Athens

Public transport in Athens has improved by leaps and bounds in the last ten years. The simple €1,40 "integrated" ticket lets you travel on any means of transport — metro, suburban trains, trams, trolleybuses, buses — with unlimited transfers anywhere within Athens except the metro airport line east of Doukissis Plakentias and the airport buses for 90 minutes, and you can also get a €4 ticket valid for 24 hours or a €10 weekly ticket. Workers at the public transport are lately on strike at least one day per week, causing major troubles on traffic of Athens. Make sure that you are informed before your arrival because there is a strong possibility that you reach the airport and have no means to go downtown, or vice versa.

On foot

Athens offers some of the best and worst urban walking in Europe. Several major streets have been recently pedestrianized, and a mostly car-free archeological walk which starts at Vasilisis Amalias Street, passes in front of the New Acropolis Museum, Acropolis, Herodion Theatre, Thiseio Apostolou Pavlou Str, Ermou Street and ends at the popular area of Kerameikos Gkazi where numerous bars and clubs are located. Pleasant walking can also be had in Plaka, especially its upper reaches, and in much of Kolonaki, and the National Garden can provide a welcome respite from the heat and noise of the city center. On the other hand, Athens' horrendous traffic can make crossing the street in many areas a hair-raising proposition, and even walking down many major streets can be an unpleasant experience of noise and pollution. Cars and motorbikes parked blocking the sidewalks illegal but ubiquitous can also make a stroll difficult. Fortunately, much of the traffic-plagued area of the city can be avoided by judicious use of the new Metro, which goes most places a visitor would want to see or to walk around in.

You can now visit the Acropolis, walk along the picturesque streets of Plaka or the hills around the Acropolis at your own pace, with i Pod Pocket tours audioguides (http://www.pocket-tours.gr). It’s informative and fun! They are available for rent at Athens Hilton Hotel, Sofitel Athens Airport, King George Palace and Baby Grand Hotel.

By taxi

Canary yellow taxis are a common sight in Athens and are a reasonably priced way of getting around if you can avoid the traffic jams. The starting fee is €1, after which the meter ticks up at €0.34/km "rate 1" or €0.64/km "rate 2", with a minimum fare of €3.10. Rate 1 applies through Athens city limits, including the airport, while rate 2 applies outside the city and from midnight to 5 AM. Legal surcharges apply for calling a cab by radio €1.60, trips to or from the airport €3.20 and heavy bags €0.32. Tipping is not necessary, although it's common to round up to the nearest full euro.

Taxi fare fraud is not as widespread as it used to be, but it still happens, so insist on the meter and make sure the rate is correct. At busy tourist locations cab drivers can try and con you with a set rate that is ridiculously high e.g. 20€ for a short trip. In these cases it is best to find another and again insist on the charge shown on the meter. If you feel you have been overcharged, ask for a receipt they are obliged to give one and take the plate number, then phone the tourist police to report the driver on 171.

Be aware that the taxi drivers rarely obey all of the rules of the road. Expect that if you are leaving Athens on an early flight, that the driver will likely drive aggressively to get you there as quickly as possible.

Taxis are considered as fairly cheap in Athens. As such you can expect to share the ride during rush hours if you can find one, and at night after the Metro has shutdown. As such if you hail a taxi which is already occupied Free Taxis have a brightly lit TAXI sign on top of the cab the driver will ask where you want to go to before he will let you in to join the other customers. Strikes by cabbies and public transit are common so be prepared and watch the local news.

By Metro

The new Athens Metro system (http://amel.gr/index.php?...), opened in 2001 and followed by a restoration of the old Line 1 and currently being extended, is a wonder to behold, and puts many better-known metro systems to shame. Many metro stations resemble museums as they exhibit artifacts found during excavations for the system i.e. Syntagma. Greeks are very proud about the new subway system, so do not even think about littering and by all means avoid any urge for graffiti- you will be intercepted by security at once. You are also not allowed to consume food or drink in the subway system. During rush hour, it can become very crowded and you must leave personal space at the door. There are three lines:

Line 1

Μ1 – ISAP: Piraeus – Kifissia, connects the port of Piraeus and the northern suburbs of Athens via the city centre. Note that during 2010 there is major disruption at the use of this line due to renovation works of the train tracks. Currently, only the Monastiraki station platform to Piraeus is closed but Monastiraki is also served by metro line 3. Be sure that you keep an eye on your personal stuff when using this line and be prepared for people getting in the train and asking for money. Note that line 1 is a rather old line lines 2 & 3 are the new subway system of Athens.

