Transportation in Greece
When considering transportation in Greece, first, you need to consider where you are. Although most cities (even the biggest ones) are relatively easy to walk in, in the islands, the villages and the more remote areas, your fastest option might be booking a flight or hopping on a ferry.
Thankfully, Greece has an extensive domestic air network and many ferries that crisscross the Adriatic and the Aegean seas and are available frequently from March to October. There's also the option of buses, but you need to be prepared for delays and unpredictable timetables. Of course, in Athens, you have the convenience of the metro to take you all around the city and to the coast in the south.
Transportation in Athens
Athens is uniquely blessed in the sense that it offers the most transportation options in the whole country. It's the only city in Greece to have a Metro, an urban and suburban railway and a tram network. Although the Metro network, which was upgraded for the Olympic Games of 2004, still consists of just three lines, these lines are ever-expanding, with more stops being added constantly. By 2029, it is hoped that line 4 (started in 2021) will be finished, which will link Marousi and Goudi.
Tickets remain affordable: 1.20 euros for as many rides as you can take within 90 minutes, 4.50 euros for a daily ticket, 5.20 euros for five trips, 9 euros for five days and a special 9.50 euro ticket to go to the airport. The electronic tickets are not yet implemented fully, but you can buy paper tickets from the vending machines placed at every stop, or you can download the TFA tickets mobile app and purchase your tickets online (you may be asked to show your phone screen to a ticket inspector).
Riding the Metro in Athens is usually quite comfortable, as the stations are very clean (no smoking, eating, or drinking allowed), there is air-conditioning, and the stops' names are announced in Greek and English. Plus, while building the Metro system, a lot of ancient relics were unearthed, and they are now being displayed in several stations, making for a very interesting trip. Just be aware that the Metro is unavailable 24 hours: the last trains leave the stations at around 00:30 am (or 01:20 am on Friday and Saturday nights, extended to 2:20 am for the summer calendar), and the service starts again around 5:00 am.
Apart from the Metro, there's also the overground metro, which looks like an electric train, called the Ilektrikos, ηλεκτρικός (which is older and, admittedly, not that as pleasant and as new), but runs across the city connecting the Piraeus port with the northern suburbs). The Ilekrikos is a single line, and you might hear locals refer to it as ‘line one' or the ‘Green line'.
In addition, there is the tram, which connects the southern suburbs such as Alimos or Glyfada and is a great solution if you want to visit the Attica coastline.
Taxis in Greece
Taxis in Greece are everywhere: you will find them even on the most remote island, flocking at the village square. They are very cheap — the minimum fare is 3.47 euros (you will find this will be enough to take you around downtown Athens, for example). In contrast, a flat fee of 38 euros takes you to and from the Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. However, be aware that, after midnight, the price is hiked significantly to 50-55 euros, so it is worth pre-booking a taxi if you know that your flight will be late arriving/departing.
One thing you should be aware of is that the color of the taxis varies depending on where you are: in Athens and several other areas of the country, taxis are yellow, but in Thessaloniki, they're dark blue, and in many other cities in the mainland are grey, white or dark red.
In general, taxis in Greece are safe to use, and there have been zero incidents of fraud or violence, but older taxi drivers may be rude, smoke while driving, and, on occasion, try to scam you to pay more. To be on the safe side, it's better to pick a taxi from a taxi stop (it is usually a yellow sign) or the place where they all gather; they are usually next to big city squares, outside hospitals, or areas with many bars & nightlife. Taxi apps, like Uber and Freenow, allow you to call the nearest driver in your vicinity, and you can pay via the app. Free Now is favored by the locals and has many ride offers and discounts on the app.
Buses and trains in Greece
Again, there is a big difference depending on where you are. Buses and trolley cars in Athens have an extensive network and frequent service lines. In contrast, many stops now feature electronic information display boards with the expected time of arrival in both Greek and English. But as you move further away from the capital, things change: in many islands, for instance, there is only one (quite old) bus that connects the port with the 'chora' and passes every 45 minutes or more, but all information is in Greek.
Nevertheless, bus tickets are cheap in Greece (in Athens, they cost the same as metro tickets and can be used interchangeably), and you can buy them at bus stops or even on board. They have similar service hours with the Metro (they stop after 00:30 and start again around 05:30), but in Athens, a couple of 24-hour buses will take you to and from the airport.
You need a suburban KTEL bus for longer distances — these are usually green nowadays and connect Athens to many towns on the mainland, such as Nafplio. Itineraries are regular, and tickets can be bought onboard. Trains in Greece are not as popular as KTEL buses, although in most cases, the train fare is cheaper than the bus ticket. The most popular train route is from Athens to Thessaloniki, but northern and central Greece is also well-served by the rail network.
Car rental in Greece
When you want to get around, cars can be the best and most secure way to transport yourself in Greece. There are car rental agencies at the airport, as well as in popular places throughout the country and in every port of every Greek island. The main road networks in Greece are modern and in a good state, but the regional roads, especially the island ones, will need extra caution: they are usually very narrow and winding.
Travel tips for getting around Greece
Buy tickets before you travel. It seems common sense, but the different transportation options available in Greece, such as the Metro, overground trains, buses and ferries, offer some form of online booking. If you can get to a station before your travel, there are self-service OASA, Athina-ticket machines (which serve buses, trolley buses and the metro) via which you can easily buy your tickets using a card or cash. Then, they are printed and ready for you in seconds.
Buying your ticket in advance helps avoid any additional stress before you travel, besides avoiding the queues. This is non-negotiable when buying ferry or KTEL bus tickets, as you need to buy in advance to get a seat.
Weigh up a travel pass. If, as an expat, you know that you will use public transport often, then buying a travel pass might suit you. OASA transport for Athens has an ATH.ENA card is a reloadable travel and can be used for all types of public transport Athens has to offer (Metro, buses, trams, and some trains).
Check for transport strikes. Unfortunately, strikes frequently occur in Greece and can affect traveling in city centers and public transport. Therefore, staying on top of the local travel news is recommended in case of any potential strikes, so you make other travel provisions. See planned strikes here.
Taxi apps are your friends. Taxis are easily available in Greece, and you should not have a problem finding one to flag down in a big city like Thessaloniki or Athens. They can be helpful if you have a lot of luggage or shopping. However, with most taxis you flag down, you must pay in cash, and sometimes tourists are overcharged. Having a Taxi app such as Freenow or Uber helps you get a better price, avoid being overcharged, and also lets you pay by card via the app.
Consider renting a car. Public transport only goes so far in Greece, so if you are traveling outside the biggest cities or regions to more rural, remote areas, like the many mountain villages Greece has, renting a car could be a sensible choice. By renting a car, you can make your own itinerary, and it can be quite cheap if you are in a group.
Useful links:
Free Now (formerly Beat)
