ATHENS

Getting around Athens is feasible and very economical using any means of transport. The city is equipped with an extensive and rather comprehensive public transport network, making the city accessible to its most remote corner.

Moving around Athens by buses and trolleys is something mostly residents would choose to do. There are adequate routes to and from all parts of the city, although these routes are less frequent during the night hours. Tourists might not choose this way of traveling since all the information and route schedule are provided only in Greek, and besides it is an extremely time consuming process to find out which bus takes you where. However, the bus routes to Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and back have been proved to be very convenient and somewhat comfortable. These buses have a special area for luggage and their stops are easily accessible located in the most central access points of the city. For more info check www.oasa.gr or contact 185.

The tram provides by far the most enjoyable experience of urban travel in Athens, despite the fact that it may not be considered the fastest means of transport. But it ideally joins the centre of Athens together with the coastal areas of the city and offers a brief but utterly impressive tour along the beaches of this capital city. Especially if one chooses the tram to move around during the evening, they will definitely get a delightful taste of the pulse of the city’s nightlife, which is a unique experience on its own, as Athens by night can be truly stunning. The www.tramsa.gr provides information on tram schedules.

Taxis are quite a popular way to travel around Athens. Especially for tourists, the cost of an average ride is considered cheap. You can get a taxi ride either by calling one of the taxi companies of the district or you can flag them down on the street. For tourists who do not speak the language it is highly recommended and much safer to call one of the many taxi companies, as taxi drivers in Greece are not popular of their great command in English. The rides to and from the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport are the most expensive ones and there is also extra charge for baggage as well as transit to the port of Piraeus. Some taxi companies telephone numbers are followed: 210 9217942 (ATHENS) , 210 9934812 (EXPRESS) , 210 4182333 (PIRAEUS).

The METRO is a fast and relatively comfortable means of transport within Athens, and around the centre in particular. Its gradual expansion into more and more district of the city has given a small hint of breathing in the stifling streets of this big crowded city, especially during peak hours. The METRO also serves tourists who want to go to or come from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport as well as tourists who want to access the port of Piraeus. The routes begin early in the morning and are extremely frequent. It is really worth noticing that every METRO station offers its own artistic touch to the overall cultural aesthetics of Athens. In the stations of SYNTAGMA and ACROPOLIS, in particular, one can see exhibits from the excavations made for the construction of the METRO.The THISIO station gives tourists a taste of the old postwar Athens, and leaving the station one can enjoy only for few seconds a magical view of the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora. General info can be found in www.ametro.gr and www.ose.gr .

The so-called historic triangle situated literally in the centre of Athens can be mostly enjoyed and explored on foot. It is amazing how such a crowded busy city with severe traffic jams can hide in it traditional Greek spots of calm, peace and quiet, worth to visit.