Athens Getting there & around

Getting around

Public transport

Athens has an extensive and inexpensive integrated public transport network of buses, metro, trolleybuses and a tram line.

Athens Urban Transport Organisation (185; www.oasa.gr; 6.30am-11.30pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-10.30pm Sat & Sun) can assist with most inquiries.

A €1 ticket can be used on the entire Athens urban transport network, including the suburban rail. It is valid for 90 minutes but excludes services to the airport. There is also a daily €3 ticket valid for 24 hours and a weekly €10 ticket with the same restrictions on airport travel. You have to be doing a fair bit of travel to make these tickets worthwhile.

Suburban rail

A fast and comfortable suburban rail (1110; www.proastiakos.gr; 24hr) connects Athens with the airport, Piraeus, the outer regions and the Peloponnese. It connects to the metro at Larisis and Doukissis Plakentias stations and spans from the airport to Kiato (1¾ hours, €10). The network will eventually span 281km, connecting Athens to Thiva, Lavrio, Rafina and Halkida.

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Bus & tram

Bus

Express buses operate between the airport and the city centre, Piraeus and KTEL bus terminals.

Bus X92 operates between the airport and the suburb of Kifisia (about 55 minutes), departing every 45 minutes to one hour all day.

Bus X93 operates between the airport and the Terminal B (Kifisos) bus station (about 35 minutes), departing every 30 minutes all day.

Bus X94 operates between the airport and Ethniki Amyna metro station (about 25 minutes), departing every 10 minutes between 7.30am and 11.30pm.

Bus X95 operates between the airport and Syntagma 24 hours (every 30 minutes). The journey takes about an hour, depending on traffic. The Syntagma bus stop is on Othonos St.

Bus X96 runs 24 hours between the airport and Plateia Karaïskaki in Piraeus, with services every 20 minutes.

Bus X97 operates between the airport and Dafni metro station (about 25 minutes), departing every 30 minutes all day.

Tickets (€3.20) are not valid for other forms of public transport.

Bus & trolleybus

The blue-and-white local express and regular buses operate every 15 minutes from 5am until midnight.

Buses run 24 hours between the centre and Piraeus – every 20 minutes from 6am until midnight – and hourly at other times. Trolleybuses operate from 5am until midnight. A free OASA map shows most of the routes.

Tickets for buses and trolleybuses (€0.50) must be purchased at a transport kiosk or at most periptera and validated on board. Plain-clothed inspectors make spot checks. The penalty for travelling without a validated ticket is 60 times the ticket price.

Tram

Athens’ single tram service (www.tramsa.gr) makes for a scenic coastal trip to Faliro and Glyfada, but it is not the fastest means of transport.

It has services running from Syntagma to Faliro, Syntagma to Glyfada and Faliro to Glyfada. The tram operates from 5am to 1am Monday to Thursday, then 24 hours from Friday night to Sunday, servicing revellers travelling to the city’s beach bars.

The trip from Syntagma to Faliro takes about 45 minutes, while Syntagma to Glyfada takes around 55 minutes. The central terminus is on Amalias, opposite the National Gardens. Tickets (€0.60) are purchased at platform vending machines.

A tram extension to Piraeus and Voula is in the pipeline.

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Car & motorcycle

While the metro, the Attiki Odos and a new network of ring roads have helped ease Athens’ notorious traffic congestion, it can still be a nightmarish city to drive in. Heavy traffic, confusing signposting, impatient drivers and one-way streets in the city centre make driving a challenge.

Drivers have a cavalier attitude towards road laws and parking restrictions. Athens’ kerbs and car parks are insufficient for the number of cars in the city (more than two million in Attica), prompting Athenians to develop ruthless and creative parking techniques. Contrary to what you will see, parking is actually illegal alongside kerbs marked with yellow lines, on pavements and in pedestrian malls and there are now paid parking areas, with tickets available from kiosks.

