Getting Around Athens: Metro, Trams, Buses, Taxis and the Airport
Athens is an easy city to get around once you know a few of its habits. The centre is compact enough to walk, three metro lines link the airport, the port and the main sights, and a tap of a bank card now gets you through the gates. A few things have changed lately, too. Taxi fares from the airport went up in September, work on Metro Line 3 is changing late evening trips this autumn, and the seasonal express bus to the cruise port has stopped for the winter.
Here is how the system fits together: what a ticket costs and how to pay, which metro line goes where, the best ways in from the airport, the trams down to the coast, taxis, the ports, and a few local habits that make every ride smoother.
Tickets and how to pay
The simplest way to pay is the card already in your pocket. Every metro gate, bus, trolleybus and tram in Athens now has a reader that accepts contactless Visa and Mastercard cards, as well as phones and watches with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Tap in and you are charged the standard fare of €1.20, which covers 90 minutes of travel on any combination of metro, bus, trolleybus and tram. If you keep travelling, the charges stop once you reach €4.10, the price of a 24 hour ticket, so a busy day of sightseeing never costs more than that.
Use the same card or device every time, because the system tracks your trips by it. If you tap in with your phone and out with your plastic card, you pay twice and the daily cap stops working. Keep the payment card away from any other transport card in your wallet when you tap, for the same reason. Contactless covers full fares only, so students and older travellers who qualify for reduced fares still need a ticket.
If you would rather buy tickets, the ATH.ENA ticket is a reusable paper card sold at machines and ticket offices in every metro station. You load it with single journeys, a 24 hour pass or a five day pass, and you can top it up as you go. In the metro, validate on the blue reader both when you enter and when you leave, and on buses, trolleybuses and trams validate once when you board. Inspectors do check, and the fine for riding without a valid ticket is €100.
The three metro lines
Line 1, shown in green on the maps, is the oldest. It runs from Piraeus through Faliro, Thissio, Monastiraki and Omonia, then north through leafy suburbs to Kifissia. Line 2, in red, crosses the centre from Anthoupoli to Elliniko, stopping at Larissa railway station, Omonia, Syntagma and Akropoli, the station closest to the Acropolis Museum. Line 3, in blue, runs from the Municipal Theatre in Piraeus through Kerameikos, Monastiraki, Syntagma and Evangelismos, and then on to the airport. A fourth line is under construction.
For most visitors the key stations are Syntagma, where Lines 2 and 3 meet beneath the parliament, Monastiraki, where Lines 1 and 3 meet beside the flea market, and Omonia, where Lines 1 and 2 cross. From those three you can reach almost anything in the centre. Several stations are worth a look in their own right. Syntagma has a glass wall of ancient finds uncovered during the digging, and at Monastiraki you can see remains of the ancient city below the platforms.
Trains start at about 5:00 on Line 1 and 5:30 on Lines 2 and 3, and run until just after midnight. On Friday nights the last trains from Syntagma leave later, at around 1:30. Every Saturday, Lines 2 and 3 and the tram run through the night, with trains about every 15 minutes in the small hours. The airport branch is the exception and keeps its normal hours.
From the airport into the city
Line 3 is the most reliable way in. Trains leave the airport station, a short walk across the bridge from arrivals, about every 36 minutes, and the ride to Syntagma takes around 40 minutes. The airport fare is €9 one way or €16 for a return, and it includes onward travel on the rest of the network within 90 minutes. Tap your bank card or buy a ticket from the machines at the station.
One thing to know this autumn: rail replacement work on Line 3 closes the stations between Ethniki Amyna and Halandri early, at 21:40 from Sunday to Thursday. During those hours airport trains run only as far as Doukissis Plakentias, and a replacement bus, the X25, links it to Katehaki, where trains continue into the centre. If your flight lands late on a weeknight, allow extra time or consider the bus or a taxi.
The airport express buses run around the clock and cost €5.50. The X95 goes to Syntagma Square in about an hour, the X96 follows the coast to the port of Piraeus in about 90 minutes, the X93 serves the intercity bus stations at Kifissos and Liossion, and the X97 runs to Elliniko metro station. The stops are between Exits 4 and 5 on the arrivals level. Journey times depend on traffic, so the metro is usually quicker at rush hour.
