Various questions - 1 week in Athens and 1 week cruising the Cyclades

Hello everyone,

I’m a bit late planning, but we’re traveling as a family from October 26 to October 31, 2025, to Athens. After that, we’ll continue our journey from the port of Piraeus for a cruise with Celestyal Cruises (November 1 to November 8) in the Cyclades.

First, a few practical tips:

Is it easy to get by speaking French in Athens, or is English a must? Any tips for making yourself understood? Our hotel is located in central Athens. What do you recommend taking from the airport? A taxi, the metro, or the bus?

For sightseeing: We’ll be there for 5 days. What do you recommend? Should we book tickets for the monuments in advance or on-site? I’ve heard about a pass for visiting 5 monuments. What does it include? Do you have to visit all the monuments on the same day, or can you spread it out over the week? On some websites, it mentions that Tuesday, October 28, would be a free day for monuments. Can anyone confirm this, and what are the rules to benefit from it? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

Good evening, to make yourself understood it's better to know how to drop a few words in English. Don’t lose sight of the fact that when Greeks speak English, they tend to roll their "r"s—long story short, it helps with understanding. Otherwise, in my opinion, October is the off-season, so there’s no need to book ahead, but if you can, it’s better.

Hi there,

French isn’t widely spoken, so it’s best to know a few words of English. At the airport, you can take the metro, but it only runs every 35 minutes and costs 9 €. Otherwise, the bus runs every 20 minutes and costs 5.50 €. It’s the X95 that’ll take you to central Athens. A taxi costs around 40 €.

No need to book for the monuments. The 5-monument pass no longer exists. October 28th is the national holiday, so sites are free, but they’ll be packed, of course. Expect to queue to get in. There’s nothing special to do—just go to the entrance and wait until you’re told to enter.

Must-see spots: National Archaeological Museum, Acropolis Museum, Acropolis, stroll through Plaka, Benaki Museum, Olympic Stadium, National Gardens, and the changing of the guard in front of Parliament.

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Thanks for taking the time to reply!