Excellent location within a 10-minute walk of famous Athens sights
Right by Acropoli metro station
Clean, shared rooms with female-only rooms available
Rooms are air-conditioned and have lockers
All rates include a small breakfast with coffee
24-hour communal kitchen and dining area
Rooftop bar with pretty panoramic views
Free Wi-Fi throughout
24-hour front desk
Guest computer station (at a fee)
Visible wear and tear throughout
Shower floors flood
Higher-floor rooms carry noise from rooftop bar
Complaints of not enough in-room sockets
Room lockers too small for suitcases
The 12-room Athens Backpackers is a top budget pick for tourists thanks to its location in downtown Athens, just a five-minute walk from the Acropolis and right by the metro station. There are the typical no-frills, dorm-style rooms and shared bathrooms here, with air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. There's no full restaurant on-site but all rates include a small breakfast, plus there are a rooftop bar with lovely panoramic views and a communal kitchen. A computer is available too, but there aren't a ton of areas to hang out. outdoor courtyard. Hotel Athinaikon is another budget property that lacks a bar or restaurant, but has private rooms with flat-screen TVs if sharing isn't your thing.
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Scene
Fun, cheap hostel with appealing rooftop bar but wear and tear
If visiting the Acropolis and sights is on your agenda, Athens Backpackers is where you want to be. The Acropolis and other famous sights can be reached on foot in under 10 minutes. The lobby is bright and funky with a black-and-white-checked ceiling and retro chandeliers. Adjacent is the downstairs bar and kitchen featuring pops of color in fun murals and wall hangings. It has simple tables and chairs, plus two well-worn red-leather couches next to shelves with free books for borrow. Stone steps lead to a mezzanine level where luggage can be stored (at owners' risk) and there's a small computer station (along with small fee to use it). Stairs throughout the hostel's four floors are steep and winding, but there's a small elevator. Decked out with fabric print and long green benches, the rooftop bar is hands-down the hostel's most popular spot. Guests rave about the panoramic views and relaxed community feel where they can make new friends.
Location
In Central Athens, one minute from the Acropoli metro
On a quiet tree-lined street in a safe neighborhood of downtown Athens, the hostel is a one-minute walk from Acropoli metro station and just five minutes to the Acropolis itself. The famous paved street of Dionysiou Areopagitou is two minutes away and the Herodion Theatre three minutes farther. The flea market square of Monastiraki, with plenty of shopping and dining, is a 15-minute walk, as is Syntagma Square. A grocery store is 10 minutes away and the Fish Cafe which the hostel provides a 15 percent discount voucher for is a four-minute walk. Athens International Airport is 40 minutes by taxi and just under an hour by public transport.
Rooms
Basic, shared dormitory-style rooms and bathrooms
Typical of a hostel, rooms are basic dorm-style and clean. Rooms range from three- to six-person dorms -- some with bunk beds -- and both mixed gender and female-only. Dorms have wood- and iron-framed twin beds, topped with sheets, pillows, and blankets either in beige or cobalt blue. Amenities are the same throughout rooms, although guests should note the hostel doesn't provide padlocks and lockers are too small for suitcases. Travelers can leave luggage in the downstairs mezzanine area or, for a safer option, lock them to bedposts. Some guests have complained of a shortage of electric sockets in rooms. All rooms have a sink and mirror and floor-to-ceiling doors open up onto charming balconies with street views and chairs provided. While higher-floor rooms have better views, they're also closer to the rooftop bar and can be noisy.Bathrooms are shared, either external or en-suite, and towels can be rented at a fee. Floor tiles are a cheerful blue and match printed shower curtains, although bathrooms aren't best designed, as there are no bathmats and floors frequently flood. As toilet tissue cannot be flushed in Athens, trash cans are provided. Guests have said bathrooms could be cleaner, but they're not overly dirty.
Features
Free breakfast, a 24-hour kitchen, and rooftop bar
Considering the budget price, features at Athens Backpackers are more than decent. A free breakfast of fresh bread, feta cheese, cucumber, tomato, and hard-boiled eggs is served daily, alongside tea and coffee which is free all day. The 24-hour communal kitchen has a fridge, oven, stove, and microwave, plus all the necessary pots, pans, and cutlery. A vending machine sells drinks in the lobby. The open-plan kitchen doubles as a seating area for the downstairs bar, or guests can head outside to a small courtyard patio with seating.The highlight here, however, is the rooftop with stunning panoramic views of Athens. It also offers daily happy hour and is open late. Laundry facilities are offered off-site at a nearby hostel. Wi-Fi is free throughout, although speed slows during evening peak time.
