Last Updated on 12 June 2026 by Colette
This post features a hosted stay
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you will know that Dave and I are not averse to taking the odd trip without the kids – in fact we actively seek out opportunities and try to do it once or twice a year. Much as we adore being on holiday with our children, we also really appreciate the chance to take time out for ourselves, to remember who we are as a couple and not just as parents. We are really lucky that both Dave’s mum and my parents encourage and support this and are happy to take care of the kids for us – we know that not everyone has that.
This winter has felt really long and bitterly cold so we were both super excited to start looking at short breaks with Jet2Holidays for early March – counting down the days until we could feel the sun on our skin and be warmed through to our bones. At this time of year, if you really want guaranteed sun, you’re probably going to have to fly long haul but we don’t have the time or money for that so we chanced our arm on a trip to Athens where the average early March temperature is around 17°C dropping to about 10°C at night – hopefully warm enough shed a few layers of clothing and enjoy a coffee outside but not warm enough to be paddling in the sea or needing a swimming pool at our hotel.
Athens is generally not considered to be busy in March with significantly fewer crowds compared to peak summer months, making it a good time to visit the city’s attractions like the Acropolis without large tourist throngs. Thanks to the mild temperatures, it’s not too hot for exploring and visiting tourist attractions either – we were treated to blue skies, sunshine and temps of around 20°C during the day which felt like an absolute joy!
Flights to Athens
We are lucky to live within relatively close driving distance of Manchester airport so will always look to book flights from Manchester airport and Jet2 are typically our preferred airline having had some less than positive experience with other budget flight providers (you know the ones I mean!) We tend to choose to park at Manchester airport for the convenience, especially for a short break where you just want to minimise hassle and maximise your holiday time!
Flights to Athens from Manchester airport take just short of four hours (similar from Birmingham and slightly less from Stanstead) and there’s only a two hour time difference making it perfectly doable for a long weekend city break.
We flew out from Manchester airport at 9am on Thursday morning, landing in Athens at around 3pm local time – just the right time to make our way to the hotel to check in before heading out for early evening drinks and dinner!
The flight home again was at 3.45pm, landing back in Manchester at just before 6pm meaning we could get home and relieve Granny of her childcare duties at a reasonable time and Dave didn’t need to take any extra time off work on the Monday.
Getting checked in at Manchester airport with Jet2 was super slick – we would normally just fly hand luggage for such a short trip but this time we chose to take a bag in the hold. With a sea of Jet2 staff ready to great you at Manchester airport and help you get your baggage checked in or lend you a pen for your unsigned passport (I hold my hands up), there was next to no queue and definitely no drama involved in checking our bag in and heading straight to security. On return, it was just as simple with our baggage being on the carousel within about five minutes of us getting there so it added no time at all to our trip.
Where we stayed in Athens
We booked a three night stay at The Modernist Athens choosing it for its central location and luxe vibes and we absolutely were not disappointed – this is a gorgeous hotel giving all the qualities you’d be looking for in a boutique hotel from a super stylish interior (think sleek, black and modern yet cosy and comfortable!) to really friendly, welcoming staff and a delicious breakfast. The roof top bar with views across Athens to the Acropolis and out to the sea are an added bonus (don’t miss the sunset with a cheeky cocktail!)
The Modernist Athens is easily accessible via public transport from the airport. The metro runs from Athens airport direct to Evangelismos station which is less than a five minute walk to The Modernist Athens (just make sure you come out of the left side of the metro station as it’s a longer walk with some major roads to cross if you make the mistake of heading out to the right which we did when we first arrived).
You can read more about The Modernist Athens here
You can read more about getting around central Athens using the Metro here
What we did in Athens
We stayed at The Modernist in Athens for three nights – arriving late afternoon on Thursday and leaving at check out on Sunday which gave us two full days to play with.
We decided that it made sense to do the most touristy, sight-seeing bits of the trip on our first day on the basis that it would give us chance to get our bearings and that the Friday might be slightly quieter than the Saturday. Of course the main things on our list from a tourist perspective were the Acropolis and the Parthenon – and beyond that we didn’t really have any plans.
We had read that the best time to visit The Acropolis was first thing in the morning or last thing at night so we decided to get up fairly early, have breakfast and catch the Metro to Acropolis to start our exploring there. Now if, like us, you thought 10am on a random Friday in early March would be a quiet time to visit The Acropolis, you’d be wrong – it was so busy but I’m glad that we went, it would have been a shame to only ever see it from a distance!
You can read more about visiting the Acropolis here:
Visiting the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens
Once we’d finished at the Acropolis, we set off to explore central Athens but were soon side-tracked by a little a bar set on some steps just down from The Areopagus where we sat and basked in the sun with a couple of beers and a fresh lemonade.
Fully refreshed, we spent much of the rest of the day exploring the surrounding area – scoping out places to eat, browsing small market stalls (but not buying anything because nothing had prices on and I hate that!) and generally taking in everything that Athens has to offer. After putting in some 14k steps, we hopped the Metro back to Evangelismos and The Modernist to have a shower and a bit of a rest before heading back into town for dinner!
Top tip: I know this might seem obvious but do make sure you are wearing comfy, sturdy shoes for exploring Athens. The paving can be really uneven and even slippy in places (my old trainers definitely didn’t have enough grip!).
City breaks to Athens don’t have to be all historical monuments and crowds of people. On Saturday, looking for a slower pace and because I am nothing if not a complete thalassophile, Dave had researched a couple of options for beachside lunches. Through a combination of the Metro and a bus, we made our way to Kalamaki Beach where we sat on the beach enjoying the sun on our faces and watching the sea (we did also dip our toes in but it was every bit as freezing as you’d expect for early March!) before heading for lunch and then back to the beach for a little doze! Kalamaki Beach is not sandy, the beach is made up of tiny pebbles which are fine for sitting on but my feet didn’t appreciate me trying to walk on them and I wished I’d had my beach shoes to wear! Getting the bus back didn’t quite as smoothly as we might have hoped – the bus definitely didn’t appear to run to the timetable on the bus stop or on google – but it turned up eventually!
On Saturday night, we headed back into town getting the Metro to Monastiraki with the intention of wandering and finding somewhere for dinner – Saturday night in Athens is lively with a good mix of locals and visitors out enjoying food and drink. Most of the restaurants and bars have outside seating with heaters so even in early March you can sit outside – I would definitely recommend taking a jumper or a jacket though as it can get nippy.
(Just as an aside, we noticed that a lot of the paving is really uneven in Athens and it’s not unusual to find a tree or a lamppost in the middle of the path! We both had lots of near misses with stumbles and trips on random bits of pavement or holes that have been left unfilled.)
Travelling home from Athens Airport
With our flight being mid afternoon on Sunday, we were able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at The Modernist and some time on the roof terrace to enjoy the sunshine and views before heading to catch the Metro back to the airport. This didn’t go without a hitch though as the Metro broke down several stops before the airport leaving us to catch the Metro back two stops for a bus – luckily we had left plenty of time and, despite a bit of a stress that we wouldn’t be able to get on the bus with so many people in the same predicament, it was fine and we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
It’s worth noting that the main options for food, drink and shopping at Athens Airport are in the main terminal before you go through security and to your gate – we didn’t realise this and just made our way through leaving us with very little choice for food and a long wait with little to do. Had we known this, we’d have definitely passed more time in main terminal before heading through!
All in we had a really lovely few days in Athens – mixing up sight seeing with soaking up the atmosphere of this busy, vibrant city. We were super lucky with the weather which definitely made a difference to our trip but I do think March is a great time to visit when it’s not too hot for exploring.
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