Getting Around in Athens

The public transportation system is excellent and besides the bus schedules being confusing, the metro, the tram, and the taxis offer an attractive and inexpensive alternative to driving in Athens



Getting Around in Athens




Athens Airport 

athens-airport

In March 2001, the new Athens International Airport opened its doors for business, not as central as the old airport. It’s about an hour's drive from the city center depending on the infamous Athens traffic, but still it has been a vast improvement.

Getting from the airport to the city center couldn’t be easier and the airport information desk will help; you’re faced with a couple of choices.

Six bus routes connect directly the Athens greater area and Piraeus with the airport. All buses disembark passengers at the Departures Level and depart from the Arrivals Level, between Exits 4 and 5.

Χ92 : Kifissia - Airport

Χ93 : Kifissos Coach Station - Airport

Χ94 : Ethniki Amyna - Airport (via Mesogion Avenue)

Χ95 : Syntagma - Airport

Χ96 : Piraeus - Airport

Χ97 : Dafni Metro Station - Airport

Click for Real Time Flight Information and more in detail .



Athens Metro 

athens-metro

The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens.

Lines 2 and 3, constructed by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated by Attiko Metro Operations Company S.A. and known as red and blue lines respectively, were inaugurated in 2000 and as of 2005 have 23 stations between them. Line 3 reached the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in the summer of 2004. All three Metro lines connect with Proastiakos, the Athens Suburban Railway and the tram system.

Travel to and from the Athens International Airport requires a special 6 euros ticket. Return tickets are also available , as well as two- and three-person one-way tickets.

The price of the ticket is 1,40 euro. Tickets *must* be validated before boarding, through the special Ticket Validating Machines installed inside the stations. Each ticket is valid for 90 minutes from the time of its validation and for Lines 2, 3 or Line 1 interchanges.

Hours of operation: 05.30-24.00 On Fridays & Saturdays, the operation is extended to 02:00 am.

athens-metro-map


click here to connect with Attiko Metro Operation Company S.A. (ΑΜΕL S.A.)





Athens Train(the Green Line) 

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TICKET RATE

1,40 euro valid for multiple trips on all public transport options in any direction for up to 90 minutes. Reduced ticket 0,70 euro

TICKET DURATION

90’ from time of ticket validation for a single journey in one direction

PENALTY

60 times the price of the ticket to those traveling without a ticket or without a valid ticket

TICKET SALE POINTS

At all Stations from selling offices and automatic vending machines.

ONE DAY TICKET

3 Euros good for 24 hours unlimited travel from time of first validation and for all Public Transport

WEEKLY TICKET

10 Euros, good for unlimited travel and one week season from time of first validation and for all means of Public Transport.

There are luggage safe luggage boxes in the Piraeus, Monastiraki and Omonia stations.

Information on Line 1 - green line can be found on the Athens - Piraeus Electric Railways (ISAP S.A.) Official Site



Athens Tram 

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Athens tram network has 48 stops of which three, the ones in «SYNTAGMA», «SEF» and «ASKLIPIO VOULAS» are terminal stations. In 16 of those that passenger platforms are located in the center, in 30 of those the platforms are on the side while at «SEF» and in «ASKLIPIO VOULAS» there are two central ones.

You can obtain tickets or cards of unlimited usage from the ticket counters or the automatic machines prior to boarding the tram.

You should validate the ticket at the validation machines located at the stops prior to boarding.

The daily routes of the Tram are:

* THUKIDIDIS 3: SEF-ASKLIPIO VOULA * ARISTOTELIS 4: SYNTAGMA-SEF * PLATONAS 5: SYNTAGMA- ASKLIPIO VOULA

Tram hours:

The tram operates daily from 05:00 am to 01:00 am while on Fridays and Saturdays it operates 24 hours.

The price for the ticket is valid for all transportation on all means of Mass Transportation and it costs 1,40 euro.

It is valid for unlimited rides with all mass transportation means with the exception of The Proastiakos, for 90 minutes from the hour of its validation.

Athens Buses and Trolleys 

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There are blue and green buses, and there are trackless yellow trolleys run by electric overhead cables. Clean, roomy, and direct, these vehicles have been upgraded, and some beautiful ones from Hungary now ply the better parts of town. But there are not enough, so the fine rule is, try not to use buses and trolleys at rush hour.

