Getting around the city, and which apps to install
A 90-minute Athens ticket covering metro, bus, trolley and tram is EUR 1.20, and contactless Tap2Ride now caps your spending at EUR 4.10 a day. None of it covers the airport, which is priced separately.
- A 90-minute Athens ticket is EUR 1.20 and covers metro, buses, trolleybuses and trams with transfers; a 24-hour ticket is EUR 4.10.
- None of those are valid on the airport services, which are priced separately at EUR 9 for the metro and EUR 5.50 for the express bus.
- Tap2Ride caps your spending at EUR 4.10 a day - tap a contactless card, phone or watch on the yellow reader, and from the fourth journey the day is free.
- Validate on the yellow reader at every boarding, buses included. Inspectors are active and the fine is many times the fare.
- Ferries are cancelled outright when the summer meltemi wind gets up, so leave a buffer day before an international flight home.
Athens has one integrated fare, and the airport is deliberately outside it.
- Athens: Metro, buses, trolleybuses and trams share one integrated OASA fare. A 90-minute ticket costs EUR 1.20 and allows transfers; a 24-hour ticket is EUR 4.10 and a 5-day ticket EUR 8.20. None of these are valid on the airport services, which are priced separately at EUR 9 (metro) and EUR 5.50 (express bus).
- Paying: You can still buy a paper ATH.ENA Ticket or a plastic ATH.ENA Card from the machines at metro and tram stations, but the simpler route is Tap2Ride - tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch on the yellow reader. Daily spending caps at EUR 4.10, so from the fourth journey onwards the day is free. Validate on the yellow reader at every boarding, buses included; inspectors are active and the fine is many times the fare.
- The 3-day tourist ticket at EUR 20 is the exception that does include the airport - one journey in and one out - and it pays for itself only if you would otherwise buy both airport tickets.
- Thessaloniki opened its metro in 2024; it uses its own contactless ticketing, and city buses are run by OASTH.
- Ferries: Book ahead in July and August. Sailings are cancelled outright when the summer meltemi wind gets up, so leave a buffer day before an international flight home.
Apps and platforms
OASA Telematics for live bus arrivals in Athens, FreeNow and Uber to call a licensed taxi, and the EU Travel to Europe app if you want to pre-fill your EES details.
- OASA Telematics - https://www.oasa.gr - Official Athens transport app with live bus and trolley arrivals.
- FreeNow - https://www.free-now.com/gr/ - Calls a licensed taxi and pays by card.
- Uber - https://www.uber.com/ - Dispatches licensed yellow taxis in Athens; there is no cheaper tier in Greece.
- Bolt - https://bolt.eu/ - Ride-hailing and e-scooters.
- ATH.ENA Card portal - https://www.athenacard.gr - The Athens electronic fare system.
- Travel to Europe - https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees/Travel-to-Europe-mobile-app - Official EU app for entering your EES details up to 72 hours before departure.
- Moovit / Google Maps - Route planning across metro, bus and tram.
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