Metro, bus, streetcar or train in Athens… You can easily use public transportation in Athens to reach the city center from the airport or Piraeus, and even to go to the beach.
An efficient network
With its metro, bus, streetcar and train, Athens is well connected. Indeed, the public transport network has been greatly improved thanks to the 2004 Olympic Games and some metro lines are brand new, spacious, air-conditioned and clean. From the airport, you can take advantage of the fast train or the metro. The rates are attractive, especially with the tourist package which includes a round trip to the airport and three days of unlimited public transportation.
With the metro, Piraeus, the mythical port and the airport of Athens in 50 minutes, it’s done!
And it is even possible to easily reach the beaches by streetcar or bus from the center of Athens in 35 to 45 mins.
Tickets and fares for public transport in Athens
As of November 2017, tickets have changed from individual paper tickets to a magnetic card version.
Study your stay carefully because the rates for several days are often interesting.
As an indication, here are the main rates. However, for more complete information, please visit the OASA website: tickets and cards .
Children travel free of charge from 0 to 7 years old. Then, from the age of 7, they have to pay the fare but benefit from the reduced fare.
Useful mobile applications for your public transport journeys
Here are some applications to download that will make your travel with public transport easier:
- Moovit shows you the transportation (bus, metro, streetcar) to take to get from one place to another. In addition, the app indicates the estimated time.
- OASA telematics To plan your bus trips. Indicates where the bus is and therefore allows you to stop waiting at the stop. Also available on their website.
By Georgedogor (From a camera) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Bus & Trolleybus
Buses and trolleys operate from 5 a.m. to midnight and run every 15 minutes or so.
There are of course buses to Piraeus and to the airport. The regular buses usually run from 6 am to midnight. If you are in a hurry, you should take the buses whose names start with X, they are the express buses. The X96 that connects the airport to Piraeus or the X95 that connects the airport to the center of Athens even operates 24 hours a day.
The tourist buses can also be a good alternative. Ticket prices start at 15€ for the day. Some go as far as Piraeus and the coast. Advantages of this package: the route that serves the main sites of the city, the audio-guided tour in French, the freedom to get on and off whenever you want. According to our relatives who tested the yellow and red. The red one is much better, especially for the audio commentary, but more expensive.
Metro-Train-Tram
Metro
The Metro operates from 5 a.m. to midnight and even until 2 a.m. for lines 2 and 3 on weekends. Concerning the frequency, the metro passes every 4 minutes in peak periods, 10 minutes in off-peak periods.
Good to know: all metro stations have disabled access. Very useful not only for people with reduced mobility but also for families with strollers.
Metro line 3 (blue line) has inaugurated new stations that now connect Athens airport to the port of Piraeus in less than an hour. If you want to know the detailed timetable of the subways to better organize your trip here is the link. They run approximately every 35 minutes (detailed timetable to Piraeus; detailed timetable to the airport)
Train
The commuter train is particularly useful, as it connects the airport and Piraeus, in only 1h03. There are also connections to the metro lines.
Streetcar
Finally, the Tram allows you to go to the sea in 35-45 mins from the center of Athens. It offers a beautiful view of the coast from Falira to Voula via Glyfada. Thus, it is the ideal public transport if you want to spend a day at the beach. More info on our article How to get to the beach from the center of Athens?
Athens public transport map
In order to better locate you, here is the map of public transport in Athens:
Interactive map: very practical!
There is an interactive map that offers direct and easy access to information about the Athens public transportation network:
- List of stops ;
- Stops accessible to people with disabilities;
- Points of sale and ticket prices;
- Schedules.
The map is available on this site.
So, metro, bus, streetcar or train to get around Athens? The choice is yours!
Sophie B.
