First Week in Athens: 5 Quick Wins to Settle In
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First week in Athens? The city won’t wait for you, dive in headfirst
(Transport, SIM, Bank & Budget)
So, you’ve just landed in Athens.
The sun’s frying your brain, your bags are heavier than a priest’s guilt, and you’re wondering: What the hell do I do first?
Welcome. This is your baptism by fire.
Forget the glossy Instagram reels of “Acropolis at sunset.”
Athens doesn’t give a damn about your selfie stick.
It cares about one thing: whether you can survive the first week without looking like a clueless Erasmus zombie dragging a suitcase up a hill in Exarchia.
We’ll make it easy for you.
Five quick wins.
Do these, and you won’t just survive Athens, you’ll actually start enjoying it.
1. Master the Transport Hack (Metro, Bus, and the Secret Sauce)
Let’s get real.
Athens traffic is a war crime.
The kind of chaos that makes Rome look like Switzerland.
If you’re stupid enough to rely on taxis every day, your Erasmus budget will vanish faster than your sobriety during the first Erasmus pub crawl.
Here’s the cheat code: the 3-day or monthly transport pass.
Metro, buses, trams—it covers everything.
€27 a month. That’s less than two Friday night cocktails in Gazi.
Get it at any metro station.
All you need is your student ID (or the temporary paper one your university gives you).
The cashier will give you a card that you top up monthly. Done.
Pro tip: Google Maps is your best friend in Athens. The local app (OASA Telematics) looks like it was designed in 1998 by someone’s drunk cousin. Trust us, stick with Google.
And remember: the metro shuts at midnight.
Don’t cry when you’re stuck in Monastiraki at 12:15 a.m.
Either get used to night buses (God help you) or budget for the occasional €5–€8 taxi via Beat app (the Greek Uber).
New: 24-Hour Saturday Transport
As of Saturday, September 13, 2025, Athens has launched a permanent 24-hour service on Saturdays for:
Metro Lines 2 & 3
Tram Lines T6 & T7
Selected bus routes across the city (including many night-bus lines)
That means on Saturdays you don’t have to worry about being stranded after midnight if you’re out late.
Just double-check whether your route is part of the all-night network (some peripheral buses might still have limited hours).
Quick win #1: Buy the damn monthly pass on day one. Your wallet will thank you.
2. SIM Card—Stop Paying EU Roaming Like an Idiot
You could keep using your EU SIM card, but then you’ll get a text from your mom in week two: “Why is your phone bill €300???”
Athens runs on cheap prepaid SIM cards.
The big three: Cosmote, Vodafone, and Nova (ex-Wind).
Vodafone is solid in the city
Cosmote has the best coverage (even works on remote islands)
Nova is for broke students who don’t mind weak signals in tunnels
Walk into any shop with your passport and you’ll walk out with a Greek number in 10 minutes.
Plans are laughably cheap: €8–€12 for 10–15GB of data plus calls. And yes, TikTok addicts, you’ll survive.
Pro tip: Look out for student deals. Some shops have Erasmus packages with extra GBs. They don’t advertise them, but if you ask, they’ll smile, nod, and hook you up.
Quick win #2: New SIM = cheap data, local number, zero stress.
3. Bank Account—Don’t Get Robbed by Fees
Here’s a fact: Erasmus students lose more money in bank fees than in Monastiraki pickpockets.
If you’re not careful, every time you pay rent or withdraw cash, your home bank will take a cut.
And when you add it up, boom, there goes another weekend trip to Mykonos.
Here’s the fix:
Revolut, Wise, or N26. Digital banks that don’t fleece you on international transfers
If you must open a Greek account, go with Eurobank or National Bank of Greece. They’re student-friendly and less bureaucratic than Alpha Bank (which still acts like it’s 1973)
Ask your landlord how they want to be paid.
Some accept Revolut. Others want a proper Greek IBAN. Plan ahead.
Pro tip: Always withdraw cash from an official Greek bank ATM. The “convenience” ATMs in kiosks or tourist areas charge mafia-level fees (€5–€7 per withdrawal). Don’t be that idiot who burns €50 in ATM fees by Christmas.
Quick win #3: Sort your banking week one, keep the cash in your pocket, not the banker’s.
4. Budget Like a Local, Not a Tourist
Let’s talk money.
You came here thinking, “Athens is cheap.”
And compared to Paris or Amsterdam, sure. But if you eat every meal in Plaka or order frappés from overpriced rooftop bars, you’ll be broke before October.
The reality:
Coffee at a local kafeneio: €1.50
Coffee at a rooftop with Acropolis view: €6–€8
Gyro at a normal souvlaki place: €2.50–€3
Gyro at a tourist trap: €6–€7
Multiply that by 90 meals a month, and you see where this is going.
Here’s how to budget smart:
Cook at home at least 3–4 days a week. Lidl, Sklavenitis, and AB are your friends
Go big on lunch, light on dinner. It’s how Greeks roll
Learn the art of meze. Small plates shared with friends. Cheaper, tastier, more fun
Your Erasmus grant + maybe a bit of parental cash will cover you if you don’t blow it on cocktails at Six Dogs every night.
Quick win #4: Set a weekly budget and stick to it. Rule of thumb: €100–150/week is more than enough if you’re not acting like a tourist.
5. Social Hack: Plug In Fast
Okay, we lied…
The fifth quick win isn’t about money, phones, or buses.
It’s about survival in the deeper sense.
If you spend your first week hiding in your room, binging Netflix, guess what?
You’ll still be that awkward loner in November.
Athens has a brutal rule: your Erasmus social circle is built in the first two weeks. Miss it, and you’re toast.
So:
Go to the ESN welcome events, even if you think they’re cheesy
Say yes to that random WhatsApp group invite
Don’t wait for perfect. Show up, drink the cheap beer, laugh at the bad DJ
You’re not here to live like a monk.
The people you meet now will be your crew for the whole year.
They’ll be the ones you travel with, get drunk with, cry with, and maybe, just maybe…fall in love with.
Quick win #5: Plug into the social scene immediately. Your first week sets your entire Erasmus rhythm.
The Bottom Line
Athens is raw. Loud. Messy. Beautiful.
It won’t wait for you to figure it out.
You either adapt or get chewed up.
That’s why these quick wins matter. They’re your survival kit.
Transport pass = freedom.
SIM card = connection.
Bank account = financial sanity.
Budget = longevity.
Social hack = memories.
Do these in the first week and suddenly Athens isn’t chaos anymore.
It’s your playground.
And trust us: once you’ve cracked these basics, the city will open up in ways you can’t imagine.
Midnight souvlaki runs, rooftop beers, island weekend escapes, and friendships that outlast the Erasmus hangover.
But it all starts here… with five quick wins in week one.
Now get moving. Athens won’t wait.
