Decisions to make before you land
- Metro, bus or taxi from the airport? Metro line 3 costs €9 one way and reaches Syntagma in about 40 minutes, with trains every 36 minutes from 06:10 to 23:34 (STASY and OASA, checked 3 October 2026). The X95 express bus to Syntagma costs €5.50 and runs 24 hours. A taxi charges a flat €50 to the centre between 05:00 and midnight, or €65 from midnight to 05:00.
- Tap or buy tickets? Contactless Visa and Mastercard cards and phone wallets work on the metro, tram, buses and trolleybuses, and city taps are capped at €4.10 a day. Airport trips are charged separately.
- Cash is a backup. Since 1 January 2024, businesses across retail and consumer services in Greece, taxis and market stalls included, must accept cards.
- Shopping to take home? If you live outside the EU, the VAT refund needs a stamp from the customs office at the airport before you check in your bags.
Your planning order
Compare your ways into the centre
| Option | Cost | Best for | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro line 3 | €9 single, €16 return within 30 days | Most travellers to Syntagma, Monastiraki and the line 3 area | No airport trains after 23:34; none on the Saturday all-night service |
| X95 express bus | €5.50 | Night arrivals, Syntagma | About an hour; no transfers on the ticket |
| Taxi | €50 day, €65 night, flat to the centre | Groups of three or four, heavy luggage | Flat fare applies to the city centre's inner ring |
For four adults, four metro tickets cost €36 against a €50 daytime taxi. The taxi costs more but takes you to the door; for one or two people the metro is far cheaper.
Which way should you pay for rides?
| You are… | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Making a few city trips a day | Contactless card or phone | Each tap is a 90-minute €1.20 fare, capped at €4.10 a day |
| Staying three days and flying in and out by public transport | €20 3-day tourist ticket | Includes one return airport trip and the city network |
| Holding Maestro, Amex or another unsupported card | Paper ATH.ENA Ticket | OASA's contactless scheme takes Visa and Mastercard only |
Validate at the reader every time you enter the metro and when you exit it. Riding without a valid ticket costs €100 (OASA).
If this is your situation
Sites and day trips
- Acropolis: a ticket is €30 (€15 reduced) all year, entry is only within the time slot you booked on Hellenic Heritage, and citizens of EU states up to 25 and non-EU visitors under 18 enter free (Hellenic Heritage and Ministry of Culture, checked 8 October 2026). See Acropolis Tickets: Price, Time Slots and How to Book.
- No combined ticket any more: the ministry abolished multi-site tickets in central Athens, so each site is bought separately; all seven central sites add up to €105 for an adult. Athens Combined Ticket: Discontinued shows which sites are worth it.
- Cape Sounion: KTEL Attikis suspended its coastal Sounion bus from 4 October 2026 until further notice. When it runs it leaves at 10:30 and returns at 16:45. Cape Sounion Bus from Athens has the status and alternatives.
- National Archaeological Museum: €20 (€10 reduced) at the same price all year, with the same free ages and free days as the state sites. Until 15 November 2026 it opens Wednesday to Monday 08:00–20:00 and Tuesday from 13:00 (museum, checked 12 October 2026). See National Archaeological Museum tickets and hours.
- Delphi: KTEL Fokidas buses leave Liosion 260 at 08:30 and 10:30 daily, with returns at 16:00 and 18:30 daily; one €20 ticket covers the site and museum. Delphi Day Trip from Athens by Bus shows whether a day is enough.
- Meteora: no train runs to Kalambaka now; Hellenic Train links Athens to Palaiofarsalos and runs a bus on to Kalambaka. A day trip leaves Athens at 06:58 and is back at 21:58, with about 4 hours 20 minutes in Kalambaka and a 6-minute bus-to-train connection home (Hellenic Train timetables, checked 12 October 2026). Meteora day trip from Athens by train explains why one night there works better.
- Aegina or Hydra: Aegina is the easier island day: Aegean Flying Dolphins alone runs eight Piraeus–Aegina sailings a day until 31 October 2026, while Hydra takes from 1 hour 30 minutes each way on Hellenic Seaways. Hydra or Aegina day trip by ferry has the times, fares and the Temple of Aphaia.
Going on to the islands
Ferries to Santorini and Mykonos leave from two Athens ports. Blue Star's ferries from Piraeus take from 6 hours 6 minutes to Santorini and from 5 hours 10 minutes to Mykonos; from Rafina, near the airport, Golden Star lists a 2 hour 20 minute fast boat to Mykonos (from €52.50) and conventional ships from €38. SKY express shows one-way flights from €44–45, but its cheapest fares include no checked bag, while Blue Star's ferries carry up to 50 kg free (operator pages, checked 12 October 2026). Athens to Santorini or Mykonos: ferry or flight compares them by traveller type and season.
What to recheck on the day
OASA's own price page showed two different prices for ticket packs on 3 October 2026; the guides use the offers table. Metro timetables and taxi fares change; each guide gives its source and check date. Several ferry timetables end on 31 October, and wind can cancel sailings: check the operator's site on the morning you travel.
