Swatch-FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 2005
	INFOTE Athens Open: 30 August-4 September
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latest update: 16/08/2005 15:02 +0300

Travel Information:

Athens (pop. 772,072) is the capital of Greece. The area that is now occupied by the city has been continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years. The first settlers came to the area during the Neolithic Age and built their dwellings at the bottom of the rock on which the Acropolis stands today. During the 13th century BC, the mythical hero Theseus united all the communities of Attica into a single city that he named Athinai (Athens). The 6th century BC is the peak for Athens. Three leaders dominated the city: Solon, the politician and lawmaker; Peisistratus, the tyrant; and Cleisthenes, the founder of the Athenian Democracy. The three played a great part in shaping the form that Athens would take in the future. During the 5th century BC, after the victory at the Median Wars, a brand new city was built-one that will remain in history as the Classical Athens. Themistocles, Cimon and Pericles later, were the strong personalities that influenced Athens during this period. The Peloponnesian War (at the end of the 5th century BC) and the defeat of the Athenians by the Lacedaemonians brought the decline of Athens. In 86 BC Athens fell to the Romans. After Christianity spread, Athens became a small and unimportant town in the Byzantine Empire and followed the fate of the Empire. Athens surrendered to Frankish rule in 1204. The Turks followed in 1456. The modern history of Athens began in 1834, after the liberation Greece, following the War of Independence of 1821. Athens, in ruins at the time, became capital of the new Greek state and two architects, Stamatios Kleanthis and Edward Schaubert drew the first city plan. At the end of the 19th Century, neo-classical Athens became a city easy to live in; limited in area, with two- or at the most three-storey buildings and a population of around 200,000. After World War II, however, the city changed rapidly, with millions pouring in from all over the country and high-rise buildings cropping up. The area of Greater Athens occupies today the whole of the basin formed by the surrounding mountains and has a population of over 4 million.

Getting there
"Eleftherios Venizelos" Athens International Airport, open since March 2001, has direct flights to/from most major capitals and other important cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America. It is capable of handling up to 16 million passengers annually.
Amphitrion Holidays, the official travel agency of the INFOTE Athens Open, has a desk at the Arrivals Level of Athens airport. This is the official meeting point for arriving players and officials, for further transportation to downtown Athens.
See Links page for travel-related links.

Accommodation
Athens and its environs have an almost inexhaustible supply of accommodation, ranging from the really budget to the magnificently luxurious.
The Metropolitan Hotel of the Chandris chain is the official Main Draw hotel of the INFOTE Athens Open of the 2005 Swatch-FIVB World Tour. The hotel is located at a distance of about 2 kilometres from the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre, near to where Syngrou Avenue (the main thoroughfare connecting central Athens to the coast) meets the sea.
Please see below for list of recommended hotels for Qualification Tournament players and for visitors.

Orientation
The INFOTE Athens Open of the 2005 Swatch-FIVB World Tour will be held in the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre, built for the 2004 Olympic Games. The venue is located on the Phaleron Coastal Zone, a few kilometres southwest of the centre of Athens and just east of the port of Piraeus. Public transportation serving the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre is very frequent, from either Athens or Piraeus, and includes buses and the tram, with connections to the metro available nearby.

Getting around
Transportation between Athens International Airport and hotels, as well as between hotels and the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre will be provided by the organisers for all Main Draw participants, according to their travel schedules and the competition schedule.
Taxis may be ordered by phone or hailed on the street.
Public buses and the tram, with connections to the metro, serve the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre.
Numerous car-hire outlets (including all the major multi-national companies) can be found in Athens. Be advised, however, that parking in the city centre could be a nightmare. A home driving license from most countries should suffice for car rental. Motorbikes, scooters and bicycles are also available for hire from numerous outlets, but driving in the city is not recommended for the faint-hearted.

Time
Greek Summer Time, in effect from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. In winter Greece is two hours ahead of GMT.

Money
Greece is a member of the Euro-zone and since 1 January 2002 its official currency is the Euro (€). The euro is also the official currency of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. In early August, €1.00 = $1.22. Most foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks (open Monday to Friday, 08:00-13:30). Other options are exchange offices, which usually keep longer hours. Rates and commissions at travel agencies and hotels will probably not be as favourable as at banks and exchange offices. All banks have ATMs available round the clock.
Most major credit cards are widely accepted at almost every tourist-oriented establishment.

Telephones
Direct-dial phone service is available between Greece and all countries of the world. International calls may be placed from any of the cardphones located throughout Athens. Telephone cards are sold at kiosks and newsstands everywhere. Phone calls placed from hotel rooms may carry heavy surcharges.
Mobile phone networks in Greece are compatible with the European-wide GSM 900/1800 standards, but not with the systems available in the USA and Japan. Vodafone (formerly Panafon), TIM (formerly Telestet) and Cosmote are the three major mobile phone service providers in Greece. Check with your home service provider to find out if Roaming Service is available for you. Otherwise, it's possible for very little money to easily buy Connection Packs from any of the above companies in Greece. These are compatible with GSM 900/1800 devices and include a number and a small amount of air time, which can be renewed.

Newspapers
Kiosks throughout Athens and Piraeus offer a very wide selection of European newspapers and magazines, most on the same day of publication. The International Herald Tribune, printed in Athens, is available every morning with an eight-page English-language supplement of the Greek daily Kathimerini. The English-language Athens News is published every Friday.

Beaches, Sightseeing & Excursions
The best beaches of the Athens area extend on the shores of the Saronic Gulf, south of the city. Various operators offer city tours, as well as half- and full-day excursions to such famous sites as the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the Oracle at Delphi, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus and the Citadel of Mycenae and others. Full-day cruises to the nearby islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra are also offered. Brochures and further information are available at the Reception Desks of most hotels.

Recommended Hotels:

For reservations at the above special prices, please contact the official travel agency of the INFOTE Athens Open:
Ms Evita Mazaraki at Amphitrion Holidays
Tel: +30 210 900 6163
email: mazaraki@amphitrion.gr

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