Transport in Athens

Information on the public transportation in Athens

The transport system in Athens has been modernised the last 7 years. New roads, bridges, a brand new rail network and new modern means of transport like the Athens Metro, the suburban railway and the Athens tram have reduced a lot the transportation problems of Athens, as well as they have played a main role to the reduce of the atmosphere pollution of the Attica basin.
The means of transport in Athens are divided in 4 categories.
Picture left the express bus to the Airport from the Port of Piraeus line E96
The urban buses that are under the authority of the OASA (organisation of urban transport of Athens) that connecting all Municipalities of Athens and Piraeus.
The suburban buses that connecting Athens with suburban areas and with the rest of the mainland of Greece under the authority of KTEL. The main terminal stations of Ktel are located in 2 major areas, the first is at Kifisou 101 for western Greece and Peloponnesus and the other is at Liossion street 260 for northern Greece. For East Attica suburbs and coastal resorts like Rafina the terminals are in  Pedion Areos next to the junction with Alexandra's avenue. OASA has create an innovation with the  bus line 400 that takes you to the most interesting sites of Athens the ticket costs 5 euro and it makes a sightseeing tour of Athens.The bus 400 goes from the Archaeological museum to Omonoia, Psyrri, Kerameikos,Thiseion, Monatiraki, athens Market, Klafthmonos Square, Syntagma Square, Benaki museum, National Gallery, Ampelokipoi, Stadium, Plaka,Acropolis, Olympian Zeus temple, Greek Parliament, University and Omonoia. Frequency every 30 minutes.
source OASA click to download the routes here and here .

URBAN BUSES TROLLEY TRAM AND ISAP (Electric rails Athens Piraeus) TICKET PRICES
Bus ticket 0.50 euro, Daily ticket 3 euro, 90 minutes ticket bus, trolley, tram 0.70 euro, 90 minutes ticket for all transport means including ISAP the subway line Piraeus- kifissia and suburban railway PROASTIAKOS ( until Plakentias station) 1 euro, Monthly ticket for bus, trolley and tram 17.50 euro Airport express bus ticket 3.20 euro.
Line 400 Athens sightseeing bus 5 euro

Athens Tram: The tram of Athens as well as the metro was one of the most innovating projects that the Greek government did in an effort to develop the traffic network of Athens.  The tram connects Athens from Parliament square all the way down to Sygrou Avenue and continues along the coastal Poseidonos Avenue to the south coastal suburbs until Glyfada . It is true that the Athens 2004 Olympics was a  blessing for the Capital of Greece because one of the main factors for all of those great projects alongside with the renovation of the transport system, was also the successful hosting of the games.

The Athens Metro is one of the the 3 greatest projects that where accomplished in Athens within the new millennium, the other 2 was the new airport in Spata and the Attiki odos the Athens ring highway . The Attiko Metro is a private owned company that has solved a great deal of the transportation problems in Athens. The Attica metro joins together with the Athens Piraeus Electric rail and the Proastiakos suburban and it has 3 lines. The first line is the old line of ISAP Piraeus-Kifisia. The other 2 lines is the red line direction Agios Antonios-Agios Dimitrios and the blue line direction Aegaleo-Doukissis Plakentias. From Doukissis Plakentias the passengers can take the suburban rail to  the Airport of Athens. The Attiko Metro is extended in all directions, the accomplishment of the Aegaleo station was a relief for all the west suburbs. Within the next years the Metro blue line will go further via Haidari, Korydallos, Nikea to Piraeus , the red line will extend to Anthoupolis on the west and to Elliniko to the south. The most beautiful stations of the Metro are those of Syntagma and acropolis as well as the one of Monastiraki which are in fact public museums with artefacts that where discovered during the opening of the tunnels. Enjoy bellow pictures of the Syntagma and Acropolis station. Day trips from Athens you can make using the buses, trains and the metro.

Ferries , Hydrofoils, Catamarans and other vessels

From the port of Piraeus there are daily ferry connections with all the islands of the Aegean. From Rafina and Lavrio the ferries are departing mostly for the Cyclades islands. From Piraeus are departing all Greek ferries to the Aegean islands, Crete and the Saronic islands. For getting to the Ionian islands like Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Ithaca either you should use the buses to Patras, Igoumenitsa or Kylini for Zakynthos and get the ferries, or better to fly from Athens Airport.Read more about transport in Greece

Buses in Athens: Bus lines and routes (source OASA www.oasa.gr)