Spring Course 2020  

Lion Green, the Circle of Life  SURVIVAL GUIDE 

 

 

 Hey there dear future participant! Waffling over participating in a course                     

in Athens? We are very happy that you are even considering this! So, right now                             you are looking over our Survival Guide, which will provide you with all the                           necessary information you may need and help you fantasize this journey. Be                       prepared for the time of your life, where else? In Athens, this spring! 

 Local BEST Group will be waiting for you at the National Technical                       

University of Athens tο help you widen your knowledge in circular economy!                       We are eager to show you our beautiful city, the capital of Greece! We’ll do our                               BEST to make you feel like home and to have a magical time here in Athens, with                                 us and with other European students! 

 

 

Useful information you can find in here  

1. About Greece 1.1 But wait… where is Greece? 1.2 Facts & Numbers 1.3 Wave that flag! 1.4 Our Spring-ish weather 1.5 Money makes the world go round… 

  1.5.1 Currency   1.5.2 Sample prices   1.5.3 Capital Controls 

2.What about the food, dude? 3. Athens, the capital 

3.1 A few words 3.2 Moving around 3.3 Swing in the city 3.4 BEST Athens 3.5 Live your myth at NTUA! 3.6 Wow, I NEED to come to Greece! 

  3.6.1 Scenario A: Arriving by plane  3.6.1.1 Scenario A1: Fly to Athens 

  Leaving the airport   A.1.1 By metro: fastest, easiest way 

A.1.2 By bus: cheap, and 24/7 A.1.3: By taxi: comfy, but expensive   

3.6.1.2 Scenario A2: Fly to Thessaloniki   From Thessaloniki to Athens   A.1.1 By plane   A.1.2 By train   A.1.2 By bus   3.6.2 Scenario B: Arriving by train   3.6.3 Scenario C: Arriving by bus   3.6.4 Scenario D: Arriving by car   3.6.5 Scenario E: Hitchhiking 

4.It’s all Greek to me! 5.Important stuff! 6.Emergency numbers 7.Contact info 

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About Greece 

Greece… the land of Gods, democracy, olive oil, unlimited sun, the Olympic                       Games, beautiful islands, and so much more to discover!   

But wait… where is Greece? 

Greece is located in southeastern Europe and can be defined as the                       crossroad that unites three different continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, more                     specifically, situated on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land                         borders with Albania to the northwest, the Former Yugoslav Republic Οf                     Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. 

 

Greece (left) | Greece in Europe (right)  

Facts & Numbers  

Official name: Hellenic Republic Endonym: Ελλάδα (Ellada) 

Capital: Athens  

 Population: 11,148,502 

Official Language: Greek Religion: Greek Orthodox 

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Time zone: GMT +2 Electricity: 220V/50Hz plugs 

International dialing code: +30  

Wave that flag!  

The white and blue colors allegedly           symbolise the blue sky and the waves in               the sea! The Greek flag has nine horizontal               stripes, said to stand for the nine syllables               of the Greek patriots' motto meaning           'Freedom or Death', with a white cross in               the canton position, which symbolises         Greek Orthodoxy. Unlike most national         flags, there is no “official” shade of color,               so any blue may be used for the flag!  

 

Our Spring-ish weather  

The first sign of spring in Athens begins to appear in March, as the average                             temperature this month is 12°C. The middle of the month sees an increase in the                             amount of sunny days with a slightly decreased chance of rain. It is probable                           that during the course it will get chilly, especially at night, and it might rain as                               well, but you will sure get a lot of sun!  

 

Of course, you will be more accurately informed shortly before the course                       in order to pack and prepare accordingly.   

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Money makes the world go round… 

Currency  

Greece is currently in the Eurozone and the national currency is the Euro                         (€) 

Here, you can calculate your currency’s correlation with euro. 

In case you don’t carry any Euros with you, you can exchange money : 1

● At the airport.  

● At Exchange Bureaus in the city centre, with much better rates.  

We advise you to exchange a small amount at the airport, so you have                           enough for your needs until you reach us, and then exchange more money in the                             city centre.   

