The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
Getting around
in Athens
The
Athens metro and archaeology
One
of the first questions about the metro project that Athenians
and visitors usually ask, refers to the archaeological finds.
The construction of one of the largest public works in Europe
has been carried out at the most interesting locations of classical
antiquity. Five of the metro stations are located at the center
of ancient Athens, in the shadow of the Acropolis.
Prior to the commencement of the works, through investigation
trenches and other methods, any anticipated archaeological areas
presenting high risk, were verified. This analysis highlighted
five stations (Syntagma, Monastiraki, Thissio, Akropoli and Panepistimio)
where major excavations were performed prior to the commencement
of construction works.
As anticipated, excavations revealed material from the Neolithic
up to the modern era. Discoveries included a bathhouse (the Amalias
shaft was relocated because this very important find), metal working
shops, aqueducts and cisterns, ancient roads and city walls, drains,
cemeteries and random burial and an enigmatic room filled with
oil lamps decorated with erotic scenes. Significant artifacts
and features were detached, preserved and stored in secure facilities.
Some stations, such as Akropoli, Monastiraki and Panepistimio
were built using underground tunnel boring instead of surface
excavation. The decision to use tunnel boring machines to bore
12 km of train tunnels through solid rock, was made on the grounds
of eliminating the possibility to encounter cultural treasures.
When finds were made, labor personnel was removed from the area
until the completion of the archaeological investigation by the
archaeologists of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Unexpected archaeological
finds included a sarcophagus at the Ethniki Amyna station and
large Roman-period drains at the Larissa and Evangelismos station
and the Paleologou shaft.
The total excavation works represent the largest archaeological
program ever undertaken in Athens. The metro project dug into
Athens' past to build its future.
Athens's
metro is a 135 km network serving 45 stations, recently extended
thanks to the games, which will grow by 23 kilometers - 12 stations
by 2009 and by 20,8 more kilometers (16 more stations) by 2012.
The
brand new Athens metro system only has three lines but the clean
and safe trains will take you to your destination and they will
do so fast. During rush hour the trains run every 3 minutes and
every 10 minutes the rest of the day.
A
one way metro ticket only costs 0,80 € (0.40 € reduced
ticket).
Another ticket costs 1.00 € (0.50 € reduced ticket).
You can use and re-use without any limit on all city transport
(except for the airport express buses and metro destinations towards
the airport after the Doukissis Plakentias metro station) for
90 minutes after its first validation.
Yet
another ticket (0.70 € and 0.40 € reduced ticket) will
let you use and re-use all city buses (not the airport express
buses nor the metro), trolley busses and the tram for 90 minutes
after its first validation.
The
reduced travel ticket is valid for:
for young people up to 18 years old, 65+ upon production of their identity card, for holders of
the OASA pupil or student
card and other persons with
discounted fare entitlement.
foreign university students upon production of their ISIC-card (International Student Identity Card)
members of large families on production of the Large Family Pass.
Free
travel ticket:
•
MPs and Euro MPs on production of their MP card
• (rural) policemen
• firemen
• port authority personnel and cadets
• soldiers in military service
• war invalids and their escorts on production of the
relevant identity card
• disabled people and escorts of visually impaired people
on production of the special
card issued by the Ministry of Health
• children up to 6 years of age
You
can also buy a day ticket for 3,00 € or a week ticket for
10 € valid on all metro lines, the tram, all city buses but
not the express buses for 24 hours from its first validation.
A week ticket is also available for 10 €.Some stations are
still being finished and new stations and extensions are under
way. Remember that the metro stations all close at midnight and
re-open at 5am the next morning.
The
metro trains are clean, smooth and very fast and while waiting
for your train, you can enjoy the piped-in classical music in
the downtown metro stations. Quite a few metro stations also have
a permanent exhibition of the archaeological finds during construction.
Make sure you visit the station on Syntagma Square. You won't
believe your eyes....
Airport
to Athens center by metro (suburban
rail)
On
Friday 30 July 2004, the extension of metro line 3 –
Athens International Airport – Monastiraki – started
operating. The metro stations from Athens International
Airport to Monastiraki station on this line are:
• Athens International Airport
• Doukissis Plakentias (connection with suburban
rail)
• Halandri
• Ethniki Amina
• Katehaki
• Panormou
• Ambelokipi
• Megaro Mousikis
• Evagelismos
• Syntagma (connection with metro line 2: Aghios
Antonios - Agios Dimitrios, "Alexandros Pana-
goulis")
• Monastiraki (connection with metro line 1: Piraeus -
Kifisia)
The
journey time from Athens International Airport to Syntagma
is about 30 minutes and 60 minutes to Piraeus.
Metro tickets to and from the airport
FARES
Single
fare
6
€
Return
ticket (within 48 hours)
10
€
Single
fare for 2 persons (group ticket)
10
€
Single
fare for 3 persons (group ticket)
15
€
Teens
(-18), students
3
€
Senior
citizens (65+)
3
€
Disabled
people and escorts of visually impaired people, on production
of the special card issued by the Ministry of Health.
