by Katherine Poseidon
Luckily for visitors to Athens, experiencing the home of Ancient Greek culture can be surprisingly high-tech. Although we love to get off the grid and explore through adventure tours and hands-on visits to the top local attractions, technology has a lot to offer the modern traveller to Athens. If you’re equipped with a smartphone, it can be even easier to find the best things to do in Athens, and make the most of your vacation in Greece. We gathered together a guide of some of our favourite apps so you can have the best travel experience possible!
#1 Google Maps | Geography 101
An obvious starting place is a good map app, and Google Maps works great in Athens. First, make sure you familiarise yourself with how to use the app offline - download maps of the areas you’ll be exploring (here’s a handy guide) and you’ll be able to search for the top Greek tourist attractions and find directions without an internet connection. In addition, you can search in both Greek and English. Getting lost in the windy alleys of historic Monastiraki, for example, is one of the adventurous things to do in Athens, but we’ll all feel better if you have a GPS map in your pocket to help you find your way home in the end!
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#2 Taxibeat | Taxis on Demand
If you ask a Greek whether they use Uber, you may get some funny looks (and for more questions you want to ask but don't want to sound like a tourist, check our guide here!) UberX does exist in Greece, but Athens is still a hardcore taxi city, and Taxibeat combines the best of both. The app finds your location using GPS, and allows you to call any of the nearby drivers based not only on their location but also on their rating from other passengers, and other criteria such as whether they speak other languages or if their car is smoke-free (unfortunately not always a given). You can set up your account to pay via PayPal, and then review the driver when you’re finished. Similar to Uber, expect you can also hail a Taxibeat cab - they have stickers on the side of the car - and that way you know you’re in safe hands.
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#3 ATH Airport | More Than Flights
The official Athens airport app is useful not just for checking your flight status and arrivals and departures, but also for getting up to date information on how to get to the airport, parking information and even special offers for the fantastic airport shopping. (For ideas on what to try to stuff in your suitcase, check out our guide to souvenirs from Athens here). The weather section of this app is also a great place to find up-to-date information in English - and in case of a heat wave or rain, we've got you covered with our rainy day and heatwave guides!
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#4 OASA Telematics | Beat the Bus
The Greek public transport industry is trying to keep up with the technology, and luckily it has become a lot more user friendly - so if you’re up for tackling the extensive Athens bus system, never fear. This app pinpoints your location and will show you nearby bus stops, along with which buses stop there, their schedule and their route. Unfortunately its live updates in real time seem to struggle a little bit with the traffic variations, but the app shows you where the bus is that moment and an estimated arrival time. Another option for live bus info is Moovit, but bear in mind that it's still in a beta testing stage for Athens, so may not be the most reliable! Also make sure to get a ticket from a kiosk or a metro station beforehand, as they are not sold on the bus, or check out the Transport for Athens (TfA) tickets (below) for a mobile solution!
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#5 TfA Tickets | Public Transport Tickets in Your Pocket
The Greek metro system is (in our humble opinion) one of the best things in Athens - it's clean, new, on-time, safe and reliable. The network doesn't reach all corners of the city, but it's a great way to quickly move around, and very economically too. One ride will cost you €1.40 (standard fare) and although most people use paper tickets that you can buy in the stations or at any kiosk, there is now a mobile app available too that allows you to buy tickets (not just for yourself!) via credit card, and then validate them once you get on to the platform. No more queues at ticket machines! The best part of this app is that you can use it for ALL means of public transport in Athens by purchasing a Regular Ticket (€1.40) valid for 90'; so, if you want to catch the next tram or bus and can't spot a kiosk or metro station, TfA Tickets will save the day!
Available: Apple & Android
Cost: Free!
#6 Foursquare | Trust Your Fellow Foodies
If you’re a foodie, Foursquare is an essential app to help you find the best Greek food wherever you are. Build on our guide to healthy eating and make sure you taste the top 15 Greek foods you have to try before you die by reading reviews left by locals and visitors alike. Foursquare can help you find a delicious bite to eat wherever you are, allowing you to avoid a desperate stop for McDonald’s because you don’t know what else is just around the corner. The app is best for cafes, restaurants and snack bars, and you can search by meal, cuisine, time of day or price. It also includes photos submitted by users, to whet your appetite!
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#7 AthensBook | Useful Athens Info
This is the best app for the most basic needs you might have during a trip to Athens - it will help you find anything from the nearest supermarket, the closest bars and pastry shops, reports on local traffic and what films are playing at local cinemas. AthensBook also includes information on the closest open pharmacy (which can be very useful at night!), though in an emergency doctoranytime can find you a real doctor, though unfortunately only in Greek. AthensBook also includes information on transport - the nearest metro/tram stops, and any possible strikes. It needs the internet to find what it closest to you at the moment, but if you have a wifi or data connection it will find the answer to nearly any query.
