Navigating Your Way from Piraeus Cruise Port to Athens

Heyo! Here's a fresh take on navigating your way from Piraeus Port to Athens city center, ignoring all the niceties and getting straight to the point.

Arriving in Athens via ferry or cruise? The port's in Piraeus, about 10km southwest of the city center – so you'll need to get your butt into the center to explore.

On my recent Aegean cruise, I cruised the metro into Athens city center for some solo sightseeing. Cheapest option, easy as hell if you don't mind a short stroll to the station. But if you're feeling lazy, bus tours or taxis are your options.

Here are all the ways to get from the port to the center (and the Acropolis) – including a metro guide with detailed steps. Got questions? Hit me up in the comments!

Ways to Get to Athens City Center:

Taxi or Uber: 20-25 minutes, €20-€25 each way.
Bus Tour: an all-day, hop-on, hop-off bus tour connecting all the main tourist attractions, €25-€28pp. Check it out.
Metro: 20-25 minutes (plus a 20-minute walk if coming from the cruise terminal), €4.10 return.

Taxi or Uber: Taxis or Uber into the city center from Piraeus Port take 20-25 minutes and cost €20-€25 (as of July 2024). Yeah, they're the easiest option, but also the most expensive. Traffic can clog the city center, so a taxi might take up to 40 minutes on busy days. If that's the case, it might be quicker to hop in a taxi to the nearest metro station and ride that into the city center (see more on that below).

Uber in Athens? Yes, grab Uber in Athens. Just like it works in other places, except that only licensed taxi drivers can be Uber drivers.

Bus Tour: If you've only got a day and wanna see lots of Athens, a hop-on hop-off bus tour might be a good idea (but it's more expensive). These bus tours'll take you to most of the popular tourist sights in Athens, and you can get on and off as you please. Makes for an excellent sightseeing tour and usually comes with an audioguide to help you learn about what you're looking at.

Metro: Walk to the Metro Station at Dimotiko Theatro (20 mins from Cruise Terminal A) and ride the M3 to Syntagma or Monastiraki Square. The ride takes around 20-25 minutes. The Metro in Athens is easy for tourists to use, and the M3 train has announcements and signs in English after Greek, so no worries about getting lost.

The ticket costs €4.10 for 24 hours and allows you to ride the metro all day. Cheapest way to get to the city center from the cruise port. Plus, it lets you do your own thing.

From Cruise Terminal B: There's a free shuttle bus (every 10 to 15 minutes) from Terminal B to Terminal A.

Which Metro Station is Best for Athens City Center?

Monastiraki Square is a solid spot, right next to Hadrian's Library. It's surrounded by a flea market and perfect for souvenir shopping. Nearby Psirri Square and the surrounding streets are great for street art hunting.
Syntagma Square is another good option. It's Athens' main square, home to the palace – this is where you can watch the iconic changing of the guard every hour.
To get to the Acropolis, you can change at Syntagma Square station and ride the red M2 line one stop to the Acropolis entrance.

Take the Metro:

Buy a 24-hour metro ticket for €4.10. There are ticket machines inside the metro stations (available in multiple languages). If you're stuck, there's also a ticket office in the Piraeus metro station.

Piraeus Metro Station to Dimotiko Theatro Station:* Piraeus Metro Station is near the main ferry port.* It's a 20-minute walk from Cruise Terminal A to the nearest metro station (Dimotiko Theatro). When you reach Terminal A, walk past the tour buses and join onto the main road: Akti Miaoili. Follow this main road (with the water on your left), all the way to the end. Cross the road whenever possible to walk in the shade. Just before you reach the end of the road, you'll see a park – Themistokleous Square. Cross the park towards the church – Holy Trinity. Upon reaching the church, turn right and walk two blocks to Dimotiko Theatro Square where you'll find the entrance to the metro station.

Metro from Piraeus to Athens City Centre:

Hop aboard the M3 (blue line) train towards the airport. Simply ride it 10 stops and get off at Monastiraki Square, or 11 stops to Syntagma Square, depending on your stop of choice. The stops are announced in both Greek and English well in advance, so you should be able to find your way easily. If you want to head straight to the Acropolis, change for the M2 (red line) at Syntagma and ride it one stop to the Acropolis entrance.

Happy travels! If you've got any questions, leave 'em in the comments below!

Enrichment Data:For those interested in the nitty-gritty, the best way to get from Piraeus Port to Athens city center using public transportation is by hopping on the Metro, specifically Metro Line 1 (the Green Line).

Step-by-step instructions for using the metro from Piraeus Port to Athens City Centre:1. Arrive at Piraeus Port: After disembarking from your ship at Piraeus Port, exit the port terminal and head to the nearby Piraeus Metro Station, located within a few minutes' walk from Terminal A or near gate E8.2. Buy a Ticket: Purchase a metro ticket from the automatic ticket machines or kiosks near the station. Single tickets cost around €1.20 and are valid for 90 minutes.3. Board Metro Line 1 (Green Line): Take the metro train on Line 1 heading towards Kifisia. This line runs directly from Piraeus into central Athens.4. Travel to Key City Centre Stops: Depending on your destination in Athens, you can get off at central stations such as Monastiraki or Syntagma Square. The trip from Piraeus to Monastiraki takes about 15 minutes.5. Exit the Metro Station: Once at your desired stop in Athens, follow the signs to exit the station into the city center.

Additional Notes:- The metro is modern, clean, and reliable in Athens, with trains running frequently and the journey from Piraeus to central Athens taking approximately 15–20 minutes by metro[5].- Be mindful of personal belongings, as pickpocketing can occur on the metro, a common issue in many major cities[3].- Metro tickets are valid for 90 minutes, allowing transfers within the metro system.- This metro route is usually the fastest and most cost-effective way to reach central Athens from Piraeus by public transport[5].

The metro, being the cheapest option, serves as an easy way to travel from Piraeus Port to Athens city center, with a 20-minute ride costing €4.10 for a 24-hour ticket.
In the travel industry, the hop-on, hop-off bus tours provide an all-day sightseeing experience, covering various tourist attractions for €25-€28 per person, making it a popular choice for those who wish to explore Athens in a short amount of time.
When considering finance, Uber is an available option in Athens, though it operates with licensed taxi drivers only, offering a convenient mode of transportation for travelers, as in other cities.