
Thu 25 (or Fri 26) until Sun 28 February (t.b.c.)
Athens, Greece
Accommodation in a central 4* hotel
Direct flights Brussels Airlines / Aegean Airlines
Ask anyone to mention Europe’s historically most important city for democracy and surely most people will say Athens, Greece. We all know it from the history books, but have you actually been there and seen the Acropolis with your own eyes? For 2500 years this magnificent ancient citadel has been of great historic and architectural significance, and a symbol for Athens, Greece, and Western civilisation. Expat Club organises a 4-day trip to this city of 4 million people to dive into 2,5 millennia of Greek history, and to discover the many exciting parts of this vibrant city. A local expert guide will show our group around and provide us with the necessary background information, so history and the ruins will come alive.
Alternative flights on Thursday evening or Friday possible!
Pre-reserve now
This trip is not yet confirmed in terms of dates, program and time. Unfortunately, we also cannot yet give you a price indication. Expat Club is keen on adding Athens to the list of destinations and travel there with a group of fun people (max. 25-30 people). If you are interested, we would love to hear that. You can now pre-reserve a spot for free and without obligations. We will then inform you whenever we have more information available. If you are a member and logged in, simply click on the RSVP button. If you are not a member, you can register first and follow these stops, or simply submit your name and email address on this page. Membership is not required for any of our trips because we only offer this online option for those who want to connect more with others.
Overview
What is included in the trip fee?
We have a smartly designed schedule that allows us to see as much as possible without having the feeling that you have to run. We just want to avoid unnecessarily losing time by planning things well beforehand, including lunches and dinners, so you won’t have to think what to do next. A worry-free trip that includes the following items:
- Direct flights to/from Athens
- Private airport transfers
- 2 nights in 4* hotels in the centre of Athens
- 2x buffet breakfast
- Dinner on Friday
- Lunch on Saturday
- Private local transportation
- Full day guided tour in Athens
- Visit to all major tourist hotspots
- All entrance fees for group visits
- A great group of international people
- A lifetime expat memory
What is the trip fee?
At this moment we cannot yet tell you the trip price. We can just say that we are making use of good 4* hotels, private transfers and guides, and that we include all entrance fees. We do so to ensure you will get the best possible experience and that you can focus on enjoying this amazing part of Europe.
Who can join us?
Expat Club is known for welcoming a wide variety of international people on its trips. This creates a special open-minded, safe and friendly environment in which everyone feels comfortable.
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- Members & non-members
- Expats & (international) Belgians
- All ages, including children
- Singles / couples / retirees / friends / colleagues / families
Expat Club and families
Expat Club welcomes everyone, including families with children. However, due to the extended guided tours and the academic nature of this trip it is not meant for young children (we recommend at least 10-12 years old). Contact us if you are interested so we can ensure you get the right rooms and a family/child discount. These discounts are valid on the early-bird and regular trip fees (no further discounts apply, including pre-reservation discounts).
What is the group size?
For this trip we accept about 25 people.
Videos
Program
As with all Expat Club trips we carefully think about the entire program to arrange a smooth trip for everyone. This includes the chosen flights, the location of our hotel, pre-reserved entrance times, organised lunches and dinners, good local transportation etc. Still, unforeseen things can happen that may influence our program, such as traffic and road blocks, unexpected closed destinations etc. We always do our best to come up with the best possible alternative in collaboration with local guides, bus drivers, hotel and welcoming restaurants and museums. The below program is a first outline, but gives a good indication of what you can expect in combination with the next session on the destinations we visit. The program will be updated as soon as we can confirm this trip.
Thursday 25 February
08h40 – Meeting at Brussels Airport (Starbucks main terminal)
11h40 – Departure to Athens
15h40 – Arrival in Athens (+ 1 hour)
17h00 – Check-in hotel
18h00 – Welcome drinks & dinner
21h00 – Free time
Note: there is an alternative flight departing at 18h45 and arriving at 22h45
Friday 26 February
07h30 – Breakfast
09h30 – Athens program
Note: there are alternative flights today, departing at 11h40 and arriving at 15h40, or departing at 18h45 and arriving at 22h45.
Saturday 27 February
07h30 – Breakfast
09h30 – Visit to Acropolis & Acropolis Museum
16h00 – Visit to Piraeus
20h00 – Dinner
Sunday 28 February
07h30 – Breakfast
09h30 – Athens program
13h00 – Departure to Athens Airport
15h35 – Departure to Brussels
17h55 – Arrival in Brussels
Destinations
If you follow the entire program, and join us on the proposed morning flight, we will have almost three days to explore Athens. With two full days on Friday and Saturday, a Thursday evening and a Sunday morning, there should be more than enough time to dive into the history of the city and to see all major sights and neighbourhoods. And to enjoy the amazingly good Greek food of course!
We cannot yet propose a concrete schedule, but we know of course what we would like to do and see. The below pictures give you therefore a good idea what you can expect during this trip. Whenever we can confirm the trip in general, we will of course present them in a better order with more background information. But then again, this is a city that doesn’t need much of an introduction, and hopefully yet another Expat Club neither.
Athens, the city

Aerial view of the vast city of Athens | © Anastasios71 – Shutterstock
The Acropolis

© Viacheslav Lopatin – Shutterstock

© Sven Hansche – Shutterstock

© S.Borisov – Shutterstock

© Samot – Shutterstock

© anyaivanova – Shutterstock

Erechtheum temple at the Acropolis | © S-F – Shutterstock

Erechtheion Temple | © Kirk Fisher – Shutterstock

Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike | © Brigida Soriano – Shutterstock