Sample prices 

Below, you can find some prices regarding the cost of living in Greece: 

 

Item/Service  Range of price in Euros 

Coffee (coffeehouse)   2.00-3.50 

Coffee (on campus)   1.00-1.50 

Water bottle (0.5 L)  0.50 

Bread (one loaf)   0.85-1.00 

Milk (1 lt)   0.95-1.40 

1 Do not randomly exchange money with strangers on the street, or in general                           somewhere that the organisers have not recommended. Before exchanging money, first                     consult the organisers. 

  

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Beer (café/bar)  3.00-6.00 

Beer (supermarket)   1.00-2.20 

Coke (soft drinks-supermarket)  0.70-1.80 

Cigarettes   3.80-4.20 

Souvlaki (gyros)   1.70-2.50 

Souvlaki (on a stick)  1.50-2.00 

Pizza   7.00-10.00 

Entrance to clubs  free-15.00 

Absolut Vodka  15.00-20.00 

Condoms (pack of 3)  1.60-2.50 

 

Capital Controls 

You might have heard a lot about the capital controls, but worry not; from                           01.09.2019 the restrictions in greek bank accounts don’t apply. 

 

What about the food, dude? 

Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, has a culinary tradition of some                       4,000 years and is a part of the history and the culture of Greece. It has some                                 common characteristics with the traditional cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Israel,                     Turkey, and the Levant. The Mediterranean cuisine, apart from being one of the                         healthiest ones, is also one that is very suitable for vegetarians in its larger part. 

The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil,                       which is used in most dishes. Vegetables, grains, fish, wine and meat are also                           used to a great extent. Other important ingredients include olives, cheese,                     eggplant, zucchini, lemon juice, herbs, bread and yoghurt. Common dessert                   ingredients include nuts, honey, fruits, and filo pastry.  

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Some of the most typical Greek foods and drinks (that one should definitely                         try!), are: 

 

Greek Salad  Tzatziki  Feta Cheese 

Octopus  Spanakopita  Fasolakia 

Souvlaki  Moussaka  Greek Υogurt 

Karidopita  Loukoumades  Ouzo 

Tsipouro/Raki  Wine  Beer 

 

… aaaand you get the picture! We are pretty sure you are craving all of this food                                 and drinks right now, but thankfully, you will try so much Greek food once you                             come here!   

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Athens the Capital  

 

 A few words 

 Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities and has been continuously                       

inhabited for at least 7000 years, with a population of 3,737,550 (in 2011). It is                             also the largest city of Greece, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras, and is widely                           referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy,                         largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent. 

Athens was allegedly named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom,                     after she and Poseidon competed for the honor of becoming the city’s patrons.                         Poseidon offered to the city a salt water spring by striking the ground with his                             trident, symbolizing naval power and Athena created the olive tree, symbolizing                     peace and prosperity. The Athenians accepted the olive tree, named the city after                         Athena and founded the Parthenon on the Acropolis in her honor.  

The word Acropolis does not refer to the Parthenon as many people                       believe. It means “the edge of the city” in Greek and it refers to the rocky hill that                                   rises 150m above sea level and contains the remains of several ancient buildings                         of great architectural and historic significance.  

 

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Moving around  

In Athens, there are 3 metro lines (red, blue, green) which spread across                         the city, 2 suburban railway lines (yellow, dark blue), which connect the city                         centre with the suburbs, trams that connect the city centre to the seaside, as well                             as a lot of buses and trolley buses, and of course taxis.  

Two very useful applications that is advisable that you download: 

1. ATH.ENA Card (download on Android. Unfortunately there is no                 application for iOS), that allows you to recharge online tickets of your                       preference, and activate them on your phone. 

2. OASA Telematics (download on Android or iOS), an app that provides you                       with all bus timetables and stops, the anticipated arrival time of buses                       according to the bus stop, and even the exact position of the buses. 

. There are three types of tickets and cards for Athens public transport:: 

● The Ath.ena Ticket  

Tickets can be bought and be recharged inside the metro station from the                         automatic machines and the ticket offices. 

➢ Ath.ena Ticket can be charged and recharged with products varying from                     a “90-minute ticket for all modes” to 5-day tickets. 

