonsmoker to whom Paul referred.

Re: Athens guide #106087 05/08/08 07:29 AM
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Ms Understood Offline OP
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Good to hear about the non smoking issue. Thanks for that tidbit which I hadn't even thought of. All the guides and drivers we've had, altho many smoked they all seemed to wait till we got out of the car and then they smoked outside while waiting for us. Not so in Athens?
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Helen

Re: Athens guide #106088 06/28/08 04:58 AM
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cruisinfanatic Offline
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I am adding another driver in Athens. He is a non smoker and their cabs are non smoking.

www.athenstaxi.net
contact: spirostours@yahoo.com

We had a wonderful tour with Jimmy our driver, and Spriros also made a reservation at Psara Taverna for 11 of us for a group dinner on Sunday, great table and a great time.


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