Available: Apple & Android
Cost: Free!
#8 AirBnB | Accommodation Like a Local
AirBnB is, by now, world-famous for allowing travellers to escape impersonal hotels and tourist districts to experience a piece of local culture by renting a place from locals. Athens is a great AirBnB city - prices are hard to beat, but beyond that there is no better way to experience the everyday Athens vibe than by living among the locals. For one thing, you can stay outside the tourist centre in one of our favourite Athens’ neighbourhoods (see here for more) and from there explore the more unique things to do in Athens off the beaten path. Don't forget to check out our brunch guide to put the 'breakfast' in BnB!
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#9 Vodafone Explore Greece | Culture at Your Fingertips
This free app from Vodafone provides a handy pocket guide to inspire you with some ideas for the best things to do in Greece. You can browse suggestions for best destinations in both summer and winter, read up on history and mythology (and let the pros guide you on one of our classical heritage tours), and check out what’s on during your trip. This handy Athens guide also includes special promotions for Vodafone customers
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#10 Wiffinity | Guilt-Free Instagram Browsing
In case you don’t have a data roaming plan (which can be pretty expensive), Wiffinity helps you find free wifi nearby, and even includes passwords so you can quickly log-on and catch up with the internet world. The app allows you to download a city map before you leave, so wifi hotspots will be accessible even when you’re out and about enjoying your favourite Athens tour, and capturing all those Instragram-able Athens' sweet spots.
Available: Apple & Android
Cost: Free!
#11 e-table.gr | Restaurant Bookings
When you've found the best place to eat in Athens, avoid disappointment by making sure to book in advance. If your Greek isn't quite up to reserving a table over the phone, e-table.gr
let's you make the booking straight from your phone. This is the Greek version of OpenTable that includes photos and reviews in addition to instant and free reservations. On the other hand, for the AirBnB-ers who are struck by a late-night snack attack, e-food.gr is your best friend. This is the Athenian Deliveroo, which based on your location shows you all the delivery options in your area. You can check what is open, browse menus, place your order, and even now pay through PayPal. The app displays reviews from other users, and also shows you estimated time for delivery, so you can make your choice based on how desperate you are for something fast.
Available: Apple & Android
Cost: Free!
#12 Google Translate | When You Are Lost in Translation
‘It’s all Greek to me’ is no longer an excuse with Google Translate on your phone. The app now offers the option to download a language before you leave, so you’ll be fully equipped even without internet access. You can enter English words to be translated into Greek, and then find a translation both in Greek and also transliterated into English letters. The same is true in reverse - if you hear or read something in Greek, you can type it into Google Translate using your English keyboard, and the app will do its best to help you out. Don’t worry too much about becoming a Greek whiz - nearly everyone speaks at least a little English, and you’ll make friends if you try a little Greek, even if they can’t understand anything.
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free!
#13 - Nannuka Now | Take a Break and Hire a Babysitter
If you’re travelling as a family, and have exhausted our suggestions for things to do in Athens with kids, Nannuka Now allows you to book a babysitter almost instantly. The app matches you with available babysitters who have all been vetted by other parents, have passed medical exams and have first aid certifications. You can check the babysitters profile to make sure they are a good match (many speak English), and then all the logistics are taken care of by the app - and once the kids are taken care of, you can explore the best of Athens bars and nightlife, or relax and enjoy something more romantic (for some of our favourite ideas, see here!).
Available: Apple & Android
Cost: Free!
#14 Greek Gods Free | All About Greek Mythology
Exploring the top landmarks of Greece may raise some questions about who is who among the pantheon of ancient gods - and we get it, there were a lot of them. This app helps you make sense of everything, and is a fun guide to have in your pocket when exploring some of the best museums (check out our list here!) or any ancient sites. You can search through mythological creatures by name, and read a short snippet of their story to get up close and personal with Greek mythology.
Available: Apple
Cost: Free!
#15 Pokemon Go | Play as You Go!
Ok ok, we hope you’re not visiting Greece in order to catch the rarest Pokemon, but if you’re playing already Athens is a great place to add some Pokemon to your collection while exploring new places. The plethora of local attractions and Athens landmarks that are all located in the centre of Athens means that you can level up while still exploring - adventures in Athens via Pokemon may be one of the more quirky things to do in Greece, but we’ll be the last to judge. Make sure to download Google Maps first to save your phone some battery and data, and join one of our walking tours to hit all the landmarks.
Available: Apple, Android & Windows
Cost: Free! (with in-app purchases)
With these apps on your phone, you are more than ready to enjoy the top things to do in Greece! Make sure to also check out our unique tours for different angles on this classic city, and as always let us know if you've discovered any useful apps for travel in Athens!
PS: As always, all opinions expressed above are personal and never promotional!