Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
MIND YOUR STEP!
Athens' tra
c is chaotic, but generally observant of tra
c signals, so stick to of
cial crossings
when you cross the road. If anything,
pedestrian streets
are more hazardous, as while these
are generally free of cars, they are by no means tra
c-free - mopeds and motorbikes see them
as their property too. Potholed
pavements
are an additional danger - where cars parked on
them don't force you to walk in the road.
intercity 4hr 30min) via Lárissa (4hr 30min/3hr 20min); Thíva
(Thebes; 10 daily; 1hr); Vólos (1 direct daily; 4hr 35min).
leave from the port of Pireás, but there are also smaller
ferry terminals at Rafína and Lávrio.
BY BUS
Athens has two principal bus terminals, at Kifissoú 100 and
Liossíon 260, and a smaller terminus of Mavrommatéon.
International buses use a variety of stops, most commonly
Kifissoú 100 or the train station.
Kifissoú 100
Northwest of the centre, this station serves
routes to northern Greece, and the Peloponnese Bus #051
runs very frequently from here to the corner of Zínonos and
Menándhrou, just off Omónia square.
Destinations
Árgos (hourly; 2hr); Árta (8 daily; 5hr 30min);
Corfu (3 daily; 9hr 30min); Igoumenítsa (4 daily; 7hr 30min);
Ioánnina (8 daily; 7hr); Kalamáta (12 daily; 4hr); Kefaloniá
(3-4 daily; 7hr); Kórinthos (hourly; 1hr); Lefkádha (4 daily;
5hr 30min); Mycenae/Náfplio (hourly; 2hr 30min); Olympia
(2 daily; 5hr 30min); Pátra (every 30min; 3hr); Pýlos (2 daily;
5hr 30min); Pýrgos (9 daily; 5hr); Spárti (11 daily; 4hr);
Thessaloníki (12 daily; 6hr 30min); Trípoli (15 daily; 2hr
15min); Zákynthos (4 daily; 6hr).
Liossíon 260
Slightly further out to the north of Kifissoú
100, this station generally serves routes to central Greece.
Bus #024 runs right through the centre to Omónia,
Sýndagma and on past metro Akrópoli.
Destinations
Áyios Konstandínos (hourly; 2hr 30min);
Delphi (6-8 daily; 3hr); Halkídha (every 30min; 1hr
15min); Karpeníssi (3 daily; 4hr 30min); Kými, for Skýros
ferries (1 daily, connecting with ferry; 5hr); Lamía (hourly;
3hr 15min); Lárissa (7-9 daily; 4hr 30min); Thiva/Thebes
(hourly; 1hr 30min); Tríkala (6 daily; 4hr 30min); Vólos
(10-12 daily; 4hr 30min).
Mavrommatéon
If you're travelling within the state of
Attica - for example from the ports at Lávrio or Rafína - you'll
arrive at this terminus at the southwest corner of the Pedhíon
Áreos Park. This is very close to Viktorías metro, or there are
dozens of buses heading down Patissíon (aka 28 Oktovríou)
past the National Archeological Museum towards the centre.
Destinations
Lávrio (half-hourly 5.45am-6.45pm, less
frequent until 10.30pm; 1hr 30min); Marathon (every
30min; 1hr 20min); Pórto Ráfti (hourly; 1hr 30min); Rafína
(every 30min; 1hr); Soúnio via the coast (hourly on the
half-hour; 2hr) or inland route (via Lávrio; 1hr 45min).
PIREÁS
Hundreds of ferries leave Pireás daily, so it's perhaps not
surprising that a comprehensive list is hard to find: even
the tourist office simply look up individual queries online
(at
W
openseas.gr).
Buying tickets
There's no need to buy tickets for
conventional ferries before you get here, unless you want a
berth in a cabin or are taking a car on board; during Greek
holidays (August and Easter especially) these can be hard to
get and it's worth booking in advance - the big companies
have online booking. Flying Dolphin hydrofoil reservations are
also a good idea at busy times, especially Friday night/
Saturday morning out of Athens, and Sunday evening coming
back. In general, though, the best plan is simply to get to
Pireás early and check with some of the dozens of shipping
agents around the metro station and along the quayside
Platía Karaïskáki (there are plenty of agents in central Athens
too). Most of these act only for particular lines, so for a full
picture you will need to ask at three or four outlets.
Departure points
Boats for different destinations leave
from a variety of points around the main harbour: it can be
helpful to know the gate number, though these are
primarily for drivers. Free, airport-style buses run from gate
E5, near the metro, as far as E1, for the big ferries to Crete,
the Dodecanese and the northwest. The main gates and
departure points are marked on our map, but always check
with the ticket agent as on any given day a ferry may dock in
an unexpected spot. They all display signs showing their
destination and departure time; you can't buy tickets on the
boat, but there's usually a ticket hut on the quayside nearby.
PIREÁS TRANSPORT
The easiest way to travel between the port and central
Athens is on metro line 1; the journey takes about 20min
from Omónia. Alternatively, there are buses: #40 (about
every 10min from 5am-midnight; hourly 1-5am) runs to
and from Sýndagma, while #49 from Omónia (roughly
every 15min from 5am-midnight; hourly 1-5am) will
drop you slightly closer to the ferries. Both are very slow,
however - allow an hour to be safe. From the airport, you
can take express bus #X96 (around 1hr 20min). Taxis cost
about €10 at day tariff from the centre of Athens. It can be
hard to get a taxi amid the throng disgorging from a ferry.
BY FERRY
The vast majority of ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans
