Brave new parents for a brave new city!
So, you have decided to visit Athens with your baby or child. Although too young to appreciate the wonders of Acropolis or the spirit of nightlife, there are still plenty of places you can visit with your little one. And I'm here to share with you my experience of the city with a baby, little Evangelia, who has been strolling in the streets of Athens since she was 20 days old.
Today, I am going to offer some tips that might save you from frustration. Fact #1: Athens is not a city designed for babies. Pavements, apart from major streets in the center of Athens or in some fancy neighbourhoods, are so narrow you would think that Athenians are a rare species of one-legged humans. Parking habits are so chaotic that you'll find cars parked on ramps so that you'll have to take the stroller to the street. Moreover, it's pretty impossible to get on a bus with a stroller - unless someone gives you a hand - and, Athens is probably the last city in the so-called "Western world" where smoking is alive and well in all restaurants and coffeehouses; in fact, non-smoking tables are more likely to be situated next to the toilet or kitchen.
Now, you've probably seen or used one of those really impressive 3-wheel strollers, the ones you can use when jogging... You'll see quite a few in Athens as well, in the same way you'll see Jeep Cherokees or Porsche Cayennes in the narrow streets of Kolonaki. Well, both of them, the strollers and the Jeeps, are simply too bog for Athenian streets and pavements. Unless you're willing to rent one of the above mentioned SUVs (and live with the consequences!), those super-hip strollers won't fit in the trunk of any standard rented car, and if they do, they won't leave room for pretty much anything else. It's better to bring along a conventional 4-wheel stroller and also have a baby-carrier or sling handy.
Having painted the bleak picture, let me shed some rays of beautyful light in the picture: the metro system and the tram are very stroller-friendly and, if combined, they can get you to pretty much any place of interest in Athens. Try the official website of the Athens Transportation System (www.oasa.gr) for maps and other information. The ticket for the metro is 0.80 Euro for adults for any ride and 0.60 for the tram. Children under 6 years old travel for free. The metro connects the Athens El. Venizelos Airport with trains every half hour until about midnight for 6 Euro (adult price), also offering group ticket for 2 persons or more. For a cheaper (and, especially during the evenings or early mornings, equally fast solution, you can take the bus for 3.20 Euro. Hopefully, someone will give you a hand with this stroller!