➢ Airport transfer tickets and 3-day tourist tickets are available as well. ➢ Ath.ena Ticket can be bought from and recharged at all Athens transport                       

ticket offices as well as automatic ticket issuing machines. ➢ Half-priced Ath.ena Tickets are available but only from Athens transport                   

ticket offices.  

● The anonymous Ath.ena Card ● The personalized Ath.ena Card 

 

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Important Infos: 

● Tourist tickets are valid for: 1 round trip from/to Athens International                     airport by Metro or Express Bus and unlimited travel on all other modes                         for 3 days (72 hours after the first ‘touch in’), including line X80 (for                           example from 10am on Friday till 10am on Monday).If you are eligible for                         a half-priced ticket, you will have to either buy a half-priced Ath.ena ticket                         from a ticket office or issue a personalized Ath.ena Card. Who can use a                           reduced ticket? 

● Students who study at universities outside Greece up to the age of 24                         (including those aged 24, regardless of nationality), after showing a                   Student Card – University ID card and passport or ID card. 

 

The ultimate Athens transport map is here! More details on the tickets can be found here. More info on buses/trolleys on OASA Telematics app & here. More info on Metro & Tram here.  

   

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Swing in the city  

If you have some extra days in Athens, you might want to visit some of the                               ancient monuments that embellish our city. Athens has preserved its captivating                     historical center, which lies around the rocky hill of Acropolis. The elaborately                       paved streets in Plaka and Monastiraki are full of neoclassical buildings. and are                         considered the most scenic districts of the city, along with the district of Thission.                           There’s plenty of traditional tavernas, small tourist shops and a flea market. It is                           exceptionally beautiful at night, because of the romantic illumination of the area. 

 

 

 There is a combo ticket (info) that costs 15 euros for non-EU students and is                             

free for EU students, that is valid for five consecutive days, and for the following                             places: Acropolis of Athens, Ancient Agora of Athens, Archaeological Museum of                     Kerameikos, Hadrian's Library, Kerameikos, Museum of the Ancient Agora, North                   slope of Acropolis, Olympieio, Roman Agora of Athens, South Slope of Acropolis.  

You can also visit Lycabettus hill, the highest point of Athens at 300                         meters above sea level, and have a beer while enjoying an amazing view of                           Athens, especially in the afternoon or at night. 

 

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  BEST Athens 

 With its 21th Anniversary approaching, the Local BEST Group of Athens is 

planning on enriching its history of 80 organised events (including 24 courses). Our team is made up of 26 crazy members. Of course the MVP of our team is 

Athenà, our lovely owl mascot, whom you might be lucky enough to meet during the course if she makes an appearance. 

  

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Live your myth at NTUA!   

The National Technical University of Athens, founded in 1837, is among the                       oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions of Greece. It is named                       “Metsovion” in honor of its benefactors, whose origin is from the town of Metsovo                           in Epirus.   

It is divided into nine academic Schools: School of Electrical and Computer                       Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, School of Naval Architecture and                   Marine Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, School of Mining and                   Metallurgical Engineering, School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, School of                   Civil Engineering, School of Architecture and School of Applied Mathematics and                     Physics. 

  

The main campus is located in the Zografou area of Athens, housing all the                           schools of NTUA except Architecture, which remains in its traditional location in                       Patision Avenue for historical reasons. The main campus spreads over an area of                         about 190 acres and is rich in vegetation, making it ideal for walks and long                             coffee breaks on the grass. In the campus lies the NTUA central library, which                           operates since 1914, and is the first library in Greece with a complete index.                           Today, it remains one of the largest technical libraries in the country, featuring a                           

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collection of over 215,000 books and 100,000 scientific issues.  

Wow, I NEED to come to Greece!  

Already looking for ways to come to Greece? HOORAY! Then let us provide                         you with all the possible ways of reaching our sunny country!  

Scenario A: Arriving by plane 

The good news? Greece has 34 airports, 15 of which are international! The                         better news? Athens has a pretty cool airport called “Eleftherios Venizelos” (ATH),                       which is located just 30 km away from the city centre, and you have the option to                                 get there relatively fast and cheap (see below). The AMAZING news? Since Athens                         has only one airport, all budget airlines fly there, so close to the city centre!  

