HOW TO GET TO ATHENS
Athens is the capital of Greece and holds a special place in our hearts.
Now you could road trip your way there. No doubt it would be long but incredibly fun.
However, we’d recommend hoping a plane and flying to the Athens International Airport, 12 miles (20 km) east of central Athens.
GETTING INTO TOWN
The airport has great transport options for all budgets:
Taxi: Grab a cab outside exit 3 of the arrivals level at the main terminal. A taxi from the airport to the city center costs a flat rate of €35 from 5:00 a.m. to midnight, and €50 from midnight to 5:00 a.m.
Metro: Take Metro Line 3 (Aghia Marina – Douk. Plakentias - Athens International Airport). Trains run every 30 minutes, 7 days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and travel time is about 40 minutes to Syntagma Station (in the heart of the city). Find the timetable here.
24-express buses: If you land at an off-peak time and want to keep costs down, there are bus routes that can get you into town. Head to a kiosk for more info. Journey times are around roughly an hour.
EXPLORING ATHENS
By far the quickest and easiest way to get around Athens is to jump the city’s public transport network. Athens has a centralized system so tickets are valid for the city’s buses, trolleybuses, metro and trams.
Prices:
90-minute ticket: 1.40€
24-hour ticket: 4.5€
3-day tourist ticket: 22€
5-day ticket: 9€
TIPS AND WARNINGS
Tickets are available everywhere — metro stations, tram stops, train stations, newsagents and bus ticket stalls.
Don’t forget to validate your transport ticket when you get on any means of transportation.
There are no turnstiles in the metro stations, so you must validate your ticket at the yellow vending machines before getting on the platform.