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Years ago Athens was an important stop for anyone touring the area, but it was kind of a dump. In the years leading up to the 2004 Summer Olympics, the city really cleaned up nicely and now most of the center is clean and pleasant. The downside is that hotel prices went way up, so it’s good news that there are tons of hostels in Athens to keep things affordable.

Compared to most of Western Europe, Athens hostels are quite cheap. The places with better locations tend to charge a few Euros more per night than the ones that are in strange residential neighborhoods. The center of Athens is fairly compact and most of its main attractions are bundled together in a couple of districts. The suburbs sprawl out almost infinitely in each direction so it’s important to be aware of the location of your hostel in Athens.

Since very few people arrive by train, unlike most of the rest of Europe, Athens doesn’t have all of its budget accommodations clustered around the main train station. Syntagma Square is where the Parliament building is and is the center of town for locals. The subway from the airport goes right to Syntagma so it’s both easy to reach and very central. There are several Athens hostels in this neighborhood, and a few more on the streets heading south and west towards the Acropolis. If you can find a place in between Syntagma and the Acropolis you’ll be in a great location that is worth paying a few extra Euros for.

Some of the hostels in Athens will advertise that they are in a quiet neighborhood, and while that is probably true, it may be less than ideal for your stay. Even though the city has gotten quite a bit nicer in the last decade or so, many people still consider it a bit of a pain in the ass so a common strategy is to limit your time here and then head out to the islands. You can’t pass up seeing these amazing sights so you might as well book two nights in a centrally located hostel in Athens, and then get out. If you book into a remote place you’ll spend a big chunk of time going back and forth and you’ll probably need an extra day just to see everything.

Athens Backpackers has probably the best location of any hostel in Athens. It’s just near the base of the Acropolis, but it’s also more expensive than most other hostels in town. They have beds in 6-bunk rooms starting around €23 per night including breakfast, but their location makes it worthwhile.

The Students and Travellers Inn is in the same neighborhood and is also very popular. They have beds in their 8-bunk dorms starting around €18 per night, and rooms with 4 beds for about €5 more. They even have private twin rooms with shared bathroom for about €30 per person, which is quite a good deal in considering the prime location in the heart of the nightlife district.

Hostels in Greece (Athens)