As in the daytime there is no star in the sky warmer and brighter than the sun, likewise there is no competition greater than the Olympic Games.
-Pindar, Greek lyric poet, 5th century b.c.
Wing-footed wonders. The original men of steel. These are the things the Ancient Olympics were made of. The modern day version of the famous games (celebrated since 1896) still features awesome athletic feats, but times have changed. The now global Games are quite possibly the biggest feel-good event on the planet, not to mention one of the most well-lubricated money-making machines. Not surprisingly, it’s a race to the finish to find truly good bargains when it comes to seeing the Olympics live.
With the 2004 Summer Olympic Games on the horizon (Aug. 13-29), the whole world is literally abuzz that the competition’s original host country, Greece, the very land that gave birth to the honored competition as long ago as 776 BC as a celebration of exemplary athletic ability and achievement, is this year’s Olympic site, with Athens being the epicenter of activity.
It's all a game
We’re happy to report that tickets to all of the Olympic sporting events are still on sale; only admissions to the opening and closing ceremonies have sold out. While the good chunk of tickets go first to residents of Greece and then to members of the EU, the United States also gets a generous amount to distribute among interested visitors. The “but” in this case, is that they’re sold in twice-monthly lotteries held by the official designated ticket vendor in the US—Cartan, a company that’s been in operation since 1899.
In perusing Cartan’s website (www.cartan.com) we discovered that there are tickets to a wide range of competitions, including shooting, rowing, and volleyball, going for as little as $14 per event, which is the lower end of the average preliminary round prices. (Higher ones are $22.) When we investigated what it would cost to attend the men’s swimming semi-final, the ticket came out to be $140, with admissions to final competitions selling for twice that—$281. Tickets to gymnastics competitions, one of the most popular sports at the Summer Games, start at $49 for preliminaries and top out at $281 too. For a full list and schedule, check out: www.cartan.com.
Cartan is the only US source for individual event tickets. The US Olympic Committee’s other official partner, Cosport, sells tickets too but only as part of its packages that include some pretty pricey accommodations. In our estimation, its offers are prohibitively expensive, therefore we’d recommend doing a bit more work on your own and arranging your lodging separately.
A house, or bed, to call your own in Athens
Even at this relatively early date it’s hard to find an affordable place to sleep in Athens if you’re planning on visiting for the Games. For all the international goodwill that’s generated as a result of the Olympic Games, there’s a fair amount of overt capitalism (or just good old-fashioned greed?) too. It’s an unfortunate fact that Athens hotel rates are quoting astronomically high rates from mid- to late-August, with some rooms selling for over ten times their normal amounts. So travelers on the hunt for affordable accommodations may want to turn to a less traditional source for accommodations: Filoxenia 2004 the official contractor for the city of Athens’ Private Home Rental Program.
This recently announced initiative, where locals clear out in hopes of making some extra money off visitors to the Games, offers the city's most affordable beds at the moment. Granted, they're still not cheap at $300+ per night. Still, it's a relative bargain when you compare that to $2,000 per hotel room per night. Residents’ homes are organized into four categories (A, B, C and “luxury homes”) depending on the year they were built, the quality of construction, their furnishings, and proximity to the action—competition venues and the city center.
A six-night stay in a C category residence (the lowest) for two people will cost $2,066. This price also includes transfers to the vacated apartment from the airport, liability insurance, maid service with linen change, 24-hour call center service, and a welcome package with information to orient you. And if you’re searching out some five-star digs, Filoxenia can set you up in a luxurious residence as well. No matter what accommodations category you choose, the minimum stay requirement is six nights, and additional nights must be booked in blocks of three. The rental period last from Jul. 10 to Sept. 10. (The “C” category is selling quickly, so if you're interested we advise you to book fast.)
The whole process of securing space in a home is relatively simple. First you complete the request form on , and then submit it online, along with a $37 processing fee. Filoxenia will then conduct a search based on your criteria and budget bracket, and then forward you their picks and photos of the property. It’s best to email Filoxenia directly at: [email protected] or [email protected] for specific information regarding Olympic stays. If you don’t mind calling long-distance, the agency's reservations department can also be reached at: 011-30-210-327-740-7410. The calling option is certainly faster than waiting for an email, but you’ll only have to wait a day or two for a response to land in your inbox. They’re quite efficient, and fluent in English.
