Getting there & away
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Tickets
To book a berth in a cabin or take a car on board a ferry, it is advisable to buy a ticket in advance in Athens. Otherwise, agents selling ferry tickets are thick on the ground around Plateia Karaïskaki in Piraeus and at the Rafina and Lavrio ports. You can also normally purchase tickets at the quay next to each ferry. Contrary to what some agents might tell you, it costs no more to buy tickets at the boat.
It is advisable to book ahead for all high-speed services, especially for travel on weekends.
Land
Bus
Athens has two intercity KTEL (www.ktel.gr) bus terminals. Terminal A, 7km northwest of Omonia, has departures to the Peloponnese, the Ionians and western Greece. Terminal B, 5km north of Omonia, caters to central and northern Greece, and to Evia. The EOT office gives out an intercity bus schedule.
Mavromateon terminal
Buses for destinations in southern Attica leave from the Mavromateon terminal (210 880 8000; Alexandras & 28 Oktovriou-Patision, Pedion Areos), about 250m north of the National Archaeological Museum.
Buses to Rafina and Marathon leave from the terminal 150m to the north on Mavromateon.
Terminal a
Terminal A (210 512 4910; Kifisou 100) is not a good introduction to Athens – particularly if you arrive after midnight when there is no public transport. Bus 051 goes to central Athens (junction of Zinonos and Menandrou, near Omonia) every 15 minutes from 5am to midnight. A taxi from the terminal to Syntagma should cost no more than €6.
Terminal b
Terminal B (Liosion 260, Kato Patisia) is less chaotic and much easier to handle than Terminal A, although again there is no public transport from midnight to 5am. The terminal is in Gousiou, a side street off Liosion 260. Take bus 024, from outside the main gate of the National Gardens on Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias and ask to get off at Praktoria KTEL. A taxi to Syntagma should cost no more than €6.
Car & motorcycle
Getting in and out of Athens is significantly easier thanks to the new Attiki Odos, and the upgraded National Rd (Ethniki Odos) as well as various ring roads around the city.
The top end of Leoforos Syngrou, near the Temple of Olympian Zeus, is lined with car-rental firms. Local companies tend to offer better deals than the multinationals, so it pays to do the rounds to get the best price. The average price you can expect to pay for a small car for a day is €60, and much less for three or more days.
Avis (210 322 4951; Leoforos Vasilissis Amalias 48)
Budget (210 921 4771; Leoforos Syngrou 8)
Europcar (210 924 8810; Leoforos Syngrou 43)
Hertz (210 922 0102; Leoforos Syngrou 12)
Sixt (210 922 0171; Leoforos Syngrou 23)
You can rent mopeds and motorcycles if you have a licence and the nerve to take on Athens traffic. Motorent (210 923 4939; www.motorent.gr; Rovertou Galli 1, Makrygianni) has a choice of machines from 50cc to 250cc (high-season prices start at €16 per day).
Train
Intercity trains to central and northern Greece depart from the central Larisis train station , located about 1km northeastwest of Omonia Sq (metro Line 2).
For the Peloponnese, take the suburban rail to Kiato and change for other OSE services there. A new rail hub (SKA) is going to be located about 20km north of the city.
OSE (1110; www.ose.gr; 24hr) offices atOmonia (210 529 7005; Karolou 1; 8am-3pm Mon-Fri) and Syntagma (210 362 4405; Sina 6; 8am-3pm Mon-Sat) handle advance bookings.
Boat
Most ferry, hydrofoil and high speed catamaran services to the islands leave from Athens’ massive port at Piraeus. Piraeus is the busiest port in Greece, with a bewildering array of departures and destinations, including daily services to all the island groups, except the Ionians and the Sporades.
There are also ferry and high-speed services for Evia and the Cyclades from the smaller ports at Rafina and Lavrio.
You can pick up a weekly ferry schedule from the EOT tourist office in Athens; check the daily schedules in the International Herald Tribune or search online at www.openseas.gr, www.gtp.gr or www.ferries.gr.
Note that there are two departure points for Crete. Ferries for Iraklio leave from the western end of Akti Kondyli in Piraeus, but ferries for other Cretan ports occasionally dock there as well. It’s a long way to the other departure point for Crete on Akti Miaouli, so check where to find your boat when you buy your ticket.
Most hydrofoil and high-speed catamaran services from Piraeus to the Saronic Gulf Islands, the Peloponnese and a growing range of destinations in the Cyclades are run by Hellenic Seaways (210 419 9000; www.hellenicseaways.gr; cnr Akti Kondyli & Elotikou, Great Harbour).
Other operators include Aegean Speedlines (210 969 0950; www.aegeanspeedlines.gr).
For additional information on ferries, contact the Piraeus Port Authority (1441).
Rafina
Rafina, on Attica’s east coast, is Athens’ main fishing port and the second-most important port for passenger ferries. The port is far smaller than Piraeus and less confusing – and fares are about 20% cheaper –but it does take an hour on the bus to get there.
Rafina port police (22940 22300) occupies a kiosk near the quay.
Blue Star Ferries (210 891 9800; www.bluestarferries.com) is the main operator of catamarans from Rafina to the Cyclades.
There are frequent buses between Athens and Rafina from the Mavromateon bus terminal (€1.90, one hour) between 5.45am and 10.30pm.
Lavrio
Lavrio, an industrial town on the east coast of Attica, is the port for ferries to Kea and Kythnos and high-season catamarans to the western Cyclades.
It’s scheduled to become a major container port, with a rail link to Athens. Buses run every 30 minutes to Lavrio from the Mavromateon terminal in Athens.
Lavrio Port Authority (22920 25249) has ferry information.
Goutos Lines (210 985 2992) is the main operator for ferries from Lavrio to Kea.
Air
Athens is served by Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (210 353 0000; www.aia.gr) at Spata, 27km east of Athens.
The state-of-the-art airport, named in honour of the country’s leading 20th-century politician, has all the standard facilities like cafés, restaurants and banks, great shopping and a transit hotel. If you have time to kill, it is worth visiting the small archaeological museum on the 1st floor above the check-in hall. The airport website has real-time flight information.
Domestic flights
The majority of domestic flights are operated by Olympic Airlines (801 144 444, 210 926 9111; www.olympicairlines.com; Leoforos Syngrou 96). Olympic takes credit card bookings online, by phone and also has branch offices at Syntagma (210 926 4444; Filellinon 15, Syntagma) and Omonia (210 926 7218; Kotopoulou 1, Omonia).
Olympic Airlines has several daily flights to Thessaloniki, Iraklio, Mykonos and Santorini, Rhodes and all Greek airports. Average one-way fares range from €76 to €120, but vary dramatically depending on the season you’re travelling, so check for specials and book in advance if you can.
Aegean Airlines (reservations 801 112 0000, 210 626 1000; www.aegeanair.com; 210 331 5522; Othonos 15, Syntagma) competes with Olympic on the most popular domestic routes. Aegean has the best earlybird specials and bookings can be made online. Aegean has daily flights to Thessaloniki, Iraklio, Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini and Hania, as well as several flights weekly to key destinations around Greece.
Athens
- Athens Overview
- Places in Athens
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Getting there & around
- Practical information
- History
Things to do
- Entertainment (9)
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- Sights (10)
- Hotels & hostels
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