athens spring course 2018

the transport network

15 – 23 april 2018

survival guide

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Hey there dear future participant! Yes, you. Pondering on participating in a legendary course in Athens? We can see you’re ready for a big adventure! We are very happy you are considering coming to Athens. So, this is our Survival Guide, which will provide you with all the necessary information you may need1, and help you take a first taste of this unforgettable journey. Take a deep breath, and prepare yourselves for the most awesome days of your spring!

Local BEST Group Athens will be waiting for you in Athens, at the National Technical University of Athens to explore the wonderful world of transportation. We are ready to show you our beautiful city, the city of the Acropolis, the capital of Greece! We’ll do our BEST to make you feel like home and to have a magical time here in our city, with us and with other European students!

1 The information provided in this document, is correct only at the time of writing. If there are significant changes, in case you get accepted these will be communicated to you by the organisers. Furthermore, after you get accepted, you will receive even more detailed information, especially regarding the accommodation, the schedule, and the meeting point.

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Useful information you can find in here 1. Greece 101

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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Greece 101

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? - - - - X

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 - - - - X

Official name: Hellenic Republic Endonym: Ελλάδα (Ellada) Capital: Athens Population: 10,815,197 Official Language: Greek

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Religion: Greek Orthodox Time zone: GMT +2 Electricity: 220V/50Hz plugs International dialing code: +30

Wave that flag! - - - - X

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 - - - - X

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. April is better but 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… - - - - X

Currency

Greece is currently in the Eurozone (yes! Still in :P) 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 money2:

● 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

Beer (café/bar) 3.00-6.00

2 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 (supermarket) 1.00-2.20

Coke (soft drinks-supermarket) 0.70-1.80

Cigarettes 3.80-4.20

Souvlaki (gyros) 1.70-3.50

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; the restrictions only apply to Greek bank accounts, so unless you are planning to splurge on Greek goodies using cards that are connected to an account in a Greek bank, you can chill.

What about the food, dude? - - - - X

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.

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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.

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!

Athens the Capital

A few words - - - - X

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

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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.

Moving around - - - - X

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.

2 very useful applications that is advisable that you download:

1. TfA tickets (download on Android or iOS), that allows you to buy 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.

Tickets can be bought either inside the metro station from the automatic machines and the desks, from kiosks, or the TfA app. There are several types of tickets, the most important being:

● Standard integrated ticket, which lasts for 70 minutes, costs 1,40€ (euros) (0,60€ with ISIC/student card), and is valid in metro/bus/trolley/tram and some suburban railway stops, regardless the number of different means one uses.

● Airport metro ticket which you need to leave/get to the airport via metro, costs 10€ (5€ with an ISIC/student card), and can be used for any other further transport within the 90 minutes after validation, as if it were a standard integrated ticket.

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● Airport express bus lines ticket, which costs 6€ (3€ with an ISIC/student card), and is valid only for that specific bus ride.

● Daily ticket (except airport rides), which costs 4,5€ (no student discount), valid for 24 hours, and in all means (metro/tram/bus).

● 3-day tourist ticket (including roundway ticket to the airport), costs 22€ (no student discount), valid for 72 hours.

Athens Urban Rail Transport Map

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 - - - - X

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 - - - - X

With its 21th Anniversary approaching, the Local BEST Group of Athens is planning on enriching its history of 85 organised events (including 23 courses). Our team is made up of 35 crazy members. Of course the MVP of our team is Malakas, our lovely teddy bear mascot, whom you might be lucky enough to meet during the course if he makes an appearance (he’s quite the diva!)

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Live your myth at NTUA! - - - - X

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

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Wow, I NEED to come to Greece! - - - - X

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! The bad news…? No bad news, just kidding. :P 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 info on the stations of the blue line,

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check aforementioned info on transport3. Be 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. 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 connections with most of the major European cities. In addition to other budget airlines, Wizz Air also flies to SKG.

3 Once you get accepted, and 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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From Thessaloniki to Athens

A.1.1 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.1.2 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.1.3 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.

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.

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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)

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

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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

✓ A musical instrument, if you play one :)

✓ This survival guide

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✓ Your craziness and your smile! :)

Emergency numbers European Emergency ____________112 Police ________________________________ 100 Ambulance _________________________166 Fire brigade ________________________199

Contact info President of BEST Athens Ilias-Alexandros Parmaksizoglou tel: +306983829520 email: iparmaksizoglou@gmail.com

BEST Athens email: athens@BEST.eu.org Facebook Page BEST Athens Website http://best.ntua.gr