How to reach Athens

By air

Athens is a city that is easily accessible by air from virtually any point of departure. Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" is located in Spata, 33km (20miles) southeast of Athens and handles all international and domestic flights. Flights from major airports such as London , Berlin , Paris , New York , Frankfurt, Zurich , Rome , Milan , Larnaca and Dubai come in daily and frequently.

The airport is within easy reach of the city centre via motorway, express bus or metro: An average journey by taxi from the airport to the city centre (Syntagma area) takes approximately 40-50 minutes, depending on the traffic, costing around 25-30 euro.

The express bus line X95 (direction Syntagma) serves Athens city centre and the following timetable is applicable:

From Airport to Syntagma area:

Every 25' from 06:30 to 21:20
Every 25'- 35' from 21:20 to 06:30

From Syntagma area to Airport:

Every 25' from 06:00 to 20:40
Every 25'- 35' from 20:40 to 06:00

A ticket for the airport express bus line costs +/- 3 euro. It allows unlimited travel by all public transport modes (incl. bus and metro) for 24 hours from the time of validation.

The city centre is accessible from the Airport via Metro Line 3 "Athens International Airport - Monastiraki". Trains depart from and to the Airport every half hour and the trip takes approximately 30 minutes. A ticket for the airport express line costs +/- 7euro. For more information, please visit the airport website : www.aia.gr

By road

Athens can be reached by road via Western Balkan countries, Bulgaria , Albania and Turkey. Greece's main road axes are: Athens-Thessaloniki (E75), Athens - Corinth (E94), Corinth - Patras (E65), Corinth-Tripoli - Kalamata (E65), Patras - Pyrgos - Olympia (E55), Thessaloniki- Kavala- Alexandroupoli (E90).

The new Attiki Odos Motorway in Athens is a cutting-edge motorway that links the town of Elefsina (located in western Attica) to the "Eleftherios Venizelos" Athens International Airport . Part of the Athens peripheral ring road, it circumvents Athens and offers 27 main and secondary interchanges for entrance and exit into/from the capital. To enter the motorway tolls are paid, the fare depending on vehicle category based on height and number of axes. (For more information, please visit the Attiki Odos Motorway website: www.aodos.gr

Driver's Licenses: EU citizens can use their own. Other nationals should have an International Drivers License in addition to their valid driver's license.

By sea

There are daily ferryboat connections from Italy (Ancona , Bari and Brindisi , Venice and Trieste) to Patras, the second largest port of entry to Greece approximately 220km (135miles) from Athens ; Patras is connected to Athens by the Athens - Corinth (E94), Corinth - Patras (E65) national roads. The Middle East is accessible via the port of Volos . Volos is connected to Athens by the Athens-Thessaloniki (E75) national road.

By train

The main railway network of Greece currently provides links between Athens and Northern and Southern Greece and the rest of Europe through the Western Balkan countries and Bulgaria . There are two railway stations, named Larissa and Peloponessos, both accessible from the Larissa station on the metro's red line (line 2). Larissa Station serves international connections and routes to Northern Greece . Trains from the South of Greece arrive at Peloponessos. From Larissa station, take the red metro line 2 for the city centre.

Public Transportation

The modern Athens transportation network now includes: new buses, pollution-free trolleys and trams and a revamped electric railway system that connects to two new metro lines. And that's not all. A new fleet of high-speed catamarans jets you off to nearby islands in a couple of hours or less. And luxury coach buses take you to everywhere else in Greece you want to go.

Trains

The Electric Railway Company/Metro Line 1 (ISAP) - Referred to as Metro Line 1, the Electric Railway Company, or ISAP, runs between Piraeus and Kifisia and connects to Metro Lines 2, 3, the tram and bus routes at hub stations.

Buses

The new Athens Sightseeing Public Bus Line makes stops at the city's top sightseeing spots. Schedules are every half hour from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. The duration of the round trip is 90 minutes.

Tram

Ecologically and environmentally friendly, with a view of the Saronic Gulf, the Tram connects the centre of Athens with the coastal neighbourhoods Glyfada, in the east, and Piraeus , in the west.

Taxi

Greek taxis are inexpensive by European standards and offer an alternative to mass transit. All licensed taxis are equipped with meters (the fare is charged per km) and display a card detailing the latest valid tariffs and surcharges.

Car Rentals

There are numerous reliable car rental agencies in Athens . Major and local agencies can operate only if licensed by the Greek National Tourist Organization (G.N.T.O.) and require a valid national driving license.

Road Connections

Athens' road network consists of motorways, national roads, highways and asphalted roads. View more

Ports

Piraeus Port : (+30) 210-459-3000 - The Main port of Greece with year-round service to international destinations as well as islands of the Argosaronic (Hydra, Spetses, Poros, Aegina and Salamina), Dodecanese , Ionian and Cycladic. Does not service the islands of the Sporades . View more