So, when taking a plane, your options regarding different places in Greece                       are a lot, but if you want to get to Athens, what’s worth doing moneywise is either                                 flying directly to Athens, or to Thessaloniki, and then go to Athens (see below).  

Scenario A1: Fly to Athens 

Several budget airlines fly to Athens from a lot of cities.   

Leaving the airport 

In order to reach the city centre, the University, or any other place, these                           are your transport options:  

A.1.1 By metro: fastest, easiest way 

The metro station is really easy to find, since there are a lot of signs directing you                                 to it throughout the airport. You can reach it from any exit, let the signs guide                               you. The ticket costs 10€ (5€ with an ISIC/student card). Concerning tickets and                         

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info on the stations of the blue line, check aforementioned info on transport . Be                           2

careful not to confuse Athens Metro line (Blue) with the Suburban Railway                       (Yellow). There is a metro leaving the airport every 30 minutes, starting from                         06:30 in the morning, until 23:30. 

 A.1.2 By bus: cheap, and 24/7 

The main advantage of taking an EXPRESS bus (the airport ones), is the fact that                             they operate during the night, unlike the metro. The ticket costs 6€ (3€ with an                             ISIC/student card). There are 4 buses, X93, X95, X96, and X97. For more info on                             the buses, see here, the aforementioned info regarding the website and the                       relative application that contain timetables etc. 

 A.1.3: By taxi: comfy, but expensive 

The color of taxis in Athens is yellow. When exiting Athens Airport you will find                             taxis waiting between Exit 2 and Exit 3 at the arrival area. Taxis can take you                               anywhere very comfortably, but they can be quite pricey, especially during the                       night.  

The fare from the airport to the city centre is fixed, and includes everything                           (luggage, tolls etc). For daytime (05:00-24:00), it costs 38 €, while during                       nighttime (24:00-05:00), 50 €.  

 

Scenario A2: Fly to Thessaloniki 

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, and its international                     airport “Makedonia” (SKG), is only 14 km away from Thessaloniki, and has                       

2 Once our meeting point is finalised, you will receive more detailed information on                           where to go, either it is a metro station, a bus stop, or a landmark. These guidelines are                                   useful for getting the hang of the transport system in Athens, in case one wants to go in                                   places in the city.  

  

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connections with most of the major European cities. In addition to other budget                         airlines, Wizz Air also flies to SKG. 

From Thessaloniki to Athens 

A.2.1 By plane 

You are already there. All there’s left is to just book a second flight to Athens.                               Budget airlines usually have some decent deals, sometimes even for as low as                         5-10 €.  

A.2.2 By train 

There are many trains departing from Thessaloniki to Athens every day                     and the trip lasts around 5.5h. The price is €15-€25 (student). Night trains are                           cheaper and slower. 

  

Tip: There are web offers if you book your ticket online and on time (starting from €10). Go online and check the timetables and prices! 

The train station in Athens is “Larissis Station”, where there is also a red                           metro line station, very close to the centre. Info regarding the red metro line,                           connections etc can be found here.   

A.2.3 By bus 

A bus trip from Thessaloniki to Athens normally takes a bit more than 5                           hours, and it costs 35 € for international University students. Check more info                         here, and here. The most preferable stop in Athens would be the “Pedio tou Areos”                             one, since it’s right in the city centre, a 2-minute walk from the green metro line                               station “Viktoria”, and then you have a lot of possibilities, either via metro, or bus                             (as always, here). 

Scenario B: Arriving by train 

There are various international trains, that start mainly from the Balkans, and                       going to Thessaloniki. You can check these out here. In case you do take a train                               to Thessaloniki, you know the drill. 

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Scenario C: Arriving by bus 

There are several bus companies and each one of them has a different                         terminal station. In this case we will need your help, providing us with info                           regarding the bus company, the final stop, and then we’ll send you personal                         email with the instructions on how you can come to the meeting point. 

Scenario D: Arriving by car 

If you have a great spirit of adventure, you can always come by car. Road                             networks in neighbouring countries are not always good, though. When you                     reach Greece there is a main road connecting North to Central Greece, E75, which                           will be the one you have to follow to reach Athens. It is of a great quality and                                   according to European standards.   

