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Three-day ticket for unlimited tourist travel in Athens

June 29, 2009 at 17:30 ·

athensbusScreen capture from ETHEL.gr

Planning to spend a few days sightseeing in Athens?

The three-day 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. No all-inclusive ticket has been introduced to replace it, and unfortunately there are no plans to bring it back. I will update if that changes.

Forums and other sources on Greece claiming it is still available are outdated. Be careful who you trust for accurate information.

Your current options are:

Athens, in-city transport
Single tickets for all modes, 90-minute validity, one direction: €1.40
One-day ticket, all modes: €4.00
One-week ticket, all modes: €14.00

There is also a single ticket for €1.20, but it’s only good on city buses, trolleys and the tram and is limited to one ride in one direction and no transfers.

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

*Article last updated February 1, 2011.

Original article

*For informational and archival purposes only.

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 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”

More locations to be added as the program becomes more widespread.

validate
© Copyrighted image from Greece: Instructions for Use

How to use it

As with all public transport tickets, the three-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 countdown begins once the ticket is stamped, and there is no need to validate it again.

All passengers must have their tickets handy for random checks by agents. Those who cannot show a valid ticket will be requested to disembark and receive a fine.

Need more information?

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

“Από 1η Ιουλίου το νέο τριήμερο τουριστικό εισιτήριο του ΟΑΣΑ”
“Organismos Astikon Sygkoinonion Athinon/Athens Urban Transport Authority“


Validation machine from my personal collection

http://bit.ly/ATHticket

9 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.

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