My Erasmus Adventure: Athens, new friends, my challenges

My arrival in Athens

I arrived in Athens on the 24th of September 2025, and my classes started at the beginning of October. For 9 months, I lived in the neighborhood of Gkyzi, in the street of Mpoukouvala. Gkyzi is located at 20 minutes by metro or bus from the city center of Athens, called Syntagma. My apartment was 8 minutes by foot from the blue line metro station, which is the only line that crosses Athens from the airport to the port. If you want more information about the best spots to live, I recommend that you follow the section below. 

The city of Athens

Athens is honestly an amazing city for an Erasmus experience. On one hand, you are living in one of the oldest cities in the world, surrounded by iconic landmarks like the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon. On the other hand, it is full of young people, cool coffee shops, and lively neighborhoods where there is always something going on.

The lifestyle and the weather also make the experience memorable. The weather is sunny most of the year, so you end up spending a lot of time outside — studying in parks, grabbing coffee with friends, watching the sunset, and practicing sports outside. Speaking about sport, one thing I loved was the outside playgrounds. Indeed, in most of the neighborhoods of Athens, there are a lot of playgrounds to play basketball, volleyball, football, or even tennis. As a basketball player, I have been lucky to meet Erasmus students motivated to play basketball. Then, every Tuesday and on weekends, we played basketball together. Most of the time, we were playing with Greek people, which was the perfect opportunity to meet locals. 

Athens is also perfect if you love traveling. From there, it is super easy to explore the Greek islands, visit historical places, or even take trips to other European countries. Almost every weekend can turn into a new adventure. During my year there, I travelled a lot around Athens - The Peloponneese, the Saronic Islands, the Cyclades, the Ionian Islands, the Meteora, Albania...

All about my travel and how easy it is to visit Greece from Athens, right here:

But what really makes Athens special is the personal growth you get from the experience. Living in a new country, getting used to a different culture, and meeting people from all over the world push you out of your comfort zone. It is the kind of experience that stays with you long after your Erasmus ends.

Here are my favorite places in Athens

To visit: The National Archeological Museum, The Acropolis Museum, The Acropolis (obviously), The streets ok Plaka, the National Garden, Syntagma, Monastiraki, and the Panathenaic Stadium.

To go for a drink/coffee: The neighborhood of Exarchia is the best spot for bars and coffee shops, and also around Monastiraki.

To practice sport: To play basketball or volleyball, I recommend Fokianos, Amelokoipi, and Strefi Hill. And to go for a run, I advise the National Garden in Syntagma, or the park of Pedion tou Areos. 

To catch the best sunsets: Mount Lycabettus, Strefi Hill, the Areopagus, and the Phillopappos Monument. 

To go to the beach: Glyfada and Edem beach.

To study instead of staying home: Excharcia's coffee shops, the library of the Philosophy School, and the National Library of Greece. 

My shared apartment experience 

Having flatmates was a mandatory aspect for a successful Erasmus. Indeed, being abroad means moving somewhere that is unknown to you, and I think the best way to not feel lost is to live in a shared apartment. That was my first time, and I do not regret it. I lived on the street of Mpoukouvala with two other flatmates. From September until December, we were one Spanish, one Italian, and one French. Then, our Italian flatmate returned to Italy, and she was replaced by a Portuguese. The fact that we were only international people from 3 different countries was really pleasant because we were discussing, laughing, and cooking together. At the end, it felt like English was our native language.

Another benefit of living with other students is the opportunity to meet other people. Indeed, my roommates arrived 1 or 2 weeks before me, and they had already been to some Erasmus events. Then, I followed them while it was unknown to me, and this is how I met my friends. 

If you think you are ready to live with somebody else, I really recommend that you experience sharing your apartment!

Marta, Barbera, and I

Friends as a family 

Let me talk about all the people I met.

