Bus and Tram Travel within Athens

Athens and its suburbs are covered by a good network of buses, with express buses running between Central Athens and major neighborhoods, including nearby beaches. During the day, buses tend to run every 15 to 30 minutes, with reduced service at night and on weekends. Buses run daily from about 5 am to midnight.

A tram link between downtown Athens and the coastal southern suburbs features two main lines. Line A runs from Syntagma to Glyfada; Line B traces the shoreline from Glyfada to the Peace & Friendship Stadium on the outskirts of Piraeus. Single tickets cost €1.40 and are sold at machines on the tram platforms.

Main bus stations are at Akadimias and Sina and at Kaningos Square. Bus and trolley tickets cost €1.20 for one ride. A more expensive €1.40 ticket is valid for 90 minutes of travel on all modes of public transport (bus, trolley, tram, and metro). Remember to validate the ticket (insert it in the ticket machine in the ticket area of the metro or aboard the train or bus) when you begin your journey and keep it until you've exited the bus or tram station. Day passes for €4.50, and five-day tickets for €9 are also popular with tourists, but they don't include airport transport; a three-day tourist ticket costs €22 and does include one round-trip for the airport train. Monthly passes are also sold at special booths at the main terminals on the first and last week of each month.

Maps of bus routes are available at terminal booths or from EOT. The website of the Organization for Urban Public Transportation (OASA) has a helpful English-language section.

Contacts

City Tram. Athens, Attica. www.stasy.gr.

Organization for Urban Public Transportation (OASA). 11185; www.oasa.gr.