Travelling in 2020 was difficult for everyone. It has changed people’s travel plans and much more. I was supposed to travel to New Zealand in May but never got there before the country shut down, so there goes my two-year visa! Instead, I have stayed in England and will have to for the foreseeable future. I was, however, fortunate enough to travel to Athens during Covid.
My partner and I were separated for six months before deciding to travel somewhere together. Greece was open for British and Canadians, so we were excited to finally be together again! After checking it was safe to do so – which is always important – we booked our tickets.
In September, we met at Athens airport and spent one week in Athens before doing a couple of Workaway positions. We came back to Athens at the start of November for a day, and everything was vastly different. Here I would like to tell you about our experience of visiting Athens during COVID-19.
At the time of September 17th, the UK and Canada were on the flight exceptions list. All we had to do was fill out a Passenger Locator Form before arrival to enter the country. My partner came from Canada and upon arrival in Athens he had to have a Covid swab taken, but I didn’t. At this time restrictions were starting to take place, and they would only get stricter as the months went by.
Public transport
Transport in Athens was quiet. The buses could still get busy, but the trains were pretty empty. It was easy to get around without coming in contact with too many people. Especially if you travel during non-peak hours, which we usually do. Face masks were mandatory, just like in the UK, and we came prepared with our own.
We also carried around our hand sanitiser to use regularly. These are always the things I check before leaving to go anywhere now – phone, wallet, keys, mask, and hand sanitiser. I always keep extras in my bag too!
We preferred to walk around the city instead of taking public transport. It’s allowed us to see and experience more, as the city is not that big. It also saved us a few euros. We got pretty good at visiting Athens on a budget.
Hostels
In September the hostels were still open, but some were more restrictive than others. They were not busy at all. We booked a private room at SafeStay, just to be safe, as we didn’t know what to expect. The staff didn’t clean every day, which we didn’t mind – it was to reduce the risk of infection. So they would clean it if we requested it. It’s a good thing we are clean and tidy! In some of the hostels, including SafeStay, the kitchen was closed due to Covid. This was responsible, but it meant we had to go out to eat every day, so we spent more money.
I did develop a slight obsession with gyros though… It also meant that we were more likely to come into contact with the virus. The common area was also closed, so no socialising could take place.
This was not the case in all hostels though; it’s up to their discretion. In November we stayed at Athens Hawkes and the kitchen and communal areas were open for everyone to use. It wasn’t busy, but you could still mingle.
Tourist attractions
The main tourist attractions in Covid were empty. There was plenty of space to move around comfortably and have some breathing room. It was easy to wander around, take our time, and keep socially distanced. This made it more fun and relaxing. It’s always awful when you are bustled around in a crowd whilst sightseeing. It’s difficult to enjoy it. We had seemingly all the time in the world to do this here.
When we visited the Acropolis, there was hardly anyone there compared to what it normally would have been in September. Comparatively speaking, it was deserted. In the Panathenaic Stadium, it was only us and five other people in the entire place. Considering how massive this arena is, that’s impressive. I wonder how many people have had the chance to walk through this stadium so empty. There were no lines to get in to anywhere.
In November, when Greece went into lockdown every tourist attraction was closed.
Public spaces
The streets and public areas, like squares, were a little busier. The few tourists and locals mingled together. People went to and from work. Friends met up in groups to grab a coffee or sit in the squares. It seemed busier because the streets are narrow in Athens, like London. The shopping area seemed particularly busy, but maybe that was because people had to line up outside the shops.
It was still possible to wander around in September, look at the architecture, and go to the markets. The Central Municipal Market was particularly busy; people crammed into the meat and fish sections, and a mask was needed. We enjoyed being able to eat our lunch or an ice cream in one of the squares, like in Monastiraki.
Restaurants
In September everything was still open, and people could sit down inside or take away. It was possible to have dinner in a restaurant, grab a dessert from a bakery, or have a coffee. Everything seemed normal in that respect. The only difference was when sat in restaurants they were aware of social distancing. We were ourselves too, so we tried to sit apart from everyone when possible. It was a special treat to sit in a restaurant with good food, wine, and company.
In November all restaurants had closed or were only doing take-away services. The same with bakeries and coffee shops too, until the full lockdown came into place. Then everything seemed to stop.
Taxis
In September, there were restrictions on the amount of passengers a taxi could carry. There were three allowed for regular taxis and only two allowed for airport taxis. This made sense and worked out for me and my partner. When we visited again in November, it was limited to one passenger per taxi. This could have been problematic for some people, but we chose to get the train a second time.
Visiting Athens during Covid - final thoughts
In September, Athens was pretty much carrying on as normal. Tourism was lower, but the locals were still able to go about their day-to-day business. We wore our masks at all times, used hand sanitiser, and kept socially distanced wherever possible.
At the beginning of November, the whole country slowly started to shut down, along with everything else in it. Curfews were put into place. Fortunately, on the 7th of November, we had booked a flight home to England. This was the same day that the country went into full lockdown. We would have had trouble leaving if we had left it any later. It was a scramble to leave the country which we had not anticipated, but we dealt with.
We travelled during a time when Covid levels were lower, and it was safer. We made decisions when needed and followed the rules. At the time of writing this article, January 7th, on this day the lockdown was to be lifted in Athens. Now, from Sunday 10th they will enforce a strict lockdown for one week. This is to ensure schools can reopen again and to decrease the pressure on the health services. Let’s hope the lockdown works and Covid cases start to come under control.
If you have to travel, check whether you can get where you need to go. Always follow precautions and take advice from the government. Next time you travel to Athens, have a read to find out how to visit on a budget. Let’s stay safe so we can travel in the future!
