What's the Deal on Transportation in Athens?
BY Maria Pappa
The Athens centre is relatively small and walkable, all you need is three to four hours and comfortable shoes. If you want to fully explore the long (and spectacular) coastline of the city, you’ll need a car. The same goes for Piraeus. You can easily get to the port by local transport but you would only get a glimpse of a much larger urban zone.
In Athens, transport can be hectic during rush hours. The good news is that there is one ticket for the metro, bus, tram, trolley and railway and it’s very affordable. You can use any of them over a period of 90 minutes for just €1.20, but you can only pick up the ticket at the metro, tram and railway stations. There are other options: a daily ticket for €4.10 and a five day ticket that costs €8.20. There is also a 3 day tourist ticket that includes the trip from and to the Athens International Airport for €20. The cheapest way to get to the airport is by bus for €6, and the quickest route is by Metro but it’s almost double the price at €9. There is also a two-way ticket at €16 valid for 30 days.
As for Taxis, use apps like Taxi Beat or Uber to avoid getting overcharged. If you would rather not use these apps, politely ask the driver to start the metre when you get into the car; the standard fee for a short ride within the centre is around €4. Taxis charge a fixed fare for journeys between the centre and the airport: €38 during the day and €54 after midnight, and you’re not obliged to pay anything extra for your luggage.