Line 2

M2 – (http://ametro.gr/page/default.asp?id=4&la=2 Attiko Metro]): Agios Antonios – Agios Dimitrios connects western and southern Athens.

Line 3

M3 – (http://ametro.gr/page/default.asp?id=4&la=2): Egaleo – Doukissis Plakentias – International Airport connects the south-western suburbs with the northern suburbs Halandri and Doukissis Plakentias stations and the International Airport.

Validate your ticket at the validation machines upon entering the station. Failure to do so will entail a hefty fine if you are caught by ticket inspectors. The standard metro fare is €1.40 as of May 2011 for trips between all stations except the Airport line, east of Doukissis Plakentias. This allows travel with all means of public transport and unlimited transfers for 90 minutes. If you validate your ticket a second time just before your last trip, you may finish this last trip even after the 90 minutes expired.

For €4 Aug 2012, you can buy a 24-hour ticket for all public transport in Athens, apart from the Airport line. This needs to be validated only once, at the start of the first journey. The standard fare to or from the Airport is €8 as of Aug 2012, €14 for a return trip within 48 hours, €14 as of May 2011 for a one-way trip for a 2-person group and €15 price outdated for a one-way trip for a 3-person group.

Bear in mind that there are often multiple entrances to the stations and often they go straight to the platform, so remember which entrance is for which. It is open from 5am to midnight.

By Tram

The new Athens Tram (http://www.tramsa.gr/inde...) connects the city centre with the southern suburbs and has connections with the metro lines. There are three tram lines:

Line 1 (T1): Syntagma – Palaio Faliro – Neo Faliro

connects the city centre with the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Line 2 (T2): Syntagma – Palaio Faliro – Glyfada

connects the city centre with the coastal zone.

Line 3 (T3): Neo Faliro – Palaio Faliro – Glyfada

runs along the coastal zone.

A single ticket costs 60 cents.

By bus

Athens is served by a network of diesel buses, natural gas buses and electric trolley buses run by the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (http://oasa.gr/). A standard bus ticket costs €1. It is called the Integrated ticket and allows for multiple trips within 90 minutes, and it's available in most kiosks. Use a €3.20 ticket to travel to or from the airport. If you tend to stay for more than a week then a weekly pass for €10 is the most cost-effective. It gives you unlimited rides on almost all public transit bus, tram, train, subway for 7 days. You only need to validate once, before first use. Buses will not stop unless you signal the driver by raising your arm.

Night buses. As of March 2006 the night bus routes are:

X14

Syntagma Square to Kifissia.

11

Ano Patissia – Neo Pangrati – Nea Elvetia trolley bus.

040

Piraeus to Syntagma Square.

500

Piraeus – Kifissia night only.

X92, X93, X95, X96, X97

the airport buses.

At the airport you can pick up a multitude of public transport maps, especially for buses, tram and trolleys that cover the whole of Athens, and parts of Attica like Sounio and other ports. These maps can be found in display stands. They are blue and marked with big Numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in different colors.

By bike

Athens is certainly not the city to go around with a bicycle, as it does not have much bicycle lanes and the car drivers tend to drive quite aggressively. Nevertheless or maybe because of this riding a bicycle in Athens has become lately some sort of a political counter-action, especially by young people with an alternative lifestyle. In general, tourists not familiar with the terrible Athenian traffic are not advised to use a bicycle as a principal means of transport. Small rides are safe though in the long network of pedestrian streets around the Historical Centre of the city and can be quite enjoyable indeed.

The initiative My City with a Bike (http://poli-podilato.gr/) taken by the General Secretariat for The Youth (http://neagenia.gr/) and several NGO's offers free conducted tours with free bikes every Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 3PM all year round except for the rainy days. All you have to do is book 10 days in advance either by email [email protected] or phone 8011 19 19 00.