Taxis wait outside Exit 3, day and night. Since 18 September 2026 the fixed fare between the airport and the city centre is €50 between 5:00 and midnight and €65 from midnight to 5:00, up from €40 and €55. The fixed fare covers the whole car, luggage and surcharges included, and it applies to any address inside the official central ring. Anywhere else, such as Piraeus or the southern suburbs, goes on the meter. Drivers must take cards and give you a receipt.
If you are landing late, travelling with children or carrying a lot of luggage, a pre booked transfer is worth considering. A driver waits in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign, helps with the bags and takes you to the door of your hotel or apartment, which matters in parts of the centre where the streets are narrow and hard to find in the dark.
Something I would highly recommend is booking your ride from the airport before you fly, especially on a first trip or a late arrival. You know the price in advance, there is no queue at the taxi rank, and if your flight is delayed the driver tracks it and waits. One I highly recommend is the Athens Airport Private Arrival Transfer, and you can check availability on its page.
Trams and buses
The tram is the slow, scenic way to the sea. Line T6 runs from Syntagma, past the Temple of Olympian Zeus and through Neos Kosmos to Pikrodafni on the coast, where it meets Line T7. The T7 runs along the seafront, south to Glyfada and Voula and north to the Peace and Friendship Stadium and the centre of Piraeus. From Syntagma to the beaches at Glyfada takes around an hour, which is slower than a bus, but the views of the bay make up for it. On a mild November afternoon it is a lovely way to reach a seaside walk and a long lunch.
Buses and trolleybuses fill the gaps the metro leaves, and the same tickets and contactless cards work on all of them. Routes and real time arrivals are in the OASA Telematics app, and Google Maps and Moovit both show live public transport directions for Athens. Board through any door and tap or validate once inside. At busy stops you may need to wave to the driver, since buses do not always stop unless someone signals.
Getting to Piraeus and the other ports
Piraeus, the main port for Greek ferries to the islands, is a short ride away on Line 1 or Line 3, and Line 1 leaves you right across the road from the main ferry gates. The port is huge, though, and some gates are a long walk from the station, so check your departure gate the day before and leave plenty of time. A free shuttle bus runs along the quay in busy periods.
Some island ferries leave from Rafina or Lavrio instead, east of the city. KTEL buses to both ports leave from Pedion tou Areos park, near Victoria station on Line 1, and also stop at the airport. The X80 express between Piraeus and the Acropolis runs only from May to October, so in winter cruise passengers use the metro, the X96 or a taxi.
Taxis around the city
Athens taxis are yellow, metered and fairly cheap by European standards. The meter starts at €1.80, the minimum fare is €4, and the rate per kilometre rises between midnight and 5:00 in the morning. You can hail a taxi in the street, find one at a rank, or call one through the FreeNow or Uber apps, both of which send licensed yellow taxis. Check that the meter is running when you set off, and ask for a receipt at the end.
Walking, strikes and other surprises
Much of central Athens is best seen on foot. The pedestrian streets around the Acropolis link Thissio, Monastiraki, Plaka and the Acropolis Museum, and it is about a 15 minute walk from Syntagma to Monastiraki along Ermou Street. Pavements can be uneven and the marble gets slippery after rain, so wear shoes with some grip. On the way, a sesame koulouri from a street cart is the classic Athenian breakfast on the move.
Strikes are part of life in Athens, and transport workers sometimes stop work for a few hours or a whole day. They are almost always announced in advance, and the metro often runs a reduced service during part of the day. Big events can also close stations. On national holidays and parade days, Syntagma station sometimes shuts for the morning. Check the news or the OASA and STASY websites the night before an important journey, especially if you have a flight or a ferry to catch.
A few habits that help
Let passengers off before you board, stand on the right on escalators, and give up seats marked for older passengers, pregnant women and people with disabilities. Keep bags in front of you on crowded trains, particularly on Line 1 between Piraeus and Omonia, where pickpockets work the busiest carriages. Avoid rush hour, roughly 7:30 to 9:30 in the morning and 5:00 to 7:00 in the evening, if you are travelling with big suitcases.
Once you have the basics, Athens opens up quickly. A single tap takes you from the ancient agora to the seafront, the ferries or the airport, and very little of the city is more than a short walk from a station. Beyond the capital, getting around Greece follows much the same pattern: intercity KTEL buses, trains and ferries take over, tickets for the summer routes are worth booking ahead, and it always pays to keep an eye on strike notices.
Photo: Tilemahos Efthimiadis, CC BY-SA 2.0
