Athenians poured out of the city this weekend, heading to country villages, islands or other vacation spots, although many have opted not to take trips inside the country because of how hard they’ve been hit by austerity measures.
Ironically, Greece is enjoying a record tourist season with some 17 million foreign visitors expected this season but domestic travel has slumped badly. Still, that didn’t keep Athenians from heading out of the summer in the city via car, boat, trains, planes and other means.
The exodus came as August brought temperatures close to 100 degrees, although steady and sometimes heavy winds could affect travel by boat. The departures came just ahead of a major holiday on Aug. 15, leaving Athens eerily nearly empty.
The Coast Guard week is expected to be on a state of alert to facilitate the travelers and advise those who will be traveling by car, arriving half an hour early at the dock departure due to the increased traffic on the streets around the ports.
Routes for island destinations from Piraeus and Rafina have already been increased. According to AMNA, 24 routes were scheduled from Piraeus , 16 from Rafina and seven from Lavrio.
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