Athens,Greece:City Guide-Transportation

Athens due to the 2004 Olympic Games developed a wide and efficient transportation system.It consists of buses, metro, tram and taxi.

Bus: The last years has been an effort to modernize the bus service.All major streets have bus lanes to raise the average speed.New ecological buses were bought.New lines were added and the troley bus (electrical buses) network was expanded. A flat fare of €0.50 applies throughout the city. Tickets must be bought in advance, either from a special ticket kiosk or from one of the many regular kiosks on the streets. Tickets must be validated as you board using the orange ticket machines.

Official Site of Public Bus Company

Metro: The Metro (with trains running about every 5 minutes, 5:00-24:00) is the best and fastest way to travel around central Athens. Buy €0.80 tickets at machines or from ticket office. Be sure to validate your ticket in the machine before boarding. Those riding without a ticket or with a ticket not stamped are subject to stiff fines. There is a €3 public transportation day pass available.
Line 1, marked in green, runs from the port of Piraeus to the northern suburbs. Important stops include Monastiraki (city centre), Plateia Viktorias (National Archaeological Museum) and Irini (Olympic Stadium). Omonia is a transfer station for Line 2 change at Monastiraki for Line 3.
Line 2, marked in red, runs from Agios Antonios in the north-west to Agios Dimitrios in the south-east. Important stops include Larisis (train station), Syntagma (city centre) and Akropoli (Acropolis and Makrigianni). Change at Omonia for Line 1, and at Syntagma for Line 3.
Line 3, marked in blue, runs from Monastiraki to the airport. Important stops are Syntagma and Evangelismos (Byzantine and War museums). Change at Syntagma for Line 2.

Metro Map

Metro Timetable

Tram: Although new and very modern, because of its low speed it is not very popular to the Athenians.If you are staying by the coastal line of the city it is the best solution to get to the city centre or to reach the closest metro station.At least you will enjoy a relaxed ride by the coast or a ride to the closest organized beaches of Athens for swiming.

Tram Map

Taxi: In Athens there are aproximately 17.000 taxis.With no exeption all of them are yellow.The majority of taxis belongs to individual persons , usually the drivers and not to companies.Taxis are cheap and usually helpful (€1.00 drop charge, €0.30/km, €0.60 surcharge from ports and train and bus stations, and a €1 surcharge from the airport). You should be carefull when taking a taxi from the airport/port to the city centre also from tourist places like Syntagma-Acropolis-Museum people have reported paying 10 times more.While the day rate (tariff 1 on the meter) is €0.30/km, the rate doubles between midnight and 5am (tariff 2 on the meter). Baggage costs €0.30 for each item over 10kg. The minimum fare of €2.50 covers most journeys in central Athens.
Athens taxi drivers double up — picking up more customers heading the same way — so there's no guarantee that you'll have the taxi to yourself. Unfortunately, sharing the taxi doesn't mean sharing the fare. The driver makes more and the passengers save nothing. Still, this makes it easier to find an available taxi. You can simply hail any empty taxi, or wave at a taxi with a customer going your way and tell them where you're going. (If your destination works for the driver, he'll welcome you in.)

Some Tips for Taxis : Before coming to Athens contact the hotel you are going to stay and ask for the average taxi cost from the airport to the hotel.Some taxi drivers after giving them the money will try to switch the banknote you gave them with a smaller one and they will give you less change or they will ask more money.Always insist on droping you off in front of the hotel and not close by, if this happens be suspicious.If you think the driver is trying to overcharge you find an excuse (tell him to help you with your bags or you don't have enough money)to come with you in the hotel so you can ask the reception.Never but Never leave your suitcases with the taxi driver and enter the hotel, always take your things with you.If you want to get around Athens by taxi always ask your reception to call a radio taxi there is a small surcharge by the radio taxi company but if a problem occurs when you return to your hotel they can track him very easily.Finally do a small trick, before entering a taxi write down it's licence plate number because this is the only way for the traffic police or the taxi union to track him down or for you to file a report.