0
€
Metro timetables airport transport
TO
THE AIRPORT
FROM
THE AIRPORT
Stations
Train
Stations
Train
First
Last
First
Last
Monastiraki
5:51
22:51
Airport
6:30
23:30
Syntagma
5:53
22:53
Doukissis
Plakentias
6:54
23:54
Evangelismos
5:55
22:55
Halandri
6:56
23:56
Megaro
Moussikis
5:57
22:57
Ethniki
Amyna
7:02
00:02
Ambelokipi
5:58
22:58
Katehaki
7:03
00:03
Panormou
6:00
23:00
Panormou
7:05
00:05
Katehaki
6:02
23:02
Ambelokipi
7:07
00:07
Ethniki
Amyna
6:03
23:03
Megaro
Moussikis
7:08
00:08
Halandri
6:09
23:09
Evangelismos
7:10
00:10
Doukissis
Plakentias
6:12
23:12
Syntagma
7:12
00:12
Arrival
at the airport
6:35
23:36
Arrival
at Monastiraki
7:14
00:14
Frequency
for lines 2 & 3
(in minutes)
Day
Date
Period
Time
Period
05:30
06:00
06:00
09:00
09:00
17:30
17:30
22:00
22:00
00:30
Monday
to Friday
09/07-28/07
10
5
5
7
10
29-07-12/08
10
7
7
7
10
13/08-19/08
10
10
10
10
10
20/08-26/08
10
7
7
7
7
27/08-02/09
10
5
5
5
10
Saturday
09/07-28/07
10
10
7
10
10
29-07-19/08
10
10
10
10
10
26/08-19/08
10
10
7
10
10
Sunday
09/07-28/07
10
10
7
10
10
29/07-19/08
10
10
10
10
10
20/08-02/09
10
10
7
10
10
Athens metro map
The
metro map of Athens is pretty easy. Nevertheless, it is good to
know which line you have to take to get to a certain station.
Clicking on the map below will lead you to the full size map that
you can download.
This
is an acronym meaning "Injury Rehabilitation Center".
KAT is a big hospital near the metro station.
Neraziotissa
The
name of an old church situated to the north of this metro
station.
Irini
Meaning
"Peace". There is no real local origin for this name.
Agios
Nikolaos
Named
after the nearby church dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
Attiki
Comes
from Plateia Attikis or Attiki Square. Attica is the official
name for the prefecture Athens is situated in.
Victoria
Named
after Victoria Square that is above this metro staton.
The square is named after Queen Victoria of England.
Omonia
The
metro station has the name of the square that is over
it. Omonia means "Concorde".
Thissio
Named
after an ancient temple that used to be in the area and
that was dedicated to Thisseas.
Line
2 - Red line
Agios
Antonios
Named
after the nearby church dedicated to Saint Anthony.
Omonia
See
line 1
Larissa
Station
This
is the main station for trains to Thessaloniki (also known
as Salonica). At the time the name was given to the train
stations, Thessaloniki was still under Turkish rule and
trains only went as far as Larissa.
Metaxourghio
meaning
"Silk workshop". The actual workshop disappeared long
ago but the area is stillnamed after it.
Panepistimio
Greek
for "University". The main buildings of the National and
Capodistrian University of Athens are just outside the
metro station.
Syntagma
In
Greek, "syntagma" means "constitution". The metro stations
name comes from a protest which took place on 3 September
1843 when a group led by General Ioannis Makriyiannis
sat in the Royal Palace, now the Parliament, and demanded
from King Otto I to compose a constitution for Greece.
They were successful and the square in front of the Palace
was named "Constitution Square".
Akropoli
Greek
for "Acropolis". This station is the closed to the holy
rock.
Sygrou-fix
Sygrou
Avenue is the avenue connecting Syntagma with Phaleron.
The avenue is dedicated to businessman Andreas Sygros.
Fix is the name of an old brewing company which has been
closed for years. The brewery now stands in a derelict
state in Sygrou Avenue. Part of it was demolished during
construction of the metro but the remaining part is to
be re-developed into an interchange station containing
bus and metro stations, a multi-storey car park and shops.
Agios
Ioannis
named
after the nearby church dedicated to Saint John.
Line
3 - Blue line
Evangelismos
Named
after a nearby Evangelismos hospital.
Megaro
Moussikis
Greek
for "music hall" which is close to the metro station.
It is possible a mistake has been made in the name of
this station as the word "music" is not spelled with a
double s in any language.
Panormou
Named
after Panormou Avenue which runs between the Ambelokipi
and Panormou stations.
Katehaki
Again
named after an avenue which runs from just west of Katehaki
station to Vyronas, a suburb in east Athens.
Ethniki
Amyna
Greek
for National Defence. The Ministry of Defence, known as
the Pentagon, is outside the station.
All
other stations are named after the areas they serve.
Athens's
metro is a 135 km network serving 45 stations, recently extended
thanks to the games, which will grow by 23 kilometers - 12 stations
by 2009 and by 20,8 more kilometers (16 more stations) by 2012.
The
reduced travel ticket is valid for:
Airport
to Athens center by metro (suburban
rail)
• Athens International Airport
