It might all be Greek to you, but riding Athens’ metro is an easy and wonderful experience.
Affordable and reliable, Athens’ metro system started construction in the late 1990s yet hit several snags due to the unearthing of many historical artifacts; Athens is over 3,000 years old, after all.
Halting its creation while archaeologists came to evaluate and assist in the construction, Athens is proud of its modern and easy-to-navigate transportation system that came into its own in time for the 2004 Olympics. With many of the archaeological discoveries on display around the metro and train stations, several resemble museums.
Here’s everything you need to know about using the Athens metro, plus Athens’ tram network for a trip to the coast.
How Much Does the Athens Metro Cost and How Do You Pay?
There are various ticket prices structured by the length of time traveled or your length of stay. For €1.20, you can get anywhere on the network as long as your journey is within 90 minutes, effectively a one-way ticket. A 24-hour ticket costs €4.10, which is a great option if you want to pack in several tourist spots in one day; this also includes a one-way airport transfer. A 5-day ticket costs €8.10, but doesn’t include transport to the airport. You can also get a 3-day ticket for €20, which includes a return airport metro ticket.
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INSIDER TIPWhile Athens is beginning to implement contactless payment via contactless bank cards and smartphones throughout 2024, the process has proven slow. Be prepared with cash and physical cards. Additionally, American Express is not widely accepted.
Seniors over 65, teenagers under 18, and university students under 25 can purchase reduced-fare tickets. Children under 7, on the other hand, travel for free.
There are ticket machines at all stations in a variety of languages, including English, as most ticket booths are now closed except at major tourist stations such as the airport, Monastiraki Station, and Syntagma Station. Several take cash, but more and more are card only; make sure your chip and PIN are activated; they tend not to accept contactless. Note that American Express is not accepted.
How Do You Navigate the Athens Metro and Tram?
Unlike the London Underground, Athens only has three metro lines and four interchange points, all accessible to the major sites, plus the airport and the port of Piraeus, so you can easily catch your cruise or ferry to the islands. This makes navigating your way through the Athens Metro pretty easy, even enjoyable. Line 1, for instance, travels above-ground past the Agora and Parthenon, to and from Piraeus. Most trains have air conditioning, and all stations have escalators, making them more accessible.
To whisk you away from the center to the Athens coast, you’ll travel by tram. With only two networks to figure out, it’s also pretty easy: one running from Syntagma Square to Faliro, the end station on the coast. It stops at many beaches along the way, taking roughly an hour with the second route from Piraeus Port to Voula, an affluent neighborhood by the coast, again with many beach stops along the way. The tram interconnects with the Metro at four points, so it’s super convenient.
All coaches are air-conditioned and as the network runs above ground, has great views of the city and coastline, especially the line that runs from Syntagma past the Parthenon.
How Often Do the Athens Metro and Tram Operate? What Are the Hours?
The metro usually has trains running every four minutes, so you’ll never have to wait long. From Sunday to Thursday, the trains run from 5 a.m. to midnight; on Friday and Saturday, service stops around 1 a.m.
Metro trains to and from the airport operate daily every 30 mins, from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with a journey time of roughly 40 mins from the center of Athens.
Meanwhile, the tram operates daily from 5:30 a.m. to midnight but runs at a slower pace, so bear this in mind when planning a journey.
Is Athens Public Transportation Accessible?
Many metro stations have elevators, and have tactile paving at the platform level for the visually impaired. Wheelchair users will find it easier to board Line 2 and 3 trains from the first and last cars; and on Line 1, by using the first door of the first carriage.
One of the major tourist stations–Monastiraki–has a large gap between the platform and trains, so the stationmaster can provide a ramp if needed. Wheelchair users are best advised to enter the first or last door of a tram as this usually has a larger area.
What Archaeological Finds You Can You See in the Metro?
Take yourself back in time as you traverse the Athens metro network and marvel at the archeological finds. Syntagma Station–on Lines 2 and 3–has display cases of artifacts found during its construction, and covering the period of early 5th century B.C.E. to Ottoman times. There’s also a woman’s skeleton from the 4th century B.C.E., lying in her tomb between layers of soil, plus pipes from the ancient water supply, and a mosaic of an ancient house’s floor.
Monastiraki–on Lines 1 and 2–is where you’ll find the riverbed of Eridanos–the ancient “River of Hades” that in its time flowed from Mount Lycabettus, the highest hill in the city, through the capital and eventually into the sea.
Also in Monastiraki–in the ticket hall of Line 1–be sure to look up. You’ll marvel at the colorful ceiling artwork entitled Time in My Hands, 324 separate plexiglass pieces by Greek visual and performing artist Leda Papaconstantinou, created at the request of the Attiki Metro in 2010.
The Acropolis Metro–Line 2–has replicas of the Parthenon frieze along its two platforms. There are items in a display case at the top of the escalators and at the exit, and replicas of the sculptures of the east side of the Parthenon representing the birth of Athena out of the head of Zeus, Helios on his chariot rising from the waves, Dionysus and Demeter with their daughter Persephone, and the beautiful Hebe or Artemis.
Things to Watch Out for #1: Pickpockets Operate
Overall the Athens metro and tram are safe and pleasurable modes of transport to move around this ancient city. But as with any major metropolis, there are things to be careful of. Pickpockets can operate on both, so be sure to keep your bag close and don’t keep phones or wallets in back pockets. It’s worth investing in clothing with hidden pockets, which is really useful for anywhere you travel.
Don’t be tempted to give change to the children playing various musical instruments in the carriages; they can be a distraction for an accomplice to try to steal from you.
Things to Watch Out for #2: Be Sure to Buy the Correct Ticket Then Validate
The Athens metro has a separate ticket price to/from the airport–€9 one-way (unless you’re buying the 3-day combined ticket as mentioned above). Be sure to purchase the correct ticket–made very clear on the machines.
Validating tickets is easy on the metro as there’s a gate system in place; you can’t enter unless the ticket is swiped across the reader to open it. The tram is different as there’s no gate system and you have to validate your ticket from the separate machine next to where you buy it. Be sure not to forget as fines can be 60 times the ticket price–about €82.
Using Public Transport vs. Taxi Services
Compared to other European, and especially the U.S., taxis in Athens are relatively inexpensive. A taxi to/from the center to the Athens coast comes in at about €25 for a 40-minute journey while a taxi to/from the airport is approximately €40 from 5 a.m. to midnight; the night rate is €55 from midnight to 5 a.m.
If you want to travel by taxi, it’s best to download the FreeNow app–exactly the same concept as Uber. Taxis also use Uber, as private cars are not allowed to transport passengers as the system is regulated.