Athens Travel Forum

Dear VT travellers,
i need your help: I’ll be in Athen from 21st until 23rd of August and I was looking for a cheap hotel. The cheapest ones that I found were all in Omonia Square or in the nearby streets, but some friends of mine and also some comments on the web say that it’s dangerous , it’s a bad district and it’s not advisable going out in the evening.
Is it true or it is enough to pay attention? Is it worst than the peripheric districts of Milan?
We are 5 people and 3 of us are typical Italian machos!Shall we change hotel or not?

Thanks in advance!

Hello! It would be better to avoid Omonia in general, but it also depends where exactly the hotel is. For example the roads Sradiou, Panepistimiou, Patision can be better than those who are on the other side (Piraios, Ag.Konstantinou). If you can be more specific you may get more help. Also have in mind that this is around the time that Athens is more empty, after those dates the Athenians will come back from their holidays.
All of these doesn´t mean that you and your friends will be in danger, but the aera is not so great, better somewhere more close to Monastiraki, Plaka.
I hope it was of any help!
Take care
J.

i think omonia is ok.
i will stay there myself next month when i'm in athens and i have stayed there at least 15 times over the past 19 y.
it has become better over the past few years and as long as people don't stagger around drunk or look for prostitutes or drugs then they should be fine there.
i have stayed there at least 15 times over the past 19 years and never had any problems.

tHANK YOU EVERYBODY! I THINK I WILL DEFINATELY STAY AT THE HOTEL I FOUND IN OMONIA (IT'S CALLED "Hotel Economic")!

The same question again :)

Cachaseiro: Omonoia hasnt changed at all. All of us that live in Athens think its much worst now. Its not attractive at all, thats for sure, Plaka area is much better for visitors (more expensive though).

Kia81 I dont think 5 people will have any problem but yes, the roads and especially the small streets around Agiou Konstantinou Str. or Pireos Str aint the best place to stroll into and they look like some areas of Milan :) Thats why the rents there are cheaper than other districts and thats why its full of iimigrants that cant afford a higher rent.

Anyway, have fun wherever u stay!
konstantinos

I like the area during the day because of many stores/markets that those people have there and usually we go to buy spices and thigns like that. But in the night some other people come and the landscape changes because of the drug dealers, the prostitutes etc

being a local and being a tourist in t city is always different.
as a foreigner i feel quite safe at night around omonia.
there are some seedy characters around but they don't give you trouble unless you look for it.
i work as a tourist guide for a danish travel agency and i have eldery clients staying in that part of town too from time to time and none of them have ever been assaulted there.

Se con voi ci sono 3 typical Italian machos non c'è problema. Prenotate l'hotel Economic e...buona vacanza!

Thank you guys for your suggestions!

Hello!:)

I have been living permanently in Athens for the past year.Before that i lived in West Greece and visited Athens often enough.

By common agreement Omonoia is an ugly,degraded and nasty district. Most of us avoid it except if we need to change metro,have a buisness around there or need to go for coffee to places around it like Exarhia. Quoting a friend of mine "even the air is different there". Just like guidebooks say it is full of drug addicts,drug dealers,immigrants and thiefs.

Avoid eating around there because the quality of the food is bad and the origins unknown.Like someone else suggested prefer to eat in Monastiraki,Plaka or Sintagma. Also mind your handbags and pockets. I hosted a couple of Australians last week and the guy told me that while he was walking Omonia someone put a hand in his pocket.

Booking a hostel there is a good idea since it is central and cheap but try to keep it as a base and tour around other parts of the city. You will be a group of 5,with 3 macho guys from Milan, so really don't worry!^_^ You won't be alone so you will DEFINATELY be fine and not threatened. It is a bad area but extremely dangerous like a gang neighborhood of New York.lol

Enjoy your trip in Athens!!