Greece is a really great country for Erasmus Students. Indeed, most universities in Greece have an Erasmus Student Network (ESN) that organizes events, trips, parties, and journeys for Erasmus students. My university has an ESN, but I met all my friends in the ESN of NTUA, which is the university for engineering and architecture. No matter which studies you are doing, you can go everywhere to be sure to meet new people! 

I arrived on the 24th of September, and I went to my first event on the 27th. There, I met 2 boys who became my close friends for the rest of the semester. Then, I went to events again and again until I had my own group of friends. 

The way I tell my story, everything seemed easy. Indeed, I am sociable, and I love meeting new people, but as I was abroad, I felt the importance of creating a sort of "family". The truth is that it took a bit of time to really feel included somewhere. However, by attending events, you get more comfortable with some people, and you start hanging out with them. Step by step, we became a sort of "little family" by travelling together, organizing day trips, etc. Some advice I could give you is that if you do not feel 100% with some people, there are other people who are waiting to meet you. Do not get straight to the first one you met. In Erasmus, you can meet new people on every street corner. 

From October to February, I met many people from all over the world: German, French, Italian, Polish... Then, February started, and most of my friends from the first semester left. Saying goodbye is not an easy task, especially when you have spent all your days with them. As you are abroad, the people you meet are really important because they are the ones with whom you spend the most time. As we are all in the same situation, studying far from home and family, they understand your feelings, and they can take care of you.

When February ended, I felt lost again. But this time, some friends I had from the first semester also stayed for a full year. The departure of our friends marked the beginning of the second semester. For this second semester, I travelled way more than in the winter semester. Indeed, as we already knew Athens, my friends and I were more motivated to go to the islands or to the cities around Athens. Moreover, Greece is known for relying heavily on tourism. During the winter, from November to the end of March, not much is open because there are not many tourists. By the beginning of April, tourists arrive, and life starts again. Then, shops and restaurants reopen - especially on islands. 

Challenges? What surprised me?

Life abroad is scary and exciting at the same time. It is an amazing experience during which you grow up. However, sometimes you face unwelcoming situations. When you are abroad, everything is different: the culture, the language, the administration... In my case, someone grabbed my wallet, which contained all my important documents. I am not writing this to scare you, but to show you that there are always solutions! Indeed, as I no longer had an ID card or a bank card, I had to handle administrative procedures from Greece. And guess what? That was really easy! For the bank card, I only had to contact my bank to send me another card. For the ID card, I went to the French Embassy in the center of Athens. I received my new identity card in under three weeks. 

Now, let me share with you 5 surprising facts about Greece and Athens:

First, you have to throw your paper toilet in a bin. Everywhere you go, you always have a drawing or some words to say it is prohibited to throw your paper toilet directly on the toilet. I admit that it takes some getting used to. 

Second, there is graffiti everywhere on most of the infrastructure. The first time I went to Athens, I was surprised by all the graffiti. At first, I thought it was vandalism. Then, I understood that graffiti, especially in Athens, really has a political, social, and cultural importance. 

Third, Greek professors are used to the absence of students in class. Most of the Greek students have a job alongside university, which means that they have to miss some classes. Then, almost all the professors arrange a final exam for those who cannot attend every class. 

Four, Athens' hills are the best spot to catch the sunset. First, when I thought about Athens, I thought about the fact that it is a capital city, so there are plenty of big buildings. Once I discovered the city a bit more, I found spots to not feel overwhelmed, and those places are the hills with plenty of greenery. 

Five, one day I met a Cretan man who told me, "In Greece, we do not care about Christmas; only Easter is really important." Indeed, I was really surprised to see how they celebrate it. Easter is celebrated 40 days after the beginning of Lent. I was in Porto Cheli, in the Peloponnese, when I celebrated it for two days. The first day, we all gathered in the main church of Porto Cheli, where everyone lit a lantern and a taper candle in honor of the resurrection of Jesus. The second day was dedicated to Judas. The tradition for Judas' day is to burn the effigy of Judas in order to mark his treason against Jesus. Then, it was followed by Greek dances and fireworks.