Exploring Athens by public transport is not difficult and quite inexpensive. We walked a lot for short distances, but for longer distances, taking the bus and metro in Athens is just ideal!
Local transport in Athens consists of a network of metro, suburban trains (comparable to the S-Bahn), trams, buses and trolley buses.
Public transport Athens
Metro
Riding the metro in Athens is the best way to get around the city quickly. There are 3 metro lines: green -> line 1 The “green” line goes from Pireo to Kifisia and stops at 24 stations. red -> line 2 This runs from Anthoupoli to Elliniko, is 17.5 kilometres long and stops at 20 stations. blue -> line 3 The blue line goes from Eleftherios Airport to Egaleo.
The metro line to the airport runs every 30 minutes. Otherwise, the trains of the other metro lines run every 3 minutes during rush hours and every 5-10 minutes otherwise. The metro lines run daily from around 5.30 am and end between midnight and 00.30 am.
Suburban railway/railway (Proastiakos).
The lines run above ground and connect Athens with the surrounding countryside. There are also inner-city connections.
Tramway
There are 3 tram lines running through Athens. The tram/tram is one of the most popular modes of transport in the city.
Bus
There are many regular buses in Athens and Piraeus, as well as trolley buses. Most of them are modern and air-conditioned. The trolley buses are used throughout the city. There are 366 vehicles on 22 routes. The night bus network is very limited with only 3 lines.
Cogwheel and cable railway in Athens
In the Kolonaki district, a funicular railway leads up Lykavittos. Another cable car leads up Parnes with its mountain station, where the Athens Casino is located. You have to buy tickets for these cable cars separately!
Where do I buy public transport tickets in Athens?
All tickets can be purchased from ticket machines. These are located in all metro stations and at tram stops. From time to time there are also ticket offices at the stops where tickets are sold.
In addition, ticket sales points are located in kiosks near stops.
It is possible to use the ticket machines in English! To do so, simply operate the switch to change the language.
What kind of tickets can I buy?
There are 3 different types of tickets and the special airport ticket.
Ath.ena ticket This is a paper ticket. This type of ticket is valid on all public transport.
Ath.ena Card This is an anonymous chip card. The card can be loaded with credit or season tickets. This type of ticket is valid on all means of public transport.
Personalised smart card This variant is used by Athenians.
Airport ticket This ticket is only valid for travel from the airport to Athens or from Athens to the airport. Visually, it does not differ from the Ath.ena paper ticket, but the journey is more expensive.
What fares and tickets are available?
The following ticket options are available:
Single tickets This is valid for 90 minutes. You can change trains as often as you like and use different means of transport. It is also possible to interrupt the journey during the 90 minutes. The ticket costs €1.20.
Day tickets A day ticket costs €4.10 and is valid for 24 hours after validation. You may use all means of public transport in Athens. Any number of journeys and changing trains is permitted. Attention! The ticket is not valid for trips to the airport!!!
72-hour tickets / 3-day tourist ticket: This ticket is specially designed for tourists. After validation, it is valid for 72 hours on all Athens lines and a return trip to the airport is also possible with this ticket. During the period of use, the user is allowed to change trains as often as he or she likes and to interrupt journeys. The 72-hour ticket costs €20.
5-day tickets The 5-day tickets are valid for 120 hours from the time of validation. Any number of journeys is possible, you may change and interrupt your journey. The ticket is valid on all Athens lines but not for the trip to the airport. A 5-day ticket costs 8.20 euros.
Airport ticket The journey to and from the airport is possible with different means of transport and different tickets. Express Bus Line: one way for 5,50 €. Metro Airport Ticket: one way for 9,- € Metro Airport Ticket: round trip for 16,- € 3-Day Tourist Ticket: incl. 2 trips to the airport for 20,- €
Children up to 6 years of age may travel without a ticket. Reduced tickets are available for children aged 7-18 and senior citizens (>65 years).
Yes, there is a 3-day ticket for tourists. These tickets are valid for 72 hours from the time of validation. The ticket is valid on all Athens lines and includes a return trip to the airport. The 3-day ticket costs 20 euros.
Is there a day ticket in Athens?
Yes. There is a separate day ticket for travelling by metro, tram, suburban train and buses in Athens.
From how many journeys is a day ticket worthwhile?
A day ticket is worthwhile in Athens from 4 single journeys on the regular fare.
How do I validate my ticket?
Follow the green arrows located on the side of the barriers in front of the entrance to the Metro rail track. The barriers marked with a red X are barriers for the opposite direction and cannot be opened. Hold your ticket in your right hand and validate it at the reader on the right side while entering the gate on the left side. Validate your ticket or card before passing through the barriers. Otherwise, the gate will detect an obstacle and will not open. Then take a step back and the barrier will open as soon as it no longer detects the obstacle. Validation of the ticket or card is done both at the platform barriers and on the buses by holding the ticket or card near the reader. Validate your ticket or card only once when boarding buses, trolleybuses and trams.
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