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How to get to Plaka from Athens airport in the least expensive way?

How to get to Plaka from Athens airport in the least expensive way?

Old Sep 24th, 2014, 09:53 AM
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How to get to Plaka from Athens airport in the least expensive way?

Hello -

I have been gathering intel and found out that 1 way cab from Athens airport is 35 euro. Given the language barrier and us not being able to read any Greek signs whatsoever, is there a quick way to get to the city without taking the cab?

Any metro tips?

Thank you.
MsWorthy is offline  
Old Sep 24th, 2014, 10:19 AM
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All passenger facing transport personal serving the Athens airport speak enough English and all the signage at the Athens airport at accompanied by English.

Metro: Line 3, blue, goes to Syntagma and Monastiraki. It is impossible to go the wrong direction as long as you are riding the metro and not the suburban train. The Metro line starts at the airport. It was 8EU per person or 14EU last year. Look at the map to your hotel or ask hotel which is the closer stop. All the major signage are accompanied by English.

Bus: X95 is "express" bus to Syntagma square. Depending on where in Plaka, it might be a trek. Look at the map to determined if you are too far away. My hotel was 7 min walk from the bus stop, so that was what I did last year. I thought it was 5EU per person. Although it is an "express" bus, it does make several stops at the airport, several highway overpass stops, and frequent stops once in Athens.
http://athensairportbus.com/en/X95-b...s-downtown.htm. If you are going to Syntagma square, no need to worry about missing stops mentioned in Greek. The driver will kick you out once the bus reaches Syntagma square. It is just a city bus, so you carry your luggage on board on your own. Here is another area large luggage, discussed ad nauseum in your other thread, will haunt you in addition to your airport luggage retrieval "wasted time" concern.
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Old Sep 24th, 2014, 10:24 AM
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http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g1...portation.html

http://www.viator.com/tours/Athens/A...-2876ATHAPTHTL

http://www.aia.gr/traveler/access-an...transportation
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Old Sep 24th, 2014, 11:07 AM
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Walking is cheap.

Thinking you'd be better off with the train - Line 3 to Syntagma.

http://www.greeklandscapes.com/image...-metro-map.jpg
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Old Sep 25th, 2014, 12:16 AM
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Metro all the way! Keep an eye on your belongings though - the metro stations around Monastiraki are notorious for pickpockets - mostly young men dressed like tourists or students so that they blend in with everyone else. All the Greek ladies travel clutching their handbags - make sure you do the same. Once you keep your wits about you, you'll be fine.
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Old Sep 25th, 2014, 06:57 AM
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@BigRuss and ter2000 Thank you! Will do advance reading about the metro in Athens. Yes we will be staying very close to Syntagma.
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Old Sep 27th, 2014, 07:46 AM
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Many tourists don't know that while single tickets on the metro between the airport and Athens are €8, a ticket for two is only €14. Also, tickets for children and for seniors (regardless of nationality) are half-price on the metro and buses. See: http://www.athenstransport.com/english/tickets/

