There are several options for getting from the Athens airport to downtown but some are better than others. Most hotels do not provide transfers from the airport to Athens, but it’s worth asking. Renting a car is not necessary if you’re only planning to do sightseeing within the city. Athens sights are easily accessible by foot, taxi and Metro. For a foreigner, traffic and street signs are difficult in downtown Athens. Parking does not seem too difficult however.
That said, there are basically three options to transfer: taxis, buses and the Metro. Taxis queue outside the terminal. It’s worthwhile to have your hotel name and address written in Greek. While taxis run the meter (ask them to reset it when getting in), the charge can still vary significantly.
The Metro is quite easy to use and the charge is consistent. The train station is connected to the airport, but does require going up a level from arrivals (by elevator) and crossing over a pedestrian bridge. (The taxi stand is closer to the arrivals area.) Tickets can be purchased from a kiosk or a person at the desk in the station. One way is 6 Euros per person. There are discounts for every additional person in your party. For instance, if you select two tickets, it’s only 10 Euros, for three people, 15 Euros. On Sundays until 2pm, the train is free to all users. Use Metro Line 3.
In front of the Airport there is a public transport express bus station, convenient especially for those traveling further from Athens. There are 5 different lines and for those who are trying to catch a bus (KTEL, regular regional bus lines throughout Greece) X93 line is driving directly to Kifissos main bus station for Eur =3,60 per person and it takes approximately 45 min to 1 hour to get there.
It is very clean and new, a result of the Olympics. Stops are well marked and announced ahead of time. The time between the Monastiraki station (one of the primary downtown stations, near the Parthenon) and the airport is approximately 45 minutes. There is an escalator to the street level.
For additional information about all the options, see the following English site:
Athens airport transportation maps
