Getting Around Athens

Athens's International airport, Eleftherios Venizelos International, is located at Spata, 17 miles outside Athens (01 353 0000). Since buses run on erratic schedules, the easiest way into town is to take a taxi from immediately outside the terminal. Three 24-hour express bus lines serve the airport and connect with the Metro.

Take a taxi from the airport to get to Piraeus. It is important to know that island boats leave from several different Piraeus harbors. Most ferryboats and hydrofoils Flying Dolphins for Aegina leave from the Main Harbor. Hydrofoils for other islands leave from Marina Zea, a half-hour walk from the Main Harbor. All this makes Piraeus a good place to take a taxi to and from the airport. If you do not know which harbor your boat is leaving from, tell your taxi driver your destination and he can probably find out the harbor and even the pier. Bus no. 19 runs from the East to the West Terminal and then to Piraeus every hour from 5am to midnight, and every 2 hours from midnight to 5am. The bus will leave you in Karaiskaki Square, several blocks from the harbor. When making air connections after an island trip, it is unwise to allow anything less than 24 hours between your return to Piraeus by island boat and your departure by air, as rough seas can cause significant delays.

The Metro subway is designed to allow travel in much of central Athens and beyond. The existing tram line runs from Piraeus to Kifissia, covering only the western part of the city. Most visitors encounter the subway when they take it from Omonia or Monastiraki to Piraeus to catch a boat to the islands. Don't miss the spectacular view of the Acropolis as the subway comes above ground by the Agora. Buy your tickets at the station, validate them in the machines as you enter, and hang on to the ticket. If you're not carrying much luggage, the harbor in Piraeus is a 5-minute walk left from the station.

Athens is served by slow but wide-ranging buses; taxis fill in the gaps. Public transport networks operate from around 5am to midnight, with the airport buses being the only ones running in the small hours. A daily pass costs €3 and can be used on buses, trolleys and the metro. The bus network is extensive and cheap, with a flat fare of  €0.50. Tickets must be bought in advance from kiosks, certain shops and newsagents, or from the limited number of booths run by bus personnel near major stops - look for the brown, red and white logo proclaiming "Isitíria edhó" (tickets here). They're sold individually or in bundles of ten, and must be cancelled in a special machine when boarding. Fare-dodgers risk an on-the-spot fine equivalent to forty times the current fare. Cancelled tickets apply only to a particular journey and vehicle; there are no transfers. If you're staying long enough, it would be worth buying a monthly pass for €34.50, which is valid on all buses, trolleys and the metro.

Buses are very crowded at peak times, unbearably hot in summer traffic jams, and chronically plagued by strikes and slow-downs; walking is often a better option. Express services run to and from the airport.