Living in Greece

A practical guide to moving, living, working & traveling in Greece, plus musing and misadventures from an American in Athens
Public Transportation > Tourist ticket for unlimited travel in Athens

Tourist ticket for unlimited travel in Athens

June 29, 2009 at 17:30 ·


Athens airport station — Photo by Trowbridge Estate

Planning to spend a few days sightseeing in Athens?

Tourists may opt for an all-inclusive ticket, which has been relaunched and repriced for 2013.

  • 3 days tourist ticket for 20 euros
  • 7 days airport ticket for 50 euros (not called ‘tourist ticket’ as of August 2013)

There are no discounted tickets for children, students, seniors, families or other special groups.

*Article last updated April 5, 2015. Major update on April 18, 2013 with info from Athens Transport.

What tickets include

Each ticket is valid for:

  • One round-trip (return trip) to/from the Athens airport by metro or express ‘X’ bus;
    and
  • Unlimited in-city travel on all lines of the metro/ISAP (1, 2, 3 or red/blue/green), suburban railway/proastiakos, tram, trolley and bus.

All travel must be completed before the ticket expires.

*Excludes suburban railway/proastiakos stations west of Magoula.
**Excludes bus X80.

Where to buy

Tickets are available at the Athens airport metro station, as most people interested in purchasing this ticket will arrive and depart via Eleftherios Venizelos International.

They are also sold at Athens metro stations: Syntagma, Omonia, Akropoli, Thiseio, Monastiraki and Piraeus as of August 2013.

validate
© Copyrighted image from Greece: Instructions for Use

How to use

As with all public transport tickets, the three-day and seven-day ticket must be validated in a brightly colored machine at the entrance or platform of the metro, suburban railway or tram, or upon boarding a bus or trolley. The 72-hour or 168-hour countdown begins once the ticket is stamped, and there is no need to validate it again.

Passengers must keep tickets handy for random checks by agents. Those who cannot show a valid ticket will be requested to disembark and receive a fine. Immediate payment, or payment within 10 days at the relevant office, cuts the fine in half.

Price of other Athens transport tickets

To determine if this tourist ticket is a cost-effective options, estimate and multiply the number of rides by normal prices (below) to compare.

Athens, in-city transport
Single ticket for all modes, 9070-minute validity, one direction: €1.20*
One-day ticket, all modes: €4.00
Five-day ticket, all modes: €10.00
One-week ticket, all modes: €14.00

The single ticket for €1.20 and valid  for one ride in one direction on one mode via city bus, trolley or tram was discontinued on September 1, 2014. If you still have a few, they’re valid until March 31, 2015.

*Buy a pack of 10, get one free as of January 1, 2013

Athens airport transport
Express ‘X’ buses: €5.00 one way
Metro: €8.00 one way, €14.00 return/round-trip (valid for 7 days); €14.00 one-way, two people; €20.00 one way, three people
Suburban railway/proastiakos: €8.00 one way, €14.00 return/round-trip

For many travelers, this ticket does not present an obvious cost savings or convenience due to its small discount and limitations.

The transport authority announced the comeback and price of tickets on December 5, 2012 before they were for sale; made it appear as if they were “new” in August, though they had been for sale since January; and has done little to promote them or inform the public.

Previous to 2013

*For informational and archival purposes only.

A tourist ticket for unlimited travel on all modes of Athens transport including the Athens airport is no longer available as of February 1, 2011 due to ticket fare increases and the discontinuation of Athens Sightseeing Bus 400 on June 1, 2010.

Tourists and residents can purchase a three-day ticket for only 15 euros, which is valid for unlimited travel in Athens on the suburban railway (proastiakos), metro, and ‘X’ buses to/from the airport, the Athens Sightseeing Bus in the city center (line 400) and all lines of the metro, tram, trolley and bus.

A three-day ticket is perfect for those who plan to see the town and may be on their way to another destination within Greece, or are coming from a Greek island by ferry and want to spend a couple of days in Athens before heading to the airport.

The normal 24-hour (€3) and weekly tickets (€10) do not include the Athens Sightseeing Bus (€5) or transport to/from the airport (round trip €6.40-12.00). So the three-day ticket is versatile and convenient but may no longer be cost-efficient now that the Athens Sightseeing Bus 400 has been permanently discontinued as of June 1, 2010. It depends on your needs.

Where to buy tickets

Tickets are available at locations where visitors to Athens are most likely to begin their travels, including:

1. Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport of Athens: Airport ‘X’ buses or nearby kiosk

2. Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) Stations, “Larissis” and “Piraeus”

3. Athens Metro Station “Syntagma”

4. Athens Metro Stations (Green Line or ISAP) “Piraeus” and “Omonia”

The Athens Urban Transport Authority is distributing brochures from four information stands in the Arrivals Hall of the Athens airport and a booth in suburban railway stations, where tourists are most likely to start their travels in Athens.

