Athens Transport

Getting Around:
The new Metro subway, designed to allow travel in much of central Athens and beyond, is still under construction. The existing tram line runs from Piraeus to Kifissia, covering only the western part of the city. Most visitors encounter the subway when they take it from Omonia or Monastiraki to Piraeus to catch a boat to the islands. Don't miss the spectacular view of the Acropolis as the subway comes above ground by the Agora. Buy your tickets at the station, validate them in the machines as you enter, and hang on to the ticket. The fare at press time was Dr100 35¢. If you're not carrying much luggage, the harbor in Piraeus is a 5-minute walk left from the station.

In Athens there are two principal bus terminals. Coming into Athens from Northern Greece or the Peloponnese, you will arrive at Kifissou 100, a ten-minute bus rides from the center. Routes from Central Greece arrive at a terminal at Liossion 260, north of the train stations. From the Piraeus port you can go in almost every inhabited island in the Aegean Sea, as well as to other Mediterranean ports. In Piraeus port is a very large number of regular ferries, hydrofoils and "flying dolphins" which connect the capital with the maritime Greece. From here you can catch ferries to Cyprus, Turkey, Israel and Egypt as well as and cruisers for the same destinations. Attica has two smaller ports, the port of Rafina which connect some Cycladic islands to mainland Greece and the port of Lavrio. Athens public transport networks operate from 5 am to midnight. The public transportation is operated by the buses, the metro, the yellow trolley buses, the blue city buses and the taxis. All these can bring you to the most of the city's sight-seeing with a rather low fare.

Between the Airport & Town:
Yellow-and-blue double-decker express buses connect the two airport terminals, Constitution Square, Concord Square, and Piraeus. Between the terminals and Athens, the express Bus 91 runs every 35 minutes 7 AM-12:30 AM. You can catch the bus to the airport on Constitution Square or off Concord Square on Stadiou. From the terminals to Karaiskaki Square in Piraeus, the express Bus 19 runs hourly 7 AM-11:10 PM. The night express buses for both lines leave at irregular intervals; ask for a schedule from an EOT office Greek National Tourist Organization; tel. 01/322-2545, tel. 01/961-2722, or tel. 01/413-5716.

By Car
The main highways going north and south link up in Athens; both are called Ethniki Odos the National Road. At the city limits, signs in English clearly mark the way to both Constitution Square and Concord Square in the town center. Leaving Athens, routes to the National Road are well marked; signs usually name Lamia for points north and Corinth or Patras for points southwest. On the road map distributed by the EOT Greek National Tourist Organization; tel. 01/322-2545, tel. 01/961-2722, or tel. 01/413-5716, the National Roads are yellow and are marked by European road numbers, although these are not used on the roads themselves.

The highways are very slick when wet, and there are many fatal accidents. Avoid driving in rain and on days preceding or following major holidays; Greece's car-accident rate, one of the highest in the EC, escalates wildly during the mass migrations to and from the city. The speed limit is 120 kph 74 mph on the National Road, 90 kph 54 mph outside urban areas. From Athens to Thessaloniki, the distance is 515 km 309 mi; to Kalamata, 257 km 154 mi; to Corinth, 84 km 50 mi; to Lamia, 214 km 128 mi; to Patras, 218 km 131 mi; to Igoumenitsa, 472 km 283 mi.

By Train
Greek trains have a well-earned reputation for being slow and having a limited network. The main line runs north from Athens to the former Yugoslavia, dividing into three lines at Thessaloniki. The main line continues on to Belgrade, a second line goes east to the Turkish border and Istanbul, and a third line heads northeast to Bulgaria. The Peloponnese in the south is served by a narrow-gauge line dividing at Corinth into the Mycenae-Argos route and Patras-Olympia-Kalamata.

By Mass Transit
The price of public transportation has risen steeply in the last few years, but it is still less than that in western European capitals. Riding during rush hours is definitely not recommended. Upon boarding, validate your ticket in the orange canceling machines at the front and back of buses and trolleys and in the stations of the electric trains. Keep your tickets until you reach your destination, as inspectors occasionally pop up to check that they have been canceled and validated. They are strict about fining offenders, including tourists.

The Organization for Urban Public Transportation Metsovou 15, tel. 185 or 01/883-6076, open Monday to Friday 8 to 2:30, one block north of the National Archaeological Museum, answers questions about routes usually only in Greek and distributes maps with street names in Greek.

Bus and Trolley
Main bus stations are at Vasilissis Olgas next to Zappion hall, at Acadimias and Sina, and at Kaningos Square. You may continue from a trunk line A1-A16 to a connecting bus on the same ticket, and the mini "shopping" buses that serve the downtown historical triangle are free. No transfers are issued; monthly passes are available. Tickets are sold in special booths at bus terminals and at selected periptera street kiosks. Buses run from the center to all suburbs and suburban beaches from 5 AM-midnight, and major routes have infrequent owl service. For suburbs farther north than central Kifissia, you have to change there.

KTEL orange buses provide efficient bus service throughout the Attica basin. Most buses to the east Attica coast, including those for Sounion 01/823-0179, fare 1,050 dr., and Marathon 01/821-0872, fare 650 dr., leave from the KTEL terminal, Platia Aigyptou at the corner of Mavromateon and Leoforos Alexandras.

By Taxi
Taxi rates here are still affordable compared to those in other European capitals. It seems paradoxical that more than 17,000 taxis are on the streets of Athens, yet during peak hours it's impossible to find an empty one. A taxi driver may pass you up because it's not his day to enter the center of Athens. Taxis with passengers often operate unofficially on the jitney system, indicating willingness to pick up others by blinking their headlights. Would-be passengers shout their destination as the driver cruises past.