Tourists visiting the ruins of ancient Athens will probably already be armed with a cheapo souvenir. Your archeological map (available for free or cheap) serves as both a necessary guide to the past and a fun souvenir for the future.
Build your map collection in Athens
Face it, if you’re planning to spend any time exploring Athens’ ancient past (and who isn’t?) you’re going to need a map. Confusion within the ancient city’s winding streets is normal, and most of the city’s ancient glories have been reduced to rubble. Even standing structures, such as the Acropolis, are surrounded by sites that could use a little explanation.
Here at EuroCheapo, we always recommend picking up free or cheap city maps whenever possible. In the case of Athens, we’re writing this advice in stone. For a cheapo souvenir, bring those maps home. Just imagine how great they’ll look framed and hanging in your rec room!
Digging for maps in Athens
Pick up free (or nearly free) city maps at one the city’s three tourism offices (also called GNTO or EOT):
The city’s main tourism office is located at 7 Tsoha (open 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on weekdays).
If you’re flying into Athens, you could swing by the office in the Arrivals Terminal of Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays).
A super-central tourism “information desk” is also located at 26 Amalias, near Syndagma Square. (Open 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.)
For more information, visit the Greece Tourism Office website.
Also, be aware that many archeological passes, necessary to visit the sites, include detailed maps. Don’t toss these out after your visit! For more information about the archeological sites, including days that they’re free to visit, check out our “budget tips to Athens” article.
While you’re at it…
As long as you’re hitting the town, why not pick up anything that’s written in Greek? A menu or a brochure, which might appear totally unintelligible and even frustrating while in Athens, will become cherished reminders of your time in Attica.
Also see: Our list of recommended budget hotels in Athens.
Editor’s Note: This is our second post in our “Cheapo Souvenirs” blog series. Join us over the next four weeks as we suggest one cheap or free souvenir to bring home from each city we cover on EuroCheapo. Do you have a suggestion for another cheap souvenir in Athens? Leave a comment below!