Getting around
Getting around Athens
The historic core is walkable, and one cheap integrated ticket covers the metro, buses, trolleys and tram. A 90-minute ticket is about €1.20 (mid-2026), a 24-hour pass about €4.10, and contactless tap-to-pay now works on the readers. Most first-trip days need almost no transport at all.
Walk the centre first
Plaka, Monastiraki, Syntagma, Thissio and the Acropolis sit within an easy walk of each other, much of it pedestrianised. For a first trip based centrally, you can reach the headline sights and most dinners on foot, and only need transport for the coast, the airport, or outlying museums.
One ticket for metro, bus, tram and trolley
The integrated ATH.ENA city ticket covers metro, buses, trolleys and tram: €1.20 for 90 minutes, €4.10 for 24 hours and €8.20 for five days. These standard city products do not cover airport travel. Tap2Ride accepts Visa and Mastercard cards or supported devices at the readers for full fares. Use the same card or device throughout your journey; its €4.10 daily urban cap does not include airport fares.
Important: the airport metro leg and airport buses use a separate, higher fare — the normal city ticket does not cover them.
Metro is the backbone
Three metro lines cross the city and stop at Syntagma, Monastiraki, Akropoli and Thissio — the stations you actually need. It is fast, cheap and avoids traffic. Always validate your ticket, and keep it until you exit.
Reviewed source trail
- OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organisation) — ticket prices - checked 2026-09-15
- This Is Athens (official city visitor guide) — Public transport - checked 2026-09-15
- OASA — Tap2Ride bank-card payments - checked 2026-09-12
- STASY — Line 3 and airport timetable - checked 2026-09-12
Last reviewed September 15, 2026