You can't get reduced price tickets from machines, you have to go to the window.
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Old Sep 30th, 2014, 05:50 AM
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Autostop is also cheap
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Old Oct 2nd, 2014, 05:32 AM
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While in Athens, when we took the metro we bought a .60E ticket (we are seniors) good for 70 minutes on all buses, trams and metro. Bus drivers don't sell tickets so buy them at the metro station or a kiosk near bus stops.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2014, 07:38 AM
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MsWorthy, u do not say what time of day u arrive in Athens, but having seen your itinerary (I had to go lie down in a dark room with an ice-pack on my brow), I'm guessing you'll be a little tired whatever time of day. If u are staying near Syntagma, please, skip Metro, take x95 bus. It takes only 15 minutes more than the Metro, plus, the bus goes more frequently than the Metro, so the time is a "wash" except maybe in height of rush hour. The bus fare is 5E ... and you can relax, and zone out -- no worries about pickpockets, no anxiety about missing stop, no steps up/down from platform. Buy tickets at a kiosk near exit door, board directly on the curb outside building. IMPORTANT: there's a pole-mounted box inside bus, you insert ticket to get it punched (Validated) -- inspectors do random checks & unpunched = fine. Right inside bus is a "pen" where people pile their big luggage. No one can board bus after airport = no pickpockets. You can doze for 45 minutes.... and/or keep eye peeled out window for first sight of Acropolis! On arrival Syntagma u step right onto sidewalk & head for hotel.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2014, 07:42 AM
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PS: A word of caution about that well-meant advice about a 60¢ local bus ticket ... you're only in Athens for 2 nights, right? and all the sights you'll have time for are walking distance from Syntagma. Plus, the ONLY time u are likely to encounter lack of english fluency, is on the local busses, so if it starts going on an unfamiliar street, no luck asking driver or other passengers to explain. I've stayed in Athens 20+ times, and I still get lost on local busses.
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Old Oct 8th, 2014, 07:01 AM
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thanks travelerjan for the info. We might have to cab it then just to be sure. Wondering if I should contact the hotel we're going to be staying at if there's a shuttle service.
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Old Oct 8th, 2014, 07:02 AM
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@travelerjan - I smiled when I read your comment: (I had to go lie down in a dark room with an ice-pack on my brow) = it's pretty funny when I try to imagine it.
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Old Oct 8th, 2014, 07:44 AM
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No need to contact hotel, they would just book a taxi guy who would stand there with a card with your name on it, at the luggage carousel -- and then you would pay €10 additional at least. Why do that when there is a looong line of taxis outside just panting for your business? Also I do not understand "we might hve to cab it then just to be sure." Sure of what?? Maybe your hotel is an obscure one, without a sign, down a hidden street ... or maybe it's a wellknown one, a few yards from Syntagma Square. We do not know. Is it your worry about not being fluent in Greek? On my first trip, I knew not one word of Greek, only the Alphabet in caps, dddn't even have a map in my hand and I took the bus and did just fine. And you will too, if you dial down the anxiety.
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Old Oct 16th, 2014, 02:31 AM
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The X95 bus is the best way not just the cheapest (5 EUR). Wherever you are located in Plaka and as long as you don't have lots of luggage, the bus stop will not be far to walk. If too heavy, u need a taxi anyway with a minimum fare. The bus stop in the airport is very convinient, just outside arrivals
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Old Oct 18th, 2014, 05:24 AM
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Please DO be aware of pickpockets/chancers on the X95! While opportunities are less there are still occasional scams. One friend travelling on her own had a 'helpful'guy lift her suitcase onto the luggage rack. Once at Syntagma he was not so quick to offer to help to get it down again, so while she was struggling to do it she had to put her backpack down, opportunity for Mr Helpful to help himself, all cards & money gone
Please don't get into a panic about these incidents on public transport though, just bury all vauables deep in your suitcase & only have a small amount of money handy (no cards)on you to facilitate your travel to the hotel.
Plaka hotel is closer to Monastiraki than Syntagma, hence the metro is the best option as it goes directly to there.
Please be aware if you get a taxi from outside the airport it is 35 euro & ONLY that price, do not let them charge you extra for luggage/tolls/tax or whatever else they may come up with (again rarely happens). The best strategy is to have the exact fare ready & only hand it over once your luggage is out of the cab.
There's not a high chance of any of these things happening to you, especially if you take all sensible precautions as you would anywhere, but I did want to post the things to be aware of.
Another tip is to get on the metro in the middle, it does lessen the chance of pickpockets as they often (but not always!) operate at either end so they are near to exits from the station when they get off.
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Old Oct 18th, 2014, 12:10 PM
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Metro ticket machines DO sell the, discounted tickets. Be sure to validate (yellow machines at entrance and KEEP the ticket until you exit.
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