Athens is not a small city. Actually, you can easily say it’s huge, bounded on three sides by Mt Ymettos, Mt Parnitha and Mt Pendeli. It spans on twelve hills out of which the Acropolis is the most well known.

Thankfully, the places of interest for travelers can be found in a relatively small area surrounding the city center at Syntagma Square, nested between the districts of Plaka, Monastiraki, Kolonaki and Omonia.

>>read more about the Neighborhoods of Athens

Unless you stay in one of the above mentioned districts, you’ll be using the public transport in Athens. And regardless of where you’ll stay, first you need to get from the airport to the city.

Athens’ International Airport (ATH) is located 20 km from the city center to which you can get to by metro, bus, rail or car (a map can be found here ) :

• the metro ticket is €8 one way. Trains run every half an hour and are marked by an airplane logo on the front of the train




• if you use the suburban railway, you’ll get to Larissis Station. From here, take the metro line 2 to get to central Athens. The combined metro and suburban rail ticket is €8 one way.




• the bus ticket is €5 one way. Buses connect the airport directly to central Athens

Another option is to get to Athens by boat. It is easy to get from Piraeus to Athens (and the other way around, just in case you need to take a ferry to an island) and you can choose between metro, bus and taxi.

How to use the public transportation in Athens

There are several ways to get around Athens to see the sights, not to mention getting from the hotel or hostel to the city center. The simple €1,40 integrated ticket travel on any means of transport — metro, suburban trains, trams, trolleybuses, buses — with unlimited transfers anywhere within Athens for 90 minutes. There are also 24 hour tickets, 3 days tickets and weekly tickets available.

Athens metro

The new Athens metro opened in 2001 (after the restoration of the old Line 1) and comprises three lines:

Line 1: Piraeus – Kifissia
It connects the port of Piraeus with the northern suburbs of Athens, via the city center.

Line 2: Agios Antonios – Agios Dimitrios
It connects western to southern Athens.

Line 3: Egaleo – Doukissis Plakentias – International Airport

It connects the south-western suburbs with the northern suburbs and also links the airport.

Suburban rail

This is a rather new addition to the public network in Athens. It connects the port of Piraeus with Larissis Station. From here you can either take the route to the Airport or west to Kiato and Corinth.

Athens tram

The tram connects the city center with the southern suburbs and it also has connections to the metro lines. There are three tram lines in Athens:

Line 1 Syntagma – Palaio Faliro – Neo Faliro

It connects the city centre with the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Line 2 Syntagma – Palaio Faliro – Glyfada

It connects the city centre with the coastal zone.

Line 3 Neo Faliro – Palaio Faliro – Glyfada

It runs along the coastal zone.

Athens buses

The buses serving Athens are run by the Athens Urban Transport Organisation . The integrated ticket is €1.40 and is valid for 90 minutes. You can also buy tickets in the buses. They cost €1.20 and a valid for one trip. The airport bus tickets cost €5. Night buses are also available and they connect the city center with both Piraeus and the airport.

Tip: buses will not stop unless you signal the driver by raising your arm.

Athens taxis

In Athens the taxis are colored in canary yellow. Compared to other large cities, it is affordable to take the tax in Athens. There are two fares; one for traveling within the city and to the airport; and another (more expensive) to travel outside the city and during the night.

Tip: you don’t need to leave a tip but it’s common to round the fare to the nearest full euro.

Photo credits
Metro , Tram , Bus