Athens is the capital of Greece. With a population of over 3 million. The city is quite large and low, which means that it stretched. Public transport consists of the following modes of transport. Bus, trolleybus, metro, tram, ISAP (electric train). Taxi and funicular to Mount Lycabettus.
During rush hours, in the morning from 7.00 to 9.00 and in the evening from 17.00 to 19.00, transport crowded. So try to avoid moving around the city at this time. And the city center. Gets stuck in traffic.
Move around the center on foot. If you need to get to remote corners of Athens. Then you can use the metro or tram.
Buses and trolleybuses in Athens
Buses and trolleybuses run not only in the center of Athens. But connect the city with the suburbs and the airport. The bus fleet includes 1,800 modern cars. It equipped with an electronic scoreboard. Air conditioning and comfortable seats. Buses stop at stops only “On Demand”. For this you need to press a special button when announcing your stop. If you are standing at a stop and see your bus. You need to raise your hand to stop it.
Opening times may vary from route to route. But most buses and trolleybuses run from 5:00 am to midnight. In addition, Athens has five 24-hour routes, four airport routes, and eight express trains.
The bus routes are not so easy to understand. There are about 300 of them in the city. By the way, an interesting fact that most buses run on natural gas. There are not many trolleybus routes in the capital of Greece, only 22. The working hours of bus routes are from about 5.00 to 21.00-23.00, depending on the route, with intervals of about 15-20 minutes.
Athens Metro
The Athens metro called in the old way “Attico Metro”. It consists of 3 lines and 64 stations.
- Г1 – green line; Πειραιάς – Κηφισιά
- G2 – red line; Ανθούπολη – Ελληνικό
- Г3 – light blue line, Αγία Μαρίνα – Αεροδρόμιο (airport).
The metro in Athens is simple. You can only get confused in the Greek script. On the map below you can see all metro lines, stations, interchange stations. Train stations and two suburban routes. The metro operates every day. From about 5-6 in the morning until 22-23 in the evening. With train intervals of 5-10 minutes. Depending on the time of day and day of the week. On weekends, the metro runs until 2 am. The longest train intervals are on weekends and holidays in the evenings.
Tram in Athens
The tram is a convenient form of transport in Athens. The trams in the city are modern with a low floor. Tram stops have an electronic scoreboard. On the poles you can find the timetable of routes passing through a certain stop. Ticket machines sold at bus stops. Trams operate daily. From about 5 am to 1 am. On Friday and Saturday trams run until 2.30.
The Athens tramway network consists of only 3 lines, 27 km long, and 48 trams stop.
- T3 – blue, SEF – Asklippio Voulas
- T4 – red, SEF – Syntagma
- T5 – green, Syntagma – Asklippio Voulas
Funicular in Athens
In Athens, there is one funicular that goes up Mount Lycabettus. The height of the mountain is only 300 meters. The funicular operates from 8.45 to 0.45 in the summer and. From 8.45 to 0.15 in the winter. The ascent to this steep hill takes 10 minutes. Hill offers great views to take beautiful panoramic photos of Athens. The cost of lifting the funicular is €4.5 one way or €7 round trips.
Water Transport in Athens
Since Athens is a port city, it is not surprising. That the city has developed water transport and, ferries. Ferries are comfortable transport. That will take you to one of the thousands of islands in Greece. The main port of Athens called Piraeus.
Ferries from the port depart to the following islands. Crete, Cyclades: Paros, Naxos, Ios. Santorini. Aegean: Chios, Lesvos, Limnos. Corfu, Kos, Thassos, Rhodes, Zakynthos etc.
The port can reached via the green metro line. Or from the airport by the direct X96 bus.
It is better to buy ferry tickets in advance. On the websites of the companies operating the ferries. It will be cheaper, and you will not leave without a seat. Ferries in Greece are a ship. There are ferries with the ability to transport a car. On some ferries, in addition to cafes. There are restaurants, cabins for a comfortable journey. In addition to ferries. High-speed boats go to some islands. The seating of passengers in which is like on an airplane.
Taxi in Athens
Taxi is part of the transport system in Athens. The Taxi cars painted bright yellow. The Taxi cars can be of any brand from old Skodas to newer Mercedes. Official taxis must have checkers on the roof with the inscription “αξί”. And cars must equipped with a meter. The driver must turn on when customers get into the car.
You can catch a taxi on the street. Sit in a taxi at special taxi stands, or order by phone. Only there is a problem. This is a language barrier. Few taxi drivers speak foreign languages. Even English. It is difficult to understand the Greek script.
Car rent
Renting a car is a great option for independent tourists who like. To visit the most interesting corners of the planet. Do not like public transport and prefer freedom. You can rent a car if your budget for parking, toll roads, and gasoline. And are ready to learn about local traffic rules. You can book a car both at the airport and pick it up upon arrival. Or in the city center. A rented car is easy to travel: it’s like driving your car.
Athens transport tickets and Fares
- Ticket for one trip on all types of transport. For 90 minutes (except for travel to the airport and line X80): €1.4.
- Ticket for one trip on all types of transport. For 90 minutes at a reduced rate (except for travel to the airport and line X80): €0.6;
- Travel ticket for 1 day (except for lines to the airport): €4.5;
- Transport ticket for 5 days (except for travel to the airport and line X80): €9.0;
- Travel pass for 3 days includes travel from/to the airport: €22.0;
- X80 Express Bus Ticket: €4.50.
- Tickets are valid for all types of transport. Metro, trolleybus, bus.
Travel Cards Prices In Athens
- Travel pass for 1 month (except for lines to the airport): €30.0; at a reduced rate: €15.0;
- Travel card for 3 months (except for lines to the airport): €85.0; at a reduced rate: €43.0.
- Pass for 6 months (except for lines to the airport): €170.0; at a reduced rate: €85.0;
- Travel card for 1 year (except for lines to the airport): €330.0; at a reduced rate: €165.0.
