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Greece

Athens

Ancient and modern layers meet beneath the Acropolis. Three metro lines link most of the big sights.

Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" (ATH)

Tickets bought in town do not reach the airport - Line 3 cover ends at Koropi, and the last leg needs its own airport ticket. Airport metro trains run 06:10-23:34 only; overnight, it is the 24-hour Express bus or a taxi.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Let the clock choose metro or bus
    Line 3 runs straight to Syntagma every 36 minutes; outside its hours, take an Express bus instead.
  2. 2
    Buy an airport ticket, or have your card ready
    With a Visa or Mastercard just tap; otherwise buy an airport ticket at the airport metro station or the Express Bus area.
  3. 3
    On the metro, tap on the way out too
    Tap at the gate going in and coming out - the suburban railway too - always with the same ticket or card.
  4. 4
    On the bus, tap as you board
    Tap once on the blue validator as you board an Express bus; on runs to the airport you cannot get off en route.
  5. 5
    Take a taxi from the arrivals rank
    The taxi rank is at Exit 3 on the arrivals level; ride-hailing pick-ups are opposite Exit 4.

Fares

Single fares5

Metro airport ticket (one way)
90 minutes from your first tap, with onward city transfers and the suburban railway included.
9 EUR ≈ $10
Metro airport ticket (return)
One journey each way, valid for 30 days - long enough to cover both ends of a normal trip.
16 EUR ≈ $18
Airport Express bus ticket (X93/X95/X96/X97)
Good for one single journey with no onward transfers, and not valid on the metro or the X80.
5.5 EUR ≈ $6
Metro airport ticket from/to Pallini, Kantza and Koropi
The cheaper fare for the three stations nearest the airport; not valid on the Express buses or the X80.
5.5 EUR ≈ $6
Regulated flat taxi fare (airport to city centre)
€40 by day, €55 from 00:00-05:00, all surcharges included; covers the city-centre inner ring.
40〜55 EUR ≈ $45–62

Passes & multi-ride1

3-day tourist ticket
3 x 24 hours of unlimited travel, plus one airport trip each way (metro or Express bus) and the X80.
20 EUR ≈ $22

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardDiscoverDinersJCBMaestroAmex銀聯
Tap straight at the gate or on board; one card per passenger, no bundling
IC card
Airport tickets load onto an Ath.ena ticket or card
App tickets
Paper tickets
Sold at the airport metro station and the Express Bus departure area
Cash
Machines take notes and cards; cash is no use at the gate itself

Quick facts

Hours
Metro 6:10-23:34; buses 24h
Frequency
Airport metro every 36 min
Fares from
9 EUR+

Heads-up

  • Saturday all-night metro excludes the airport

    On the Saturdays when the metro runs all night, the trains to and from the airport are explicitly left out of that all-night service. For an overnight run to the airport, take a 24-hour Express bus or a taxi.

  • No hopping on or off the airport Express midway

    The airport Express buses are not ordinary city buses - you cannot get off at intermediate stops on the way to the airport, and you cannot board at intermediate stops on the way out of it. The restriction applies at all hours, so do not plan to hop off partway.

Timetable

Operating hours Metro 6:10-23:34; buses 24h
Typical duration Airport to Syntagma is about 40 minutes by metro or 60 by the X95 bus; Piraeus port is about 60 minutes by metro
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka