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  The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece

Getting around in Athens



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. The enormous tunnel boring machine

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.

Photo gallery Photos of the Athens metro Top


Metro tickets city transport

Fast, safe and comfortableAthens'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.

Clean, modern and safe metro stationsThe 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.... Top

Airport suburban rail 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:

The new suburban train • 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. Top


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 €
Top


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
Top


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.

Metro map
Click to enlarge


Extensions under construction

Metro map
Click to enlarge


Line
Extensions under construction
Length
Stations
Completion
Kilometers
Miles
3
Monastiraki-Egaleo-Haidari
5,8
3.6
Haidari
2007-2008
2
Aghios Antonios-Anthoupoli
1,5
0.93
Peristeri, Anthoupoli
2008
3
Holargos, Nomismatokopio, Aghia Paraskevi
-
-
Holargos, Nomismatokopio, Aghia Paraskevi
2007-2008
2
Aghios Dimitrios-Alexandros Panagoulis-Helliniko
5,5
3.41
Ilioupoli, Alimos, Argyroupoli
2009
3
Haidari-Piraeus-Evangelistria
8,1
5.03
Haidari, Aghia Varvara, Korydallos, Nikea, Tambouria, Dim. Theatro, Evangelistria
2013
Top


The origin of the metro station names

Metro station
Station name origin
Line 1 - Green line
KAT
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. 
Top

   

 
  GETTING AROUND IN ATHENS
  ATHENS METRO Update
    Metro and archaeology
    Metro tickets city transport
    Airport to center by metro
    Metro tickets to and from
    the airport
    Metro time tables to and from
    the airport
    Athens metro map
    Athens metro extentions
    Athens metro station names
  ATHENS CITY BUSES
  ATHENS TRAM
  ATHENS TAXIS
  GREEK LONG
  DISTANCE BUS TIMETABLES
  DISTANCE BETWEEN
  GREEK CITIES
  FERRIES TO GREEK ISLANDS

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