Related posts

“KTEL buses of Greece”
“10 tips for flying with Olympic Airlines”
“Live your myth in Greece 2008”

Sources

“Eleven tickets for the price of 10 as of January 1” — Athens Transport
“Τουριστικό εισιτήριο 3 και 7 ημερών από τον ΟΑΣΑ” — To Vima
“Flat fare tickets” — STASY
“Τουριστικά εισιτήρια για μετακινήσεις στην Αθήνα” — Athens Transport
“Από 1η Ιουλίου το νέο τριήμερο τουριστικό εισιτήριο του ΟΑΣΑ”
“Organismos Astikon Sygkoinonion Athinon/Athens Urban Transport Authority”

http://bit.ly/ATHticket

39 Comments »

  Demetris wrote @ June 29th, 2009 at 22:25

Something smart for a change. From my own experience using public transportation in Athens has been mostly decent. I do feel that buying tickets for first-timers who land in Eleftherios Venizelos should be made easier to understand. There always seem to be confused tourists milling around the ticket booths where the buses leave from the airport. Same goes for Syntagma. I find I’m always having to help a tourist get on the right bus or tram who wants to get to the beach etc. I certainly don’t have a problem helping out these folks but it does show that certain things still need to be ironed to make the experience more pleasurable for tourists.

Kat Reply:
June 30th, 2009 at 00:10

I’m a big supporter of public transport, so this ticket makes a lot of sense. It simplifies things greatly and offers good value. However, I agree that it could be easier to understand, starting with KTEL making schedules and maps more available for free, and OASA maps a bit easier to understand also. It did get better after Athens 2004, so just think how it was before that.

  rositta wrote @ June 30th, 2009 at 02:45

What a great idea. Should make things easier for the tourists that hopefully will come. I heard tourist travel is down just about worldwide this year…ciao

Kat Reply:
June 30th, 2009 at 22:06

The minister of tourism is in denial, saying that the decrease in arrivals to Greece will not reach double digits. But stats for the first six months show at least a 10 percent drop.

  maria v wrote @ July 3rd, 2009 at 18:10

praise the lord
greece is finally doing something right for a change
i guarantee you i will be using this ticket with my family
thanks for letting us know about it

  tobias wrote @ July 4th, 2009 at 00:50

Will this be including Metro fares from and to the airport? They are 6 euros each way. Would be ideal if they were included. Still hoping that the metro will run again to the airport from October on as it quite a bit longer with the bus.

Kat Reply:
July 4th, 2009 at 21:03

It’s good on the metro. The proastiakos is a perfectly good alternative if one does not like the bus.

  tobias wrote @ July 5th, 2009 at 17:15

Thanks for the note, Kat. I did not know that the Proastiakos went to the center. I thought it stays in the peripherals of the city and one can’t avoid the bus. Will check it out though.

Kat Reply:
July 6th, 2009 at 21:59

It can be boarded from the Larisis or Piraeus station in Athens, which are locations listed under “Where to Buy Tickets.” Passengers can easily transfer to/from the metro.

  Aris wrote @ May 14th, 2013 at 14:33

Hey Kat,

I have to say this is one of the best and better informed websites about Greece i have found on the web! Even with all the negative things that are said (rightly in my opinion) you maintain a positive attitude and it really shows that you care for this place.

I stumbled here while searching for the history surrounding Greek VAT and how it has changed over the years (something i couldn’t find ANYWHERE apart from here). You provided me with a clear, concise and accurate account. So i started snooping around the site to see what else i could uncover and have to say i fell in love.

Thus i am writing this comment just to let you know what a great job you are doing. As a Greek having lived here the biggest part of my life and continuing to live and work here till this day, i am fully aware of the time, effort and frustration you have gone through to compile something as neat and organized as this, in our completely unorganized (and yet somehow still afloat) country.

So keep up the good work and if you need any assistance with anything know that you have made another companion on your quest.

Kat Reply:
May 19th, 2013 at 10:14

Hi Aris,

Fell in love? Wow.

This website was born from frustration, and I believe I have a unique perspective/voice as an outsider who became an insider, so I can better anticipate what info people are looking for and how to present it. Also makes it easy to identify plagiarism. :\

I’m honored that you took the time to have a look around, then left a comment to share your thoughts. About 99% of comments are readers asking questions or giving criticism, so it’s refreshing to hear from someone with kind words and no agenda.

Thank you apo tin kardia mou, and hope to see you again :)

  Aileen wrote @ August 3rd, 2013 at 21:11

I travel to Greece with 2 teens and 2 under 8’s. They have to pay half price on the X bus and tram/ metro. Will this new tourist ticket be available for kids..at a cheaper rate??

Kat Reply:
August 4th, 2013 at 07:57

It is currently not available for children at a discounted rate, only the prices listed. If it changes, the article will be updated.

  James wrote @ September 20th, 2013 at 21:05

Your question was moved to, “Greek citizenship by origin, descent or ancestry.”

  deb wrote @ October 12th, 2013 at 08:42

hello, found your site very/most helpful. is there a multi ticket for the sites in greece? just been to rome last week and they have a rome pass that covers transport and sites. thank you deb mcg

Kat Reply:
October 12th, 2013 at 09:48

Hello, it’s a good question. There’s a multi-ticket for Athens sites, which includes entrance to the Acropolis, ancient agora and museum, Roman agora, Kerameikos cemetery and museum, Hadrian’s library, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It is not good for the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, which is 5 euros; I mention this because incorrect info is being disseminated by travel guides and so-called experts.

It costs 12 euros. If you go the Acropolis first, as most people do, this is the only ticket you can purchase and it’s worth it. It is also for sale at all the sites I named in the first paragraph. It does not cover transport, unfortunately.

Having traveled a lot myself, I often purchase a city pass that’s all inclusive. However, Athens and other cities in Greece do not have them available at this time. There’s been discussion, but no action. If it changes, I’ll publish a new article and update the one above.

All best.

  Hend wrote @ November 25th, 2013 at 21:36

I would like to inquire about the 20 euros pass; the round trip to and from the aeroport is included in the price even if the return date is after the 3 days?!
Thank you

Kat Reply:
November 26th, 2013 at 09:50

No. As it says in sections ‘What tickets include’ and ‘How to use,’ the 72-hour countdown begins once the ticket is validated so you must finish all travel before it expires.

  Matthew wrote @ December 22nd, 2013 at 01:45

Me and my wife are planning a trip to Athens Greece. We are looking at hotels and are wondering if the Tourist ticket cover the metro going in and out of Piraeus to Athens? In other words does the tourist ticket cover all metro stations going in and out of Athens?

Kat Reply:
December 22nd, 2013 at 11:26

In section ‘What tickets include,’ it says: “Unlimited in-city travel on all lines of the metro/ISAP (1, 2, 3 or red/blue/green), suburban railway/proastiakos, tram, trolley and bus.”

  Carmen wrote @ February 26th, 2014 at 17:47

Hi, I’m planning to stay in Greece for 7 days, so shall I buy 2 métro tickets? (3 days each) or once we’ve bought one we can recharge it.
Cause I was In London lately & I’ve bought a métro card which was for about 2 days, then I had to refill it. But always instead of paying 4£ which was the normal ticket’s price, it cost me 2£ instead. Is there something similar In Greece?

One last thing pls, you’ve mentioned about a multi-ticket for visiting museums & Accropolis etc……for 12€. Where can we buy such a ticket pls?
Thank you

Kat Reply:
February 28th, 2014 at 11:08

I cannot advise you because I don’t know which forms of transport you’re going to use and how often. If you look in section ‘Prices of other Athens transport tickets,’ you can do the calculations yourself. There is no rechargeable or refillable card, as used in London, NY and Tokyo. All cities of the world work differently.

Information about the multi-ticket for Athens is already given in the answer above on October 12, 2013. It cannot be purchased online.

  YY wrote @ April 17th, 2014 at 19:40

Nice website you have. I have some questions regarding the 3-day tourist ticket,

The 3-day tourist ticket includes unlimited ride of public transport within Athens and also ONE roundtrip to/from airport by either metro or the “X” bus.

If I do airport -> athens with metro, and for my return from athens to airport, can I take the X95 (let’s say) bus instead of metro? Or it need to be the same transport mode for both to and from airport?

Thanks.

Kat Reply:
April 18th, 2014 at 11:32

The use of the word ‘or’ means you can use either the metro or the bus. It need not be the same mode for both directions. This works out better for travelers, especially if one is on strike.

Thank you for your question, and all best.

  Jonatas wrote @ June 7th, 2014 at 20:45

Hi.
If I want to buy the 3 day tourist ticket in 06/10/14 about at 6PM and travelling back in 06/13/14 about 2PM. It´s works for me? Are 72h?
Thanks

Kat Reply:
June 9th, 2014 at 10:42

That’s 72 hours, yes, and would definitely work for you. Have a nice trip, and all best.

P.S. What an interesting name!

  Sarina wrote @ August 10th, 2014 at 02:38

Hi there! First of, brilliant website, it’s so helpful and making my stress of organising my holiday…well, less stressful.

I know you must have been asked this hundreds of times, but I’m now so confused after looking at various websites regarding travel and prices….

I’m flying over with my boyfriend on the 21st Aug to Athens airport, we won’t arrive until 5:30pm and would need to catch the ferry to Aegina before 8pm.

I have planned a special surprise for his birthday in Kifisia so we would need to travel there from Aegina. We will also be hoping to Athens and more during our 2 weeks.

My question is….what would be best for us to purchase in terms of tickets? The unlimited travel ticket? Or are we better to stick to pay as you go method? We’re on a tight budget so we need to carefully plan the trips we’re going to make.

Any advice to help make travel aspect of this holiday would be INCREDIBLY appreciated :)

Kind regards,

Sarina

Kat Reply:
August 11th, 2014 at 14:35

I’d love to help you. However, I cannot definitively answer your question because determining whether the unlimited ticket is a good value depends on several factors: How long you stay, what/which modes of transport you use, and how often you ride.
— If you know all of these factors, then you multiply that by the prices I give above for individual tickets in section ‘Price of other Athens transport tickets’ and compare the total to the cost of the unlimited ticket. If the tourist ticket is lower, then you buy that. If not, it’s best to stick to the pay-as-you-go route.
— If you don’t know, then there’s no way to compare.
Looking at other websites won’t help you figure it out, as I give all the info above. The main issue is: Do you know when/where you’re traveling and how many times? Answers start with you.

If cost were not an issue, another reason to buy the unlimited ticket is convenience. You buy it once, punch it once, and ride until it expires. Nothing further to worry about.

If you’re on a tight budget, I can tell you one thing for sure. Kifissia is NOT a budget place to stay unless you’re staying there for free. The area caters to diplomats and the elite, and everything (food, beverage, rentals, clothes, etc.) is priced accordingly.

All best, and enjoy your trip!

  itzhar wrote @ October 4th, 2014 at 11:49

Dear Sir/Ms,
We are coming to Greece in August 2015 and looking for a cheap “pass” for buses (and if possible boats, metro etc.). we are planning to be in Athens and then to the north.
We are 2 adults and 4 kids .
Thanks in advance,
Itzhar Vardi

Kat Reply:
October 5th, 2014 at 11:02

The only combo bus/metro/trolley/tram ticket is the one above for Athens. Ferries are privately owned and fares are calculated according to distance; therefore, they would never be a part of an all-inclusive transport pass.

  Marty wrote @ October 26th, 2014 at 15:09

Does the 5 day transport pass expire 5 times 24 hours after validation or exactly 120 hours after initial validation?

Kat Reply:
October 26th, 2014 at 22:42

As the article says above, the countdown begins from time of validation. So 5 x 24 hours or 125 hours later.

  Jan wrote @ January 27th, 2015 at 16:11

Hello,
What a helpfull website! I’M visiting Athens May 10th untill 19th .
What would you recomend me to buy a 3day card and a 7day card?
Then I pay double for my airportfare…
Thank you!
Jan
Amsterdam

Kat Reply:
January 28th, 2015 at 20:49

I’d love to help you. But to understand which ticket is best for you, I’d need to know which modes of transport you plan to use and how often. Length of stay isn’t enough to calculate this.

Please see section ‘Price of other Athens Transport tickets’ and do some math on how much you might spend, then compare the total to the tourist tickets to determine which (if any) would be a more cost-effective option.

  miriam wrote @ April 10th, 2015 at 14:25

Hi,

We will stay 5 days in Athens, I would like to know what includes the “5 days ticket” (which cost 10.00 Euros)?

For example: can I go to Piraeus with metro (line 1)? , which buses are included in the deal? etc.

Thank you,
Miriam

Kat Reply:
April 10th, 2015 at 23:42

Please see section ‘What tickets include.’

  Rajeev wrote @ April 21st, 2015 at 17:01

Hi, thanks for nice info. Just wanted your help to know whether the 3 day tourist ticket includes below or not:
1. from airport to Syntagma square by X-95 and back.?
2. Museum entries?
Is there any family card for couples?

Kat Reply:
April 29th, 2015 at 19:10

The section ‘What tickets include’ answers the first two questions.

In the first section, it says there are no discounts for families or other groups. If you’re only buying a ticket for travel to/from the airport, check:
– Athens Transport site for ticket info: http://www.athenstransport.com/english/tickets/
– Athens Airport ticket PDF: http://www.oasa.gr/pdf/tickets_airport.pdf

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