Getting from Athens Airport to the city

The metro, and its two catches

Line 3 (blue) runs from the airport station to Syntagma in about 40 minutes, or Monastiraki a few minutes further.

• The fare is about EUR 9 one way and EUR 16 return. Athens prices the airport separately from the rest of the network, so the ordinary city ticket does not apply and a travelcard usually does not either.
• Trains run roughly every 30 minutes - a long headway by metro standards, so check the departure before you settle in.
• The line closes around midnight, with the last train from the airport at about 23:33 and the first at about 06:33.

That last point is what catches people. A great many flights into Athens land after midnight, and the metro is simply not an option for them.

The X95, which never closes

• About EUR 6, cheaper than the metro.
• Runs 24 hours a day, direct to Syntagma.
• Slower - reckon on an hour or more depending on traffic, and Athens traffic is a real variable.
• It is the default for a night arrival, and knowing it exists is worth more than the fare difference.

Taxis

• Athens sets fixed airport fares rather than leaving the meter to run, with a higher rate between 00:00 and 05:00.
• Agree the fixed fare before setting off and expect a receipt.
• Use the official rank. Anyone approaching you inside the terminal is not the taxi service.