Getting to Athens/Acropolis from the Piraeus cruise port
 

Hi all. Our cruise docks in Piraeus in Greece and we'd like to go see the Acropolis/Athens from there. Would you recommend a taxi or tour transportation, or is it relatively easy to make this connection on our own with public transit?

If we did this connection ourselves, would we face long lines once we reach the tourist sites?

The cruise docks are about a mile or so from the train into Athens. We walked to the metro station. Easy to find. Straight down the road that hugs the shore. We booked a walking tour with Athens Walks (or something similar), met the tour guide at Independence Square and had about a three hour walking tour that ended in the Acropolis. After the tour ended we stumbled across another couple from the ship, had dinner just below the Acropolis, and shared a cab back to the ship. Very easy to do.

You can walk from the cruise docks to the Piraeus metro station, or take a taxi. Walking distance would be about 20 min.

From Piraeus station you will take the metro (green line) and get off at Thission, after a 30 min ride.
Thission is very close to the Acropolis, just walk up the pedestrianized street in front of the station and you will reach the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum after 20 min.

This is one of the most beautiful parts of Athens, you will have a panoramic view of the Acropolis as you walk up.

There may also be a shuttle bus that will take you to the Metro Stop. From there take the Green Line train to the Monastiraki Station and you'll be at the base of the Acropolis in the Plaka District.

brotherlee,

closest station of Ilektrikos ( green line)to the Acropolis is Thission....

Be aware that the taxi drivers at the port are SUPER aggressive - it will be difficult to get a taxi into Athens - they WANT WANT WANT to take you on a tour - I kid you not, some elderly folks on our cruise were practically in tears. So be prepared to walk to the metro, and it is a ways esp. if the day is HOT - I think you can take a local bus - but I do not know the number or if you can purchase ticket on board.

Once you get into the city, it is pleasant to walk around.

suec1
There is no possibility to buy a ticket on the bus, tickets must be purchased in advance.
It makes no sense to take a taxi to Athens anyway, since you can use the metro...

I just thought for some folks the walk to the metro might be a bit much (again, esp. in the heat)so it would be easier to take the local bus, that I think, goes along that port area. Can a bus ticket be purchased from the tobacco shops / kiosks? I think that when we were going back to the ship, we could use the metro ticket as a transfer to bus.

There is no kiosk at the cruise docks as far as a i can recall, and taking the bus without a ticket can cost 72 Euro.

On the way back you can change to the bus using the same ticket you bought for the metro, it costs 1,40 Euro and is valid for 90 minutes
Getting out of the metro station of Piraeus there is a bus station on the other side of the street, but one should always ask the bus driver to make sure the bus goes to the cruise docks. As an indication only, after having a look at the map the correct lines should be :218 , 232, 800,843 or 859.
But please doublecheck to make sure you get on the right bus :)

Thanks, all. If we take the Metro to there, will we encounter long lines to purchase an entrance ticket? I'm trying to figure out if a tour is worth it. I know I don't want to book through the cruise line bc they make those souvenirs type stops.

If we take a taxi back from the Plaka district, is that very expensive?

There are no long lines usually...
I don't think that any tour through the cruise line will include a stop at a shop for souvenirs in Athens, as this kind of shops doesn't really exists.....
There are of course small shops in the centre, but none is being used as a stop for large group of tourists, like elsewhere.

A taxi from the Plaka to Piraeus should not cost more than 20 Euro. Before you enter any taxi remember to write down the plate number of the vehicle, just in case and always ask for a receipt.
Some taxi drivers may try to overcharge you, so be aware...

Metro ride Piraeus to city center lasts no more than 20-30 minutes. Of course depending on which stop you use, you then have a 5-10 or more minutes walk. Taxi will drop you as near as possible to your destination, but Athens traffic is often notorious,so depending on traffic conditions, metro might be proved faster. No guarantees of course. the earlier in the morning you manage to visit, the less crowds you'll get.

We took a cab from the Plaka back to the port earlier this year with a very helpful driver, not aggressive at all. He charged us €20 for the trip.

I have had only bad experiences with the taxis so I would try to take the metro if it is not too far from the cruise dock in Piraeus. The metro is cheap, easy and safe and very direct. I have followed the written Lonely Planets walking tour of Athens several times and found it to be great and it lets you go at your own pace. I have never had to line up at the Acropolis but I have only been there in May.

Metro is cheap,easy and has some really beautiful metro stations. It is so easy to use and is really fast to get into Athens.

Note that original question was posted on April, thread revitalized when a spammer tried to promote his website (his post is now removed).

For future reference :

Athens metro is modern and comfortable, sign posted both in Greek and English. I like using PT to blend in with locals minding their business to get a glimpse of everyday life too. A warning though-During last few years there is a huge increase of pick-pocketing in Athens and metro line Piraeus-city center is very affective by this. So take all common-sense precautions on this! And this advice goes especially to men, because they are the easy targets, feeling self-confident and ending doing stupid things like putting their wallet on their back-pocket. Women are more street-wise on that one (sorry guys, but this is true!)

A last side-note: Taxi drivers in Athens are not as bad as people think and definitely not as bad as they used to be. There are many young and educated drivers out there nowadays and even older drivers are usually honest people. Maybe not trained on issues such as a no-smoking policy or pretty aggressive drivers, but this is a cultural thing mostly, not a taxi drivers thing in specific! As with everywhere in life a few bad apples out there create a bad reputation for everyone, which is kind of unfair! And no, I am not related with any Athens taxi driver or something.

I've had a pickpocket try for my wallet in a front pocket, so that doesn't always work either. Best solution for men is to not carry a wallet at all, just the money you need and maybe a credit card loose in your pocket or in a money belt. Move your bag or backpack to the front of your body where you can watch it when on a bus or the metro. Be particularly careful when getting off — by the time you realise your wallet is missing, the metro is on its way down the tracks and you are standing on the platform.

Last of all, don't let that put you off visiting central Athens — it's a very safe and friendly city. By taking a few precautions you won't have any problems. :-)