Athens Transport Guide

Athens Public Transport Guide

Using public transport is relatively easy in Athens. There are 3 main metro lines connecting the city center with the Athens International Airport and the Port of Piraeus. Bus lines also connect the city with the main sites of interest for leisure, business, and medical travelers. The Athens Tram service connects Syntagma to the Athens Riviera coastline and is a great service as it allows travelers to hop on and off at the popular beaches, cafes, and restaurants with ease. The national coach services connect Athens with the two smaller ports of Rafina and Lavrio which also link to many greek islands on the Aegean Sea.

To buy tickets for metro or buses, you can go to a metro station and buy what fits you. You can have a ticket of 1 route of 90′ which costs 1.20€, a daily ticket that costs 4.10€,  a 5-day ticket that costs 8.20€, a three-day ticket of 20€, the usual touristic choice, as it includes one route to airport too. Important note: We have to remind you that you can not buy ticket inside bus from the driver.

Athens Airport Transport

Most travelers use the metro or the suburban railway to reach the center of Athens from the airport. However, taxi services are not as expensive as they are in major European and US destinations. From the airport, if you are traveling with a group of 4 people, the metro and taxi are the same cost. Every half an hour there is a cheaper bus service, but it takes longer to reach the city center.

Airport Metro & Suburban Railway Network

Metro Line 3 connects the Athens Airport to Syntagma and the Port of Piraeus. Trains are departing every half an hour. The metro station is outside the airport arrivals lounge, approximately a 5-7 minute walk. When flying into Athens, it takes approximately half an hour to reach the airport metro station, if you only travel with hand luggage. So if your flight lands at 13:00, you can barely make it for the 13:30 train, otherwise you have to wait for the next one at 14:00.

The Suburban Railway also connects the Athens Airport to Piraeus Port and also the Stathmos Larissis National Railway Station, connecting you to Thessaloniki and other major cities in Greece. Train schedule varies throughout the day, but depending on your destination you shouldn’t wait more than half an hour for the next train.

Airport Bus Network

There are 24-hour bus transport links connecting the airport to the Port of Piraeus and the city center. Please note that these are express routes and only stop at certain bus stops. You need a different ticket than the ones you need for the normal city buses and trolleys.

• X95 – Athens Airport to Syntagma Square (Greek Parliament)
• X96 – Athens Airport to Piraeus Port
• X97 – Athens Airport to Elliniko (on the Athens riviera coastline)
• X93 – Athens Airport to Kifissos Coach Station (KTEL)

Port of Piraeus Transport

To reach the Piraeus Port from the center of Athens and vice-versa, there are multiple ways to do this. Please note that the Piraeus Port is huge with ferries docking at several different areas, depending on their destination. Make sure to allow time to walk from the Metro to your ferry’s docking bay.

• Metro Line 3 (blue) connects the Athens Airport to Syntagma and the Piraeus Port.
• Metro Link 1 (green) connects the Port to Omonoia and Monastiraki but it is generally preferable to use Line 3 (see above).
• 040 bus (24 hours) connects the Port with Syntagma.

Central Athens Transport

While in Athens, visiting sights or areas in close proximity, it often costs less to use a taxi than any other public transport. In most cases, walking is also highly recommended as you will come across some neighborhoods or some ancient ruins not documented in the major Athens travel guidebooks. For example, the journey from the Acropolis to Syntagma square where the greek parliament building is can easily be walked.

Transport depends on where you are staying and where you are traveling to, at any given time, so Cloudkeys aims to provide some general information to help you explore the city with ease.

There are some main bus or trolley routes that are very handy for moving from one location in Athens to another.

• 550 Bus – Faliro to Kifissia. Connects the Acropolis (from Kalirois Avenue) and Koukaki (Syggrou-Fix Metro Station) areas to the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia, including the Ippokrateio and Red Crescent hospitals, the Golden Hall shopping center and the Hygeia-Mitera hospital and maternity clinic. This bus route also takes you to the Kalimarmaro (Panathenaic) Stadium, the Olympic Stadium of Athens in Marousi and also the National Gallery, the Psyhicko shopping center and of course the Kifissia shopping center.
• 11 Trolley – Patisia to Nea Elvetia – 24 Hrs. Can be considered the tourism trolley route as it connects the Acropolis area (bus stop near Hadrian’s Arch), Kalimarmaro, Plaka, Syntagma, Omonoia and the National Archaeological Museum.

Athens Tram

From Syntagma Square, the tram lines connect you to the Port of Piraeus and the Athenian Riviera areas of Faliro, Agios Kosmas, Floisvos, Alimos, Kalamaki, Glyfada and Voula.

Taxis and Minivans

The yellow taxis in Athens offer convenient transport through the city. For short distances, they are really cheap and if you are a group of 3 or 4 people, taxis are cheaper than buses, the metro or other public transport. For example, a taxi from Syntagma (Parliament Square) to the Acropolis should not cost more than 5-6 euros, depending on the traffic.

Minivans are ideal for groups larger than 3-4 people or for travelers with a lot of luggage that can not fit into the typical sedan-type taxi cars. Apart from the main transport routes, travelers can hire a minivan for a day or half a day for touring the city in style or for visiting sights outside the city like the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio which is an hour’s drive away.

Travelers also book minivans for touring popular towns and sights on mainland Greece such as Nafplion, Delphi Oracle and the natural spa spring towns of Aidipsos or Kamena Vourla.