A New Athens Emerges

With the advent of the Olympic Games, there have been so many changes in Athens - especially in transportation - that it will seem like a new city for future visitors.

If you're traveling in Greece right now, new traffic and parking restrictions start on August 1st. These are designed to encourage Athenians to leave their cars at home for the duration of the Olympic Games, lightening traffic and rendering many streets free of parked cars.

It's always been a guessing game where parking is concerned - if you are brave enough to drive yourself during this period, be doubly careful where you park as violators are much more likely to be towed rather than ticketed.

In other Olympic-period developments, shops of all kinds are extending their weekday hours until 9pm.

Two improvements with lasting impact for travelers: the new suburban railway is now serving the Athens International Airport at Spata, and Metro Line 3 now extends to the airport for the first time.