Any good hotel recommendations for Athens?

Going to London Sept. 11-18, 2007 and Athens, Greece Nov 5-14th, 2007. Any tips? Hotel recommendations?

• I do not have loads of money, so a nice clean hotel with a shower is what I am going to look for. I will be traveling alone, am a male, and am somewhat flexible on dates of travel. Are there other cities I should visit while in Greece? What is the weather like in November? Is SCUBA Diving available during November? I am certainly open to staying in cities/towns other than Athens if there are advantages. I mostly want to meet the people, eat the food, drink their drinks, and relax. Not interested in running from site to site just to say I saw "whatever". Thanks for any guidance you can provide. And you will get points! Any estimates as to cost of hotels would also be greatly appreciated. Rick

• Answer:

  Hello, I don't have a personal experience of Athen's hotels but I think there is one very near to the station, which is dicent and has very good prices (I think it is called "Olympia hotel") but at any case check to some sites to see the reviews, because some hotels there are in notorius districts with high criminality (though criminality in Greece is really low leveled). Thessaloniki is a "must" if you come in Greece, don't miss to go there. Ioannina is a very good experience if it doesn't rain in November. Greek winder is not sevier in most of the regions (in Athens and Thessaloniki rarely falls snow). Another beautiful town in the northern Greece is Kavala (for 1-2 days). Patra is a big city, where you won't get bored (I know a very cheap and good pansion in the center, to 25E per night, "pansion Nikos", the other hotels are really expencive). THE FOLLOWING IF YOU LIKE NATURE AND TRADITIO: don't miss going to Zagorohoria (gathering of mountain traditional villages, relatively near to Ioannina), if you have a car. You won't regreat it for sure! On the road to Ioannina is a small, traditional town, "Metsovo". It worths giving a 2-3 days visit (search in google and see). In Peloponnisos, you could go to Kalavrita (sky center). Other very traditional small villages (but very touristic and famous among greeks) are Dimitsana, Stemnitsa, Agorianni. And of course, in Peloponnisos is Monemvasia (with remarkable byzanto-venetian castle, with pansions), but be caryful with the hotel prices (expencive!). Good luck