Move around in Athens with Metro, Bus, Tram, Railway and Taxis.

Public transportation has improved rapidly after Olympics of 2004, especially with the operation of Metro Lines. Except Metro there is also a tram system, suburban train, and a large network of buses and trolleys. Buses and tram are an excellent way to move to the south coastal route and arrive at the beaches outside Athens. Tip: the updated site of OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organization. You will find there, all the information you may needed about routes, tickets and times regarding all means of public transport: metro, train, tram, buses, and trolleys. Information about traveling from Athens airport to the center or port (or wherever). Also on some bus stops there is a timetable which shows what time the bus will come. Athens metro, train, tram, trolley, buses....

Metro

The Athens Metro is a rapid-transit system in Greece which serves the Athens conurbation and parts of East Attica. It incorporates the former Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways (ISAP), which opened as a conventional steam railway in 1869, and which was electrified in 1904 and is now part of Line 1. Beginning in 1991, Attiko Metro constructed and extended Lines 2 and 3. The metro network merged in 2011 when the Greek government created the Urban Rail Transport Company (STASY), a subsidiary of the Athens Urban Transport Organization (OASA). The system is noted for being modern and efficient, in its own right and in comparison to other subway systems elsewhere. It has drastically changed Athens by providing a much-needed solution to the city's traffic and air pollution problem, as well as revitalizing many of the areas it serves. An extension of Line 3 is under construction towards Piraeus and also other extensions of existing lines, as well as a new line, are under consideration. The Athens Metro is actively connected with the other means of public transport, such as buses, trolleys, the Athens Tram and the Proastiakos suburban railway. The Athens Metro is hailed for its modernity and many of its stations feature works of art, exhibitions and displays of the archaeological remains found during its construction.

Suburban railway (Proastiakos)

The Proastiakos is the name for Greece suburban services, which are run by TrainOSE. In Athens, the Proastiakos offers a direct connection between Athens International Airport and Kiato, in the Peloponnese. The service also connects the port of Piraeus with Halkida in Evia, through Athens Railway Station, which is more commonly called Stathmos Larisis.

Tram

In 1882, Athens started a tram system with 16 small vehicles pulled by, in total, 800 horses. These first lines connected the center of Athens with its suburbs Ambelokipi, Patissia and Omonia square with Syntagma, Gazi and Kerameikos. Today the Athens Tram is the modern public tram network system serving Athens, Greece. The tram network spans a total length of 27 kilometres (16.8 mi), and covers ten Athenian suburbs. This network runs from Syntagma Square to the southwestern suburb of Palaio Faliro, where the line splits in two branches; the first runs along the Athens coastline toward the southern suburb of Voula, while the other heads toward the Piraeus district of Neo Faliro. The network covers the majority of the city's Saronic Gulf coastline.

Buses and Trolleys

Yellow Trolleys and Blue Buses can take you anywhere in the city and in the suburbs.The Trolleys run on electricity and the stops are usually yellow. The Blue bus-stops are blue. Tickets must be bought from a kiosk or at special stands in main squares and at some bus terminals. They are sold individually or in bundles of 10 and must be validated by a machine on the bus. They can be used for 90 minutes so in other words if you want to connect with another bus or even the metro or the tram you have 90 minutes where the transportation is covered in the price of that ticket. Electronic ticketing soon will also become available.

Taxis

You can choose to move by taxis which are not so expensive comparing with other European Capitals. A tip about taxis, The meter must be running when they start off (there is an immediate charge of, at this time, 1.35 euro) and it should show a (tariff) 1, except after midnight it shows double tariff 2. This is compulsory and you should insist. If the meter is not running you can say only with the meter.