Whereas it needed many years for subway service to come to Athens, the wait was well worth it. 20 years ago, Athens’ Metro came with a bang, exceeding the expectations of the locals, who have since made it part of their daily routine.
Athens metro lines and general info
Athens Metro system is consisted of 3 lines, which are known mostly by their colors and connect to the tram, bus routes, and suburban railway.
Line 1-The green line goes all the way from Piraeus to Kifissia with its most popular stations being Monastiraki, Thissio and Omonia.
Line 2-The red line runs from Anthoupoli to Elliniko and includes the most popular stations: ‘Acropolis’, ‘Syntagma’, ‘Panepistimio’, and ‘Omonia’
Line 3-The blue line is the one for the Athens International Airport, as it passes by the ‘Syntagma’ and ‘Monastiraki’ stations before terminating at ‘Agia Marina’.
What time does the Athens metro stop running?
The metro runs every day from 5:30 am to 12:30 am. However, on Fridays and Saturdays, lines 2 and 3 run until 2:30 am to serve the partygoers! The frequency of the metro is thankfully high all the time and during peak hours, the trains run every 2-3 minutes. That’s good news for commuters and visitors to the city.
Athens’ Metro Tickets
The ticketing system for Athens’ public transportation underwent a drastic revamp just a couple of years ago, bringing it to the digital times. Today, all means of public transport have replaced the typical paper ticket with electronic tickets or paper and plastic cards. Once you’ve decided to visit Athens, you have three types of tickets to choose from when you need to catch a bus. Below you will find information about each ticket.
The Ath.ena ticket
The Athena ticket is a paper ticket that can be used for anything, from a 90-minute ticket to a 5-day ticket and is rechargeable. You can buy it at any metro station or ticket office as well as in the automatic ticket machines.
The Anonymous Athena Card
An Anonymous Athena Card is rechargeable and can be as well used for any ticket you might need. For travelers and visitors of Athens, the Anonymous Athena Card is the most useful choice, because it is also valid for airport transfers, as well as the 3-day tourist ticket that includes airport transfers. However, you cannot purchase the Anonymous Athena Card from an automatic ticket machine, but you can get one at a ticket office in any metro station. You can also recharge it anywhere you like – automatic ticket issuing machines included.
The Personal Athena Card
The Personal Athena Card is designed for people who spend a lot of time in Athens. The biggest difference between the Personal and the Anonymous card is that the first one has your photo on it. If you want a Personal card, you need to visit an Athens Transport Ticket office with your Greek ID card or, if you are a foreigner, with your passport. If you are eligible for a half-price ticket, you’ll have to issue a personal Athena card. Alternatively, you can buy half price plain Athena tickets exclusively at all suburban railway stations. We promise this is way easier than it seems! However, if you find any trouble purchasing your ticket or deciding which one to go for, just ask the metro staff for help and they’ll help you out!