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Local transport

Metro

The metro operates an airport service from Monastiraki, though it is not express so you can pick it up at any station along Line 3. Just check that it is the airport train (displayed on the train and platform screen). Otherwise you can take any train to the Doukissis Plakentias metro station, where you can connect to the airport train. If you have not already purchased a ticket, you can also change at Doukissis Plakentias for Nerantziotissa station and take the more comfortable and less crowded suburban rail train.

Trains run every 30 minutes, leaving from Monastiraki between 5.50am and 10.50pm and from the airport between 5.30am and 11.30pm.

The metro airport ticket costs adult €6 one way or €10 return (but the return is only valid for 48 hours). Note that the fare for two or more passengers works out at €5 each, so make sure you purchase tickets together (this is also the case with the suburban rail). The airport ticket is valid for all forms of public transport for 90 minutes. If you are still in transit before the 90 minutes is up, revalidate your ticket on the final mode of transport to show you are still on the same journey.

Taxi

Unfortunately, catching a taxi from the airport can often involve an argument about the fare.

Check that the meter is set to the correct tariff. You will also have to pay a €3.20 airport surcharge and a €2.70 toll for using the toll road, as well as €0.32 cents for each piece of luggage over 10kg. Fares vary ­depending on traffic, but expect to pay from €25 to €30 from the airport to the city centre, and €30 to Piraeus. Most drivers will add the tip, so check the breakdown before adding any extra. Both trips should take no longer than an hour. If you have any problems, do not hesitate to threaten to involve the police.

Metro

The gradually expanding metro (www.ametro.gr) systemhas transformed travel around central Athens. Journeys that once took more than an hour above ground now take a matter of minutes. The stations are an attraction in their own right, displaying finds from the excavation works. Trains and stations can be stifling in summer as limited (or no) air-conditioning was installed. All have wheelchair access.

Ticket pricing still distinguishes between the metro (Lines 2 and 3 €0.80) and the old network (Line 1 – ISAP), which is split into three sections: Piraeus–Monastiraki, Monastiraki–Attiki and Attiki–Kifisia (one section €0.70; two or more sections €0.80).

Tickets must be validated at the machines at platform entrances. The penalty for travelling without a validated ticket is 60 times the ticket price.

Trains operate between 5am and just after midnight. They run every three minutes during peak periods, dropping to every 10 minutes at other times.

Line 1 (green)

The old Kifisia–Piraeus line has transfer stations at Omonia and Attiki for Line 2; Monastiraki is the transfer station for Line 3. Nerantziotissa connects with the suburban rail. There’s also an hourly all-night bus service (bus 500) along this route, with bus stops located outside the train stations.

Line 2 (red)

Line 2 runs from Agios Antonios in the northwest to Agios Dimitrios in the southeast (check the boards so you don’t confuse your saints). Attiki and Omonia connect with Line 1, while Syntagma connects with Line 3.

Line 3 (blue)

Line 3 runs northeast from Egaleo to Doukissis Plakentias, with the airport train continuing from there. Syntagma is the transfer station for Line 2.

Taxi

If you see an Athenian standing on the road bellowing and waving their arms, chances are they are trying to get a taxi at rush hour. Despite the large number of yellow taxis careering around the streets, it can be difficult to get one.

To hail a taxi, stand on the pavement and shout your destination. If it is going your way the driver may stop even if there are already passengers inside. The fare is not shared: each person is charged the fare on the meter (note where it is at when you get in).

Make sure the meter is switched on when you get in. The flag fall is €1, with a €1 surcharge from ports, train and bus stations, and a €3.20 surcharge from the airport. After that, the day rate (tariff 1 on the meter) is €0.30 per kilometre. The night tariff (tariff 2 on the meter) increases to €0.60 per kilometre between midnight and 5am. Baggage is charged at a rate of €0.30 per item over 10kg. The minimum fare is €2.65, which covers most journeys in downtown Athens.

Booking a radio taxi costs €2.50 extra.

Athina 1 (210 921 7942)

Enotita (801 11 51 000)

Ikaros (210 515 2800)

Kosmos (18300)

Parthenon (210 532 3000)

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