Many of the sights you'll want to see, and most of the hotels, cafes, and restaurants, are within a fairly small central area. It's easy to walk everywhere, though sidewalks are sometimes obstructed by parked cars.
The price of public transportation has risen steeply in the last couple of years, but it is still less than that in Western European capitals. Riding during rush hours is definitely not recommended. Upon boarding, validate your ticket in the orange canceling machines at the front and back of buses and trolleys and in the stations of the electric trains. Keep your tickets until you reach your destination, as inspectors occasionally pop up to check that they have been canceled and validated. They are strict about fining offenders, including tourists.
The Organization for Urban Public Transportation (Metsovou15, Phone: 185 from 7:30-3 and 7 PM-9 PM) answers questions about routes (usually only in Greek). The office, open weekdays 7:30-3, distributes maps with street names in Greek. EOT also distributes information about bus lines.
Bus
Main bus stations are at Akadimias and Sina and at Kaningos Square. Bus and trolley tickets cost EUR.35. No transfers are issued; you validate a new ticket every time you change vehicles. Monthly passes for EUR14.70 are sold at the beginning of each month at special booths at the main terminals. Purchase individual tickets at terminal booths or at selected periptera (street kiosks). Buses run from the center to all suburbs and nearby beaches from 5 AM to about midnight, and very few routes have infrequent owl service. For suburbs north of Kifissia, change at Kifissia's main square, Platia Platanou.
KTEL buses provide efficient bus service throughout the Attica basin. Most buses to the east Attica coast - including those for Sounion (fare EUR3.38 for inland route or EUR3.52 for coastal road) and Marathon (fare EUR2.20) - leave from the KTEL terminal (Platia Aigyptou at corner of Mavromateon and Leoforos Alexandras near Pedion Areos park, Phone: 01/821-3203 for Sounion; 01/821-0872 for Marathon).
Car
Driving in Athens is not recommended unless you have nerves of steel. Red traffic lights are frequently ignored, and it is not unusual to see motorists passing other vehicles on hills and while rounding corners. Driving is on the right, and, although the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way, don't expect this or any other driving rule to be obeyed. The speed limit is 50 kph (31 mph) in town. Seat belts are compulsory, as are helmets for motorcyclists, though many natives ignore the laws. In downtown Athens do not drive in the bus lanes marked by a yellow divider; if caught, you may be fined.
Unless you are a citizen of an EU country, you must have an international driver's license. The Automobile Touring Club of Greece (ELPA; Messoghion 395, Agia Paraskevi 15343, Phone: 01/606-8800; 104 in an emergency; 174, Fax: 01/606-8981) no longer issues these, so non-EU members should arrange for a license through their local automobile association. ELPA can help with tourist information for drivers (Phone: 01/606-8800; 104 in an emergency; 174), and they assist tourists with breakdowns free of charge if they belong to AAA or to ELPA (EUR102.94 a year); otherwise, there is a charge.
Downtown parking spaces are hard to find - you can pay to use one of the few temporary parking areas set up in vacant lots, but you're better off leaving your car in the hotel garage and walking or taking a cab. Gas pumps and service stations are everywhere, and lead-free gas is widely available. Be aware that all-night stations are few and far between.
Car Rentals
Because driving in Greece can be harrowing, car rental prices are higher than in the U.S., and transporting a car by ferry hikes up the fare substantially, think twice before deciding on car rental. It's much easier to take public transportation or taxis, which are among the cheapest in Europe. The exception is large islands where the distance between towns is greater - and taxi fares higher. Then you may want to rent a car or a moped for the day for concentrated bouts of sightseeing.
Official rates in Greece during high season (July through September) for an economy car such as an Opel Corsa or Hyundai Atos range from EUR24.48 a day (100 km minimum charge at EUR.40 per km mi]) to EUR71.68 for three to six days (unlimited mileage). Smaller cars (Fiat Seicento, for example) rent for about EUR19.46 a day (EUR.33 per km) in high season; four-wheel-drives (Suzuki Samurai 1.3) cost EUR52.80 a day (EUR.58 per km). This does not include the 18% value-added tax (13% on Rhodes, Kos, Lesbos, Santorini, Chios, Thassos, Samos, Skiathos, Karpathos, Skopelos, Mykonos, Paros, and Naxos).
Luxury cars are available at some agencies. Europcar rents a BMW 520 Clima or a Rover 75 for EUR95.87 a day (EUR1.03 per km) during low season, EUR118 (EUR1.17 per km) in high season. Convertibles ("open" cars) and minibuses are also available. Probably the most difficult car to rent, unless you reserve from abroad, is an automatic. Off-season, rental agencies are often closed on islands and in less-populated areas.
Requirements
In Greece your own driver's license is not acceptable unless you are an EU citizen. For non-EU citizens, an International Driver's Permit is necessary; it's available from the American or Canadian automobile associations. To rent, you must have had your driver's license for one year and be at least 21 years old if you use a credit card (sometimes 23 if you pay cash), and for some of the car categories, you must be 25. You need the agency's permission to ferry the car or cross the border (Europcar does not allow across-the-border rentals).
Road Conditions
Driving defensively is the key to safety in Greece. Greece is one of the most hazardous European countries for motorists. In the city and on the highways, the streets are riddled with potholes, motorcyclists seem to come out of nowhere, often passing on the right, and cars may even go the wrong way down a one-way street. In the countryside and on islands, you must watch for livestock crossing the road, as well as tourists shakily learning the motorbikes they've recently rented.
The many motorcycles and scooters weaving through traffic and the aggressive attitude of fellow motorists can make driving in Greece's large cities unpleasant - and the life of a pedestrian actively dangerous; Greeks often run red lights or ignore stop signs on side streets, travel the wrong way on one-way roads, or round corners without stopping. It's a good idea at night at city intersections and any time on curvy country lanes to beep your horn to warn errant drivers. Rush hour in the cities runs from 7 to 10 AM and 2:30 to 3:30 PM on weekdays, plus 8 to 9 PM on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Saturday mornings means bumper-to-bumper traffic in shopping districts, and weekend nights guarantees crowding around nightlife hubs. In Athens, the only time you won't find traffic is very early morning and most of Sunday (unless you're foolish enough to go to a local beach at 4 PM in summer). If air pollution has reached dangerous levels in Athens, all cars are banned from the center. Finally, perhaps because they are untrained, drivers seldom pull over for wailing ambulances; the most they'll do is slow down and slightly move over in different directions - complete chaos.
In the countryside, off the National Road where tolls range from EUR.73 to EUR2.65, traffic is light, and driving is more enjoyable, but highway route numbers are largely nonexistent. The National Road is very slick when wet - avoid driving in rain and on the days preceding or following major holidays, when traffic is at its worst as urban dwellers leave for their villages. The highway is always under repair, night lighting is sometimes out, and the lane markings are often hard to fathom, so stay awake and follow all signs to slow down.
Rules of the Road
International road signs are in use throughout Greece. You drive on the right, pass on the left, and yield right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the right (except on posted main highways). Cars may not make a right turn on a red light. The speed limits are 120 kph (74 mph) on the National Road, 90 kph (54 mph) outside urban areas, and 50 kph (31 mph) in cities, unless lower limits are posted. There are very few traffic police on the highways to enforce speeding limits or any other rules. Often, no limits are posted, and even when they are, many Greeks don't obey them.
In many city neighborhoods, alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules are in effect. Although it's illegal, sidewalk parking is common. Once in a blue moon, police walk city streets and dispense tickets for a few blocks as a warning. Although it's tempting as a visitor to ignore parking tickets, keep in mind that if