And remember, you will also have the opportunity to drive among the                       worst drivers of Europe - the Greek drivers! The famous Greek word with the 3                             "a"s can be useful to "communicate" with other drivers.  

Blablacar is not so famous in Greece but you can try your luck with it. 

Scenario E: Hitchhiking  

It is not that common in Greece but still it will not be very difficult to get a                                   lift. For more information check: www.hitchwiki.org   Tip: You never know how long it will take you to arrive here hitchhiking so you’d                               better start your trip a few days in advance and be prepared to stay in another                               city if needed.  

   

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It’s all Greek to me! 

Study this table with some basic vocabulary and phrases, and get your                       Greek on! Hopefully, when in Greece, you will have perfected your Greek kamaki. 

English  Greek (Pronunciation) 

Hi! / Good morning!  Γεια! (Ya) / Καλημέρα! (kalimera) 

Good evening! / Good night!  Καλησπέρα! (kalispera) /     Καληνύχτα! (kalinihta) 

Thank you / You’re welcome  Ευχαριστώ (efharisto) / Παρακαλώ       (parakalo) 

I’m sorry  Συγγνώμη (signomi – g like wood) 

How are you? / Fine, you?  Τι κάνεις; (ti kaneis) / Καλά, εσύ;             (kala esi) 

Yes / No  Ναι (ne) / Όχι (ohi) 

Water / Coffee  Νερό (nero) / Καφές (kafes) 

Beer / Wine / Ouzo  Μπύρα (bira) / Κρασί (krasi) / Ούζο             (ouzo) 

Cheers!  Γεια μας! (Ya mas) 

How much does it cost?  Πόσο κάνει; (poso kanei) 

I like you! / I love you!  Μου αρέσεις! (mou areseis) / Σ’           αγαπώ! (sagapo) 

Where am I? / Help!  Που είμαι; (pou ime) / Βοήθεια!           (voithia) 

My baby! / I want you!  Μωρό μου! (moro mou) / Σε θέλω! (se               thelo) 

Re malaka! / Halara  Ρε μαλάκα! (re malaka) / Χαλαρά           (Halara) 

Partuza  Παρτούζα (partuza) 

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I’m a little strawberry eat me!  Είμαι μία φραουλίτσα φάε με!         (ime mia fraoulitsa fae me) 

 But we are guessing that you are experiencing some issues with the weird Greek                           Alphabet…? If you have 30 minutes to kill, you can try nailing the alphabet with                             this guy, or for the crammers, just keep a cheat sheet with you (it might come a                                 lot in handy when trying to communicate with locals, reading signs etc). 

 

Important stuff! 

It’s very important that you take these things with you… Do not leave                         without double-checking this list! 

✓ National Identity Card/Passport 

✓ Visa (if required) 

✓ Medical & Travel insurance 

✓ Personal hygiene items 

✓ Special medication that you might need 

✓ Towels 

✓ ISIC/Student card 

✓ Your fee (make sure it’s in euros) 

✓ Food & alcohol from your country (a lot of it!) that preferably doesn’t need                           

preparation, for the International Evening 

✓ Extra money for souvenirs, extra food, extra alcohol, shopping etc 

✓ Swimming suit, sunscreen, sunglasses, flip-flops 

✓ Formal clothes for the Official Opening and the Company Visits 

✓ T-shirt/clothes you don’t mind ruining! 

✓ Comfy/Sport clothes for activities 

✓ Comfy, closed-toed shoes (sneakers etc, for bad weather, CPY visits 

✓ Jacket/Sweater because it gets cold at night! 

✓ Sleeping bag 

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✓ A musical instrument, if you play one :) 

✓ This survival guide 

✓ Your craziness and your smile! :) 

 

Emergency numbers  

European Emergency ____________112 Police ________________________________ 100 Ambulance _________________________166 Fire brigade ________________________199  

 

Contact info  

President of BEST Athens Antonis Bikas tel: +306956036159 Email: bikasantonis@gmail.com  

BEST Athens  email: athens@BEST.eu.org 

Facebook Page BEST Athens 

Website http://best.ntua.gr 

 

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