I am a published author and my book was voted by BBC Radio 4 in England as one of the best reads of the year. As well as this I run 2 of my own online retail sites so I know the importance of keeping language succinct and to the point. I have attached a sample of an article that I have just finished on Athens. I was given a short paragraph and had to expand on it.
The best time to visit Athens.
Lets face it, whether you are taking a weekend off or a full months holiday you want to get the best value for your hard earned money that you can. And by this I don’t only mean ticket prices and hotel rates. What I’m talking about is “Timing”. Every destination will have a best time to visit. With some destinations this is an easy question to answer. We all know that you don’t visit a beach resort in the rainy season, or a ski resort in summer, but when is the best time to visit a beautiful, bustling city like Athens?
Like all popular holiday spots the best time to go cannot be decided solely on the weather. Some people do seem to think – the hotter the better – and, if this is all that you are interested in, well then it’s easy…go to Athens in July or August. With an average temperature of 27.8 Celsius it’s hotter than Thessalonica, Crete or even Rhodes! In fact, this is when most people visit Athens. I mean, it’s hard to think of a better place to be when the sun is blazing; a beautiful city close to the sea. But, and there is a but, Athens is very crowded during this time. Hotel rooms are hard to find, the traffic can get really backed up and you will have had to pay top-dollar for your air fare and lodging. However, here’s a good tip; Athens actually suddenly empties during the week of the 15th of August as all of the locals go on their holidays and, as a result, you can get good deals on hotel rooms over this particular week. Remember to be sure to book a hotel with air-conditioning – it can be a life saver. Another thing to remember; if you are visiting during the months of July and August then ensure that you book everything that you can in advance. And I’m not just talking hotel rooms here – you also need to book ferries, because they get pretty booked up (not just the ones to the most popular islands like Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete or Santorini –but even the ones to the smaller islands that are not as well known).
Even in these hot months the evenings in Athens do cool down quite nicely. You would do well to spend a leisurely evening discovering the delights of the Plaka (the oldest section of Athens with many great restaurants and cafes), or even the Psiri which is a bit more frenetic and upbeat that the older, laid back Plaka area. But be warned – they will be packed with tourists and locals alike, however, this is part of the fun. After all, you don’t go to Athens to be on a desert island, you go to be entertained.
Okay…what about the “Not-quite-so-hot” months? These would fall either side of the hottest ones so we are looking at May-June and September-October. Personally, these are my best months. The average temperature is around the mid-early twenties. You may get the odd day of rain but it’s pretty unusual. Also – the school holidays are over (or haven’t begun yet), so the city is a lot less crowded. You won’t need to book ferries in advance if you want to take in a few of the islands and the hotels are substantially cheaper. To me these are the perfect months for restaurants. Most of the eating establishments in Athens are outdoors (or have a large outdoor area). There is nothing better than working your way through a platter of Meze, drinking a glass of chilled Boutaris (a fruity and lightly resonated Greek wine) while relaxing in the perfect, balmy, warmth. It’s also a lot easier to go sight-seeing in this weather because climbing the Acropolis or hiking around the countryside during the height of summer is simply too hot for comfort.
The months; November to March can be much colder. In fact the average temperatures can drop as low as ten degrees and quite a few days they will get into single figures. The average rainfall also goes up dramatically so that you often get a few days of rain in a row. But, that said, over this period the night-life in Athens really comes alive! This is the best time to visit the Psiri, an area designated for night-life where the night genuinely seems to go on forever.
Wow…after reading this it seems a bit like there is no bad time to go to Athens! I would say that this is correct – it truly is a fantastic city with friendly people a vibrant atmosphere and tons of history. So, whenever you decide to go I pretty much guarantee that you will enjoy it.
But, when all is said and done, I would have to say that I think the best time to visit Athens would be May-June or September-October. Go – enjoy – the friendly people of Athens await!
