Athens' transport system: metro

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From the airport, from my first apartment, looking for the uni, when I finally visited touristic places, and even already used to living here, I was burdened by many questions still: what should I take today? How much will it take me to get there? Could I just walk? Why is the green line called ''train'' instead of metro? Another strike?! Where do I get a monthly pass? How am I gonna get back at night? Well, typical questions depending on the moment, but here are some answers.

There are quite a variety of ways to move around Athens, but as I have written before in other posts, you can walk easily almost anywhere that is important, mostly around the centre. But, as you can suppose, to walk naturally and with security you will have to get lost before, or really study the map. I recommend walking with no destination, you discover many places! Besides, through the centre is easy to get to big avenues that connect the main squares.

However, if you are the rushing-everywhere type of person, a night party lover, or if you just have to move somewhere far anytime, the basic means are bus (and trolley), metro (and train), suburban railway, tram and taxi.

Tickets: prices and function

Before getting to each mean of transportation lets see how much will you spend.

The tickets are classified in terms of time (valid for hours or days), and in some cases depend on the destination.

**I must say that today (02/13/2017), the ticket system is changing in every mean, since they are introducing electronic cards and closed entrance without a validation, so what I'm describing here is in reference to the actual and soon previous way of payment. For any other info and news coming up check here.

1. 90 minutes:

- Valid for: all means of transport.

*Exceptions*: express buses to the airport, X80 bus line, ''Airport'' metro station, and Suburban Railway out of sections Pireos - SKA and Magoula- Koropi.

- Simple price: 1, 40 euros

- Reduced price: 0, 60 euros

2. 24 hours:

- Valid for: all means of transport.

*Exceptions: express buses to the airport, X80 bus line, ''Airport'' metro station, and Suburban Railway out of sections Pireos - SKA and Magoula- Koropi.

- Price: 4, 5 euros (no reduction)

3. 5 days:

- Valid for: every mean of transport.

*Excepciones*: express buses to the airport, X80 bus line, ''Airport'' metro station, and Suburban Railway out of sections Pireos - SKA and Magoula- Koropi.

- Price: 9 euros (no reduction)

4. 3 days tourist:

- Valid for: all means, no exception. (Going from and back to the airport included)

- Price: 22 euros (no reduction)

5. Express buses (Airport):

- Valid for: a direct one-way trip to the airport.

- Lines: X93, X95, X96, X97

- Simple price: 6 euros

- Reduced: 3 euros

Click here for more info.

6. "Airport" station:

- Valid for: "Airport" station in blue metro line (Agia Marina - Aeropuerto) and Suburban Railway.

- Simple price: 10 euros // 18 euros (2 people) // 24 euros (3 people)

- Reduced: 5 euros (1 person only)

*Two way trip to the Airport:

- Price: 18 euros

Now, the ticket is still made of paper, and it should be validated in the machines you will find in every station and inside the buses.

You can buy it at metro, tram and Suburban Railway stations, and at the street kiosks, but not inside the bus! (Just if you are used to doing that, be careful).

The metro system

Oh beautiful greek language:

*The metro: το μετρό (to metró)

*The train: το τρένο (to treno)

*The station: o σταθμός (o stazmós)

*The ticket: το εισιτήριο (to isitírio)

There are three lines: two metro lines and one of train.

The map, list of shops and more information is here.

- Line 1 (GREEN): Peiraias - Kiffissia

Known as 'elektriko' (electric train), most part of the trip is done outdoors. The most important thing about this line is that it reaches the port of Athens (Peiraias) where you can take ferries to the Greek islands. The other extreme of the line, Kifissia, is at the North of the city, and it's a more classy neighbourhood where most franchises and VIP establishments have a place.

· Schedule: 5:00 am - 00:30 am everyday.

· Frequency: normally, except at early morning or late night, the train passes every 6 minutes aprox.

· Busy stations: Thissio, Monastiraki, Omonoia, Victoria, Attiki.

· Connection with blue line: Monastiraki station (centre).

· Connection with red line: Omonoia and Attiki stations (centre)

· Connection with Suburban Railway: Neratziotissa station (North)

· Connection with tram: Neo Fáliro station (coast)

- Line 2 (RED): Anthoupoli - Ellinikó

Very useful for its route through the centre: Panepistimio Av. (where some universities are), Larissa Station (where one of the main train stations is), Syntagma square (one of the most crowded and important of the city), and Acropolis (the main touristic spot of Athens).

· Schedule: 5:00 am - 00:30 am sunday to thursday. 5:00 am - 02:00 am friday and saturday.

· Frequency: 4 minutes aprox. (except early morning and late at night).

· Busy stations: Attiki, Larissa Station, Omonoia, Panepistimio, Syntagma, Acropolis.

· Connection with green line: Attiki and Omonoia stations.

· Connection with blue line: Syntagma station.

· Connection with tram: Neos Kosmos, Sigrou Fix and Syntagma stations.

· Connection with Suburban Railway: Larissa Station

- Line 3 (BLUE): Agia Marina - Doukissis Plakentias - Airport

The most important line without a doubt, since it reaches the airport, besides passing through the busiest stations of the city.

· Schedule: 5:00 am - 00:30 am sunday to thursday. 5:00 am - 02:00 am friday and saturday.

· Frecuence: 4 minutes aprox. (except early in the morning or late at night).

· Busy stations: Kerameikos, Monastiraki, Syntagma, Megaro Moussikis, Panormou, Airport.

· Connection with green line: Monastiraki station.

· Connection with red line: Syntagma station.

· Connection with tram: Syntagma station.

· Connection with Suburban Railway: from Doukissis Plakentias to the Airport.

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