Accommodations--Virtually all the better hotels in and around Athens, as well as some in Olympia itself, have long ago been completely booked for the entire period of the Games. (In case you're wondering who these "insiders" are, most of these rooms were taken over by the Greek National Organizing Committee for officials, visiting dignitaries, and other national committees, and by corporate sponsors for their own promotional use.)

Prices are expected to vary considerably. Hotels are going to exploit the law of supply and demand to the utmost and are said to be charging 2 to 4 times their regular rates. Thus, a basic hotel that might be expected to charge some 100€ for a double will probably charge 250€ or more for the same during the Olympics. There is nothing illegal about this -- and it goes on during all Olympics. No one ever said you can't combine free enterprise with the Olympic spirit!

In addition to exploring the options listed below, international visitors should contact their country's National Olympic committee for the name of the officially appointed tour operator(s) responsible for ticket sales and package tours to the Games. The authorized travel agency for the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 2004 Olympics, for instance, is Cartan Tours, Inc. (tel. 800/360-2004; www.cartan.com) and they can provide accommodations as well as other transportation services (as well as insurance for cancellation as a result of terrorism).

The Greeks confronted a challenge of a drastic surge in visitors requiring accommodations. The existing Greek hotel operators protested that if a lot of new hotels were built -- especially with any form of government subsidies -- they would lose their chance to make a bit of extra money; meanwhile, it was recognized that if they built all these new hotels, there would be a glut of rooms immediately following the Olympics and everyone would suffer with the collapse in prices. Being a relatively small country, hotels in cities outside Athens also have taken up a share of the trade: many popular tourist destinations lie within a two hour drive of Athens. But that still seemed to leave a shortage of rooms during the peak days.

To take some of the pressure off the hotels and prices, the Greeks have come up with two solutions. One is used by many if not all host cities: many Greeks in Athens are renting their apartments or homes. This program is being operated by two organizations in Athens: Alpha Philoxenia 2004 (tel. 210/326-6156; fax 210/326-6148; cpallis@alphaastikaakinita.gr) and Elliniki Philoxenia (tel. 210/684-9222; fax 210/684-9221; gmantzavinatos@eurobank.gr). These apartments and houses are scheduled to be inspected by the organizers and all should offer minimum standards for amenities (bathroom, kitchen, and so on). Prices range from about 100€ to 200€ per night per person (depending on the quality of the accommodations and the distance from venues and public transportation) and must be rented for minimum periods -- what the agents refer to as "waves," usually 6 or 7 nights. (Cleaning service will be provided about every 3 days.) There may also be a "black market" in apartments and homes for rent, but we cannot advise you on how to deal with this.

The other solution to the housing shortage is what might be called "Odyssean" -- that is, a canny Greek nautical one: seven large luxury cruise ships have been leased to berth at the port of Piraeus, some 8km (5 miles) from the heart of Athens. Cabins at various price levels are available, and in addition to providing meals (for extra charge) and free public transportation to the venues, the ships will be opening all their facilities (including swimming pools, exercise rooms, etc.). Cabins range from 450€ to 1,410€ per person (double occupancy) per night -- but minimum 4 nights stay is required. To learn more about these ships, contact one or more of the three lines offering these accommodations: info@cma-greece.gr; sportius@otenet.gr; sales@roc.gr. In addition, the brand new Queen Mary 2 is scheduled to berth at Piraeus and make its magnificent new facilities available; its status was still somewhat uncertain at the time of this update and there was no specific contact point. Travel agents will know of this possibility, and you can be sure it will be very expensive.

Dining--The massive influx of people from not only foreign lands but from Greece itself will put a tremendous burden on even the many restaurants that Athens maintains for the tourist trade. Many of the better ones in the center of the city, furthermore, will have been totally reserved by the Greek Organizing Committee and corporate sponsors. Even many of the second-tier restaurants will be booked in advance by package groups. So if you are an independent traveler in Athens during these days, you have to adopt some tactics. If you are staying in a hotel that serves meals, it may be easiest (if not the most adventurous dining) to see if you can get meal reservations, too. If you cannot make your own reservations at a hotel or restaurant, then plan to eat your meals outside regular hours -- which really means quite early, because Greeks usually eat quite late compared to many people. Try to establish some good relationship with a waiter or proprietor by showing up regularly -- they may find a way to accommodate you no matter how crowded they seem. Plan to eat some meals "on the run" -- from street vendors and such. Athens has a fair number of souvlaki stands -- where the meat is roasted and sliced from a vertical slab and wrapped in pita bread (often quite tasty). Athens also has a great many small grocery stores and supermarkets where visitors can buy sandwiches, yogurt, and more than enough provisions for picnic and snack meals. (You might consider traveling with a small eating-utensil kit.)