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Go now: Athens for the Olympics

Be a part of a historic moment, with the XXVIII Olympic games taking place where they were founded in 776 BC and later revived in 1896.

Maybe the high air fares and predictions of infrastructure nightmares in Athens have made visitors cautious, but the good news for the rest of us is that you can still find a flight, book a room and acquire tickets to the Athens 2004 Olympics.

Getting tickets
Where to stay
Where to eat
iVillage recommends
Good guides
Address book

Getting tickets: Visit the official ticketing website to buy tickets. You can either get them couriered to you or pick them up from an official ticketing agency. Note: you'll need the proper ID, so confirm via the website that you have everything you need before going. This site is a good resource, showing the location of all the venues as well as seating charts, which events are selling out fast ? you can even search for other events at a particular venues if you want to be a part of the Olympic action, aren't deadset on watching a particular sport and like the idea of tramping around from venue to venue to see different events.

Where to stay: We checked into the Central Hotel in the Plaka district in central Athens. We were about seven minutes' walk from the Syntagma Square bus stop, where the airport express bus dropped us off. From our window we had a view of the Acropolis and it was an easy and interesting walk to many of the tourist sites including the Acropolis, the Agora (old marketplace) and Anafiotika (the picturesque maze-like neighbourhood below the Acropolis). Newly renovated, it was comfortable, modern and immaculate; prices range from £110 to £150 including breakfast and taxes. The Central Hotel is completely booked for the Olympics but there are lots of hotels in these areas, so take your pick from the luxurious Grande Bretagne in Syntagma Square to little boltholes scattered around the area. All these areas are a great locations for the Ancient City: Plaka, Syntagma, Monastiraki and Kolonaki. Looking for something more exotic? Bunk on the Queen Mary 2, which is berthed at the Port of Piraeus, southeast of central Athens and close to several Olympic venues.

Where to eat: Eating in a traditional taverna is essential when in Greece. However, there are a lot of tourist traps with truly dodgy food. A Greek friend recommended the fantastic Filastron (23 Apostolou Pavlou). From the roof-garden you see the Acropolis and Mt. Lycabettus. The entrance for the upstairs garden is down the road to the right of the downstairs restaurant entryway. We had reasonably-priced typical traverna fare by candlelight with an unobstructed view of the Parthenon lit by night. Unbeatable. Make a reservation here and at other popular tavernas, especially if you want a table outside with a view rather than in the dining room.

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