You probably only want to stay in Athens for a couple of days. After that, the crowds, noise, etc. wears on you too much to make it a relaxing vacation. My wife and I last went in May of '03 and spent most of our time in Athens, mostly to visit some cousins she had never met before. We also took a trip to the village (about a 3 hour drive) where her great grandfather and grandfather were from. Check out this website....it should tell you almost everything you need to know and I've found his info to be very good.

http://www.athensguide.com/