The Acropolis museum | © Aerial-motion – Shutterstock

View from the Acropolis Museum on the Acropolis | © jpbarcelos – Shutterstock
Agora complex

The Agora | © Vania Tonova – Shutterstock

The Hephaestus temple in the Agora complex | © Catalin Lazar – Shutterstock
Lycabettus Hill

The unmissable Lycabettus Hill | © S-F – Shutterstock

From the top you have an amazing 360˚ view over Athens | © Aerial-motion – Shutterstock
Major sights in Athens

The Greek Parliament in Athens | © smoxx – Shutterstock

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier | © imagedb.com – Shutterstock

The Panathenaic Stadium | © Anastasios71 – Shutterstock

The well preserved medieval church of Panagia Kapnikarea | © eFesenko – Shutterstock

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the Acropolis Hill | © Eileen_10 – Shutterstock

The Temple of Poseidon | © photo Stella – Shutterstock

The Temple for Zeus | © turtix – Shutterstock
Other Athens museums

The Benaki Museum | © saiko3p – Shutterstock

The National Archeological Museum | © imagIN.gr photography – Shutterstock

The National Archeological Museum | © barbar34 – Shutterstock

The National gardens | © vivooo – Shutterstock
Plaka

View on the Acropolis from Plaka | © Kostas Tsek – Shutterstock

Ancient Agora in Plaka | © Anastasios71 – Shutterstock

Wonderful views from the Plaka neighbourhood | © Kostas Tsek – Shutterstock

Nice bars, restaurants and terraces | © Anastasios71 – Shutterstock

© Frank Fell | Shutterstock

A new view at every corner | © Kostas Tsek – Shutterstock

Colourful houses in the Plaka neighbourhood. | © Olga Gavrilova – Shutterstock

More cheerful houses | © Svetlana Ryajentseva – Shutterstock
Piraeus

Piraeus next to Athens | © Aerial-motion – Shutterstock

Several ferry connections leave from Piraeus to the Greek islands | © Korpithas – Shutterstock

Fresh fish, straight from the boat | © kavalenkau – Shutterstock

The lovely and lively waterfront of Piraeus | © NAPA – Shutterstock
Athens nightlife

Enjoy lively Athens, here the Monastiraki Square | © cge2010 – Shutterstock
Greek food

We’ll be enjoying the Mezze in abundance | © Jarek Pajewski – Shutterstock

Fresh octopus in Piraeus | © photoff – Shutterstock

© Jarek Pajewski – Shutterstock
Hotel
For your comfort, convenience, and safety, we will be staying in a good 4* hotel in the centre of Athens. We cannot yet share which hotel, but as usual we always pick a nice one at a great location and with good reviews. In this hotel you can choose between the following room types.
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- Single room – 1 large bed for 1 person (surcharge applies)
- Double room – 1 large bed for 2 persons (a couple or parent/child)
- Twin room – 2 single beds for 2 persons (two friends sharing a room)
- Twin room – 2 single beds for 2 solo travellers who would like to share a room
- Triple/family rooms – at request
Room sharing for solo travellers
If you travel alone, you can share a “twin room” with 2 single beds (only females shared rooms, male room upon request). We introduce you to the other travellers who also want to share a room. This means you don’t have to search for a friend who wants to join. We also do not assign you to a room, but you choose who you want to share the room with. You can select this room sharing option during the reservation processs. It is a perfect way to lower your costs and to meet another friendly expat.
Flights
For this trip we are in principle flying Aegean Airlines in collaboration with Brussels Airlines. Due to the relatively long flying time to Athens (for a European flight) and the flight times, we must fly out on Thursday already. For the outbound flight you have 2 options, although the later flight will for sure have a surcharge of €60 to €140. If you would like to fly out on Friday, that would also be possible, but it will come at the cost of you missing out on much of the program (contact us for the price difference). We will visit the Acropolis and Piraeus only on Saturday though. Travelling with a checked bag will cost €30 one-way and can be indicated during the reservation process. It will not be possible to provide a seat preference.
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- Thursday: Brussels 11h40 > Athens 15h40
- Thursday: Brussels 18h45 > Athens 22h45 (with surcharge)
- Friday: Brussels 11h40 > Athens 15h40 (you miss part of program, contact us)
- Friday: Brussels 18h45 > Athens 22h45 (you miss part of program, contact us)
- Sunday: Athens 15h35 > Brussels 17h55
Comments
- The trip will be carried out by Aegean Airlines in collaboration with Brussels Airlines
- The trip is carefully planned. Still, all timings are indicative and may change if required by circumstances.
- The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go with your own transportation or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know.
- You are personally responsible for getting good cancellation and/or travel insurance that covers you for unforeseen emergencies and medical expenses before or during the trip.
- You are personally responsible for using the hotel room in an appropriate way. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip.
- Expat Club cannot be held liable for unforeseen delays that influence the program (e.g. missed guided tours), neither can Expat Club be held liable for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen events that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the coach, strikes, weather etc.
- Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, things that happen during the guided tours. Joining this trip is safe but still at your own risk.
- If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (male/male, female/female). During the outbound trip we will connect you with others in the same position. If you decide to take a single room during the trip, then you will have to fully pay for it yourself.
- If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, you will have to pay the single room supplement or share a room with another person (if available).