Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) sits about 33 kilometres east of the city centre, and the transfer into town is refreshingly simple: one metro line, two round-the-clock express buses, a suburban train and an official flat-rate taxi. Which one you choose depends on when you land, how much luggage you carry and whether you are headed for the centre or straight to a ferry at Piraeus. Here is the whole picture.
The metro: Line 3 straight into the heart of Athens
Metro Line 3 is the default answer for most arrivals. Trains leave from the station attached to the terminal (follow the signs across the pedestrian bridge) and run direct to Syntagma Square in about 40 minutes, then onward through the centre and all the way to Piraeus. Airport trains run roughly every 30 minutes from about 6:30 to 23:30.
The airport ticket costs around 9 EUR one way, with discounts for return trips and small groups, and it covers onward transfers within the network. The carriages have luggage racks, and stops at Syntagma and Monastiraki put you within walking distance of most central hotels, with the Acropolis itself a short stroll from either. The only real drawbacks: it does not run overnight, and trains can be crowded at rush hour with a big suitcase.
The 24-hour express buses: X95 and X96
The express buses are the budget workhorses, and their superpower is that they run 24 hours a day, every day. The flat fare is around 5.50 EUR, tickets are sold at the booth or machines by the stops outside arrivals, and the two routes that matter to travellers are:
- X95 to Syntagma Square, the city centre, taking roughly 60 minutes depending on traffic.
- X96 to Piraeus port, taking roughly 60 to 90 minutes along the coast.
There is also the X93 to the intercity (KTEL) bus terminals and the X97 to Elliniko metro station. For a landing at 2 in the morning, the bus is the honest alternative to a night-rate taxi, and for an early ferry the overnight X96 is a classic budget move.
Taxis and ride-hailing: the flat rate
Official taxis wait in a marshalled rank outside arrivals, and the trip to the central Athens zone runs on a legal flat rate: around 40 EUR by day and around 55 EUR at night (midnight to 5:00), with tolls and luggage included. Confirm “flat rate to the centre” before you set off, and you will have a predictable, no-drama ride of 35 to 50 minutes to your hotel door.
Ride-hailing apps operate in Athens and dispatch licensed taxis (not private cars) at broadly similar prices, which some travellers prefer for the in-app route and receipt. For groups of three or four with luggage, a taxi often beats the combined cost and effort of public transport, which is worth remembering when you split the fare.
The suburban railway: for train connections
The suburban railway (Proastiakos) shares the airport station with the metro and runs to Athens central railway station, the hub for intercity trains north to Thessaloniki and towards the Peloponnese. If your plan is to land and immediately catch a long-distance train, it is the connection you want. For the city centre itself, the metro is usually more direct; for Piraeus, take Line 3 or the X96 rather than transferring between trains.
Land late? Sleep smartA hotel near Syntagma or Piraeus turns a midnight arrival or a dawn ferry into an easy morningStraight to Piraeus for a ferry
Plenty of travellers skip Athens on arrival and head directly for the islands. You have two direct public links from the airport to Piraeus: Metro Line 3 (about 55 minutes, during metro hours) and the X96 bus (24 hours, 60 to 90 minutes). Piraeus is a big, busy port, so aim to arrive at least an hour before your ferry and check which gate your boat leaves from, as the gates stretch over a long waterfront. If your ferry sails at 7:00, the safest patterns are the overnight X96 or, better, a night in a Piraeus hotel; the island hopping guide covers how the ferry system itself works.
Which option for which traveller
| You are… | Best option | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Solo or a couple, daytime arrival, central hotel | Metro Line 3 | ~9 EUR each |
| On a tight budget, any hour | X95 bus to Syntagma | ~5.50 EUR |
| Heading straight to a ferry | X96 bus or Line 3 to Piraeus | ~5.50 to 9 EUR |
| Landing after midnight, tired | Flat-rate taxi | ~55 EUR |
| A group of 3 or 4 with luggage | Flat-rate taxi, fare split | ~40 EUR total by day |
| Connecting to an intercity train | Suburban railway | ~9 EUR |
| Driving out to the mainland sights | Rental car from the airport | varies |
A few arrival tips
The fares quoted here were the published ones at the time of writing and are reviewed periodically, so confirm them on the airport or transport operator’s site before you budget to the euro. Buy metro or bus tickets before boarding and validate where required; inspections happen and fines are steep. Withdraw a little cash from a bank-branded ATM in arrivals rather than the high-fee exchange desks. If your accommodation is in Plaka, Monastiraki, Koukaki or around Syntagma, the metro drops you closer than a bus will. And if this is the start of a longer Greek adventure, the first-timer guide covers how to stitch Athens and the islands together from here.
Once you are in the city
Two things belong on the phone before the transfer, not after.
The route ahead, because Athens is usually the start of a longer trip rather than the whole of it; our two-week Greece itinerary sets out how the mainland and the islands fit together without a ferry day in the wrong place.
And the emergency numbers, which take thirty seconds to save and are worth having before the first taxi rather than after it; our guide to emergency numbers in Greece lists them.
The short version
Take Metro Line 3 to the centre by day, the X95 or X96 if you land at night or want the cheapest seat, and the flat-rate taxi (about 40 EUR day, 55 EUR night) when comfort wins. Going straight to the islands, ride Line 3 or the X96 to Piraeus with time to spare. Every option is simple, signposted in English and runs like clockwork by Greek standards, which makes this one airport transfer you can genuinely stop worrying about.
