Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
when you get in). Short trips around central Athens cost around €5. Taxi services include
Athina 1
(
210 921 2800)
,
Enotita
(
18388)
and
Parthenon
(
210 532 3000)
. Costs:
»
flag fall €1.19
»
ports, train and bus station surcharge €1.07
»
airport surcharge €3.79
»
day rate (tariff 1 on the meter) €0.68 per km
»
night rate (tariff 2 on the meter) €1.19 per km (midnight to 5am)
»
baggage €0.40 per item over 10kg
»
holiday tariff (Easter and Christmas) €1 to €2
»
minimum fare €3.16
»
booking a radio taxi €1.88
ATHENS PORTS
TOP OF CHAPTER
PiraeusΠειραιάς
POP 163,910
The highlights of Greece's main port and ferry hub, Piraeus, are the otherworldly rows of
ferries, ships and hydrofoils filling its seemingly endless quays. Piraeus, 10km southwest
of central Athens, is the biggest port in the Mediterranean (with more than 20 million
passengers passing through annually), the hub of the Aegean ferry network, the centre of
Greece's maritime trade and the base for its large merchant navy. While technically a
separate city, these days Piraeus virtually melds into the urban sprawl of Athens.
Central Piraeus is not a place where visitors choose to linger because it's congested
with traffic. Beyond its shipping offices, banks and public buildings, you find a jumble of
pedestrian precincts, shopping strips and rather grungy areas. The most attractive quarter
lies to the east around
Zea Marina
and touristy
Mikrolimano
harbour, which is lined with
cafes, restaurants and bars.
Piraeus has been the port of Athens since classical times, when Themistocles trans-
ferred his Athenian fleet from the exposed port of Phaleron (modern Faliro) to the secur-
ity of Piraeus in the 5th century BC. It was eventually overtaken by other ports, and dur-
ing medieval and Turkish times, it diminished into a tiny fishing village. Its resurgence
began in 1834 when Athens became the capital of independent Greece. To kill time, visit
210 452 1598; Harilaou
Trikoupi 31; admission €3;
8.30am-3pm Tue-Sun)
with its magnificent statue of Apollo, or