For trolleys and buses you must buy your ticket at a kiosk. The price for a ticket is now 1.40 Euro. You get on at the back or the middle, where you will find a machine into which you insert your ticket to validate it. Sometimes some conductors come by to check and make sure every passenger has done so.

Buses and particularly trolleys, are a viable alternative to taxis if your destination is fairly direct, such as up and down Vasilissis Sophias, Stadiu or Syngrou streets.


Athens Taxi

athens-taxi

Most Athenians taxi drivers are honest businessmen. They tend to own their own cabs and can find their way around the maze of Athens with elegant wizardry. When they seem to detour, it is usually through the quickest, if not the shortest, route. Usually, once you get a taxi you can just sit back and relax. Taxi fares, which are cheaper that might be expected, are regulated in a complex style. Small, legal additions to the base fare should be but are seldom posted.

Waiting is metered, but you would be wise to promise extra to prevent others from kidnapping your cab. On certain holidays, taxis can charge extra again; these charges are posted. After all this, Athenians tend to leave the change.

A cabbie will accept other passengers to share your taxi if they are going in the right direction for him. This works both ways. At a busy intersection, call out your destination. Maybe a cab will stop-but be alert to others who may jump ahead of you. When you share a taxi, both customers pay the full fare.

There is a way out to the taxi problem in some areas of town: the radio taxi. Your restaurant waiter or hotel concierge will call one for you. Doormen at the hotels along Syngrou, such as the Marriott, the Inter-Continental, and the Chandris, can sometimes catch you a cab out front. The Hilton and deluxe hotels around Syntagma are relatively reliable places to catch a cab.

Make sure that the taxi meter is running and that it is not showing “2” - this is the double fare for use late at night.






Athens Walking Tour

athens-walking-tour

A team of professional guides with more than 20 years' experience who are highly qualified and licensed is ready to show you Athens. They will help to give you a fascinating overview of the different aspects of Greek life and history in a remarkably short period of time.

This is the best way to discover all aspects of this highly interesting city is on foot, in small, groups of maximum 18 people and minimum 5.

Live a wonderful experience visiting sites like the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Temple of Olympian Zeus, The Parliament building, visit the former Royal Gardens, walk off the beaten track around ‘Old’ Athens, and MUCH MORE.

To make a booking now click here

If you are just visiting Athens for a few days while staying at a midtown hotel, walking is very pleasant way of getting around in Athens, except at midday in summer.

You can walk from Syntagma through Plaka up to the Acropolis and down again, enjoying every minute of the way. The swank Kolonaki district is an easy walk from the Hilton and also from Syntagma Square.

Walking the back streets from Syntagma north to the National Archaeological Museum lets you see a lot of Athens. Quaint, three-shaded squares, odd shops, and residential areas beat the boulevards polluted by taxis and buses.

Hop On - Hop Off Bus Tour 

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Enjoy great views of Athens aboard the open-top double decker bus. This tour is approximately 90 minutes. From 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily and prices starting from 18 EUR adults and 8 EUR for the children are valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase.

Trace the history and culture of Athens from ancient times to the present day and see a plethora of shopping opportunities along the way.


Athens Segway Tours 

athens-segway-tours

Enjoy great views of Athens sliding around the best places around the city center of the capital city, combining your ride through the best historical centers and the best soublaki restaurants, enjoying every minute of it.

Visit Acropolis, the National Garden, the Temple of Hephaestous, Hadrian's Arch and much more places of great interest around Syntagma, Plaka as well as the historic centre of Athens.

You can stop by and take pictures on the way wherever you like and enjoy a great experience of going around in the most environmentally friendly way. It is a wonderful way to get around in Athens and it is a lot of FUN as well!!!

It is easy enough and safe, if only one follows closely a few clear instructions of the guided tour.

The only thing is that there is no pick up service from hotels. Clients should be 5 minutes prior departure at the starting point. Also the service is available only for ages above 12 years old and weight between 35-110 kilos(70-240 pounds)

To make a booking click here to connect with the official site of ''Athens Segway Tours''

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