Another option for shoestring travelers is the hostel route, and Athens has a handful of good ones, places where you might be sleeping in a room with new faces, but where you can be guaranteed a hot shower, have access to communal kitchen facilities, laundry, and secure luggage storage. Some rates even include breakfast, and at a hostel you’re chances are you’ll pick up some more great money-saving tips. Here’s a short list of where to find Athens’ best budget beds:
Greek Youth Hostel Federation
Odos Dragatsaniou 4
011-30-210-323-4107 or 323-7590
($13/night)
Odos Victor Hugo 16
011-30-210-523-2540
(*It's collecting a waiting list for the Olympic period.)
($20-39/night)
Odos Einardou 12
Email: [email protected] to make a reservation
*As of Mar. 9, 2004 there's still availability
011-30-210-881-0589
YMCA ($20-39/night)
Odos Amerikis 11
011-30-210-362-4291
Spare change for airfare?
Without a doubt, your biggest expense in planning an Olympic vacation in Athens will be airfare. Prices are normally high across all of Europe during the popular summer months, but during the Games you can expect to spend $200-400 more than usual on a plane ticket. That is to say $600 tickets are now selling for $880, which is exactly the best price we got when booking the most straight-forward route—a direct flight from NYC to Athens—through the Greek travel experts Homeric Tours (www.homerictours.com, 212/753-1100).
While it is possible to beat this price using a combination of more affordable round-trip tickets to London and then adding legs to Athens using one of Europe’s biggest low-cost carriers, EasyJet, or Europe by Air, which uses a coupon system on major airlines, you’re looking at nearly twice the amount of travel time with multiple stops and layovers. Only you can say whether the $150 you’d save is worth the headache you’d most certainly encounter, not to mention time lost. The going rates on major carriers—Ailitalia, Air France and British Airways— all start at just shy of $1000 smackeroos, and Olympic Airways is selling economy seats for $1,500—each! That said, an $880 ticket is a relative bargain, and at the moment probably the best price you’re going to find on round-trip airfare between the US and Athens during the Olympic window.
An Olympic preview
If the thought of seeing the Acropolis in person gets your juices going and you’re looking for a decently priced summer vacation to Greece, the reputable vendor Go-Today.com has a vacation that’s good for travel through July enabling you to glimpse the city in all its glory during the final push to have everything ready for the Opening Ceremonies on Aug. 13. The basic $1,169 package (singles add $270) includes round-trip airfare from the Big Apple to Athens on Lufthansa or United and six nights at the Stanley Hotel, which has a rooftop pool for cooling off after a hot day of sightseeing, and features basic modern amenities, as well as a simply continental breakfast daily. Want to stay longer? Then extra nights will run you $74 per person, or $148 per double room. Supplements from other US cities look like this:
- $80: Boston, Philadelphia
- $150: Albany, Wilkes-Barre, Hartford, Burlington VT, Buffalo, Manchester NH, Providence, Portland ME, Rochester, Syracuse, Allentown, Baltimore, Charlottesville, Norfolk VA, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Roanoke
- $180: Washington Dulles, Kalamazoo, Birmingham, Nashville, Columbia SC, Akron-Canton, Charleston SC, Cleveland, Charlotte, ColumbusOH, Charleston WV, Cincinnati, Dayton, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville SC, Lexington, Memphis, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Louisville, Knoxville
- $200: Detroit, Miami, Appleton, Bloomington IL, Cedar Rapids, Mosinee, Des Moines, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Jackson MS, Jacksonville FL, Lansing, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, West Palm Beach, St. Louis, Tampa
- $250: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Ft Worth, Houston, Austin, El Paso, Wichita, Lincoln, Oklahoma City, Omaha, San Antonio, Tulsa
- $290: Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Portland OR, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco
When last we spoke to Go-Today.com they mentioned that its offer might even be extended into August so inquire about dates during the Olympic Games if you’re interested in visiting then, if and when you call reservations: 973/208-7851.
But will they be ready on time?
Right now, the cradle of Western civilization is in high gear getting ready for the Big Games, and there are many who are placing bets as to whether the city can pull it off. Just last month, we reported that one half of Athens hotels didn’t pass muster in the hygiene department, and over one-third of its restaurants weren’t up to code, according to a local watchdog organization. It seems the whole city is now under threat of ultimatum to get its act together before the torch lighting at the Opening Ceremony. Even the Greek Orthodox Church is getting ready by tidying its houses of worship and training priests on how to educate interested visitors on their beliefs. While there will certainly be a lot of sightseeing, most will come for the nail-biting competitions that pit the best against best.
The Ancient Olympics were ultimately abolished for being too pagan. Who knows — perhaps the Modern Games might disappear for being too expensive?
{Editor's Note: Have you ever been to Greece or attended the Olympic Games? Do you have a money-saving hint, tip, or anecdote that would be helpful to other travelers? We'd love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simply to send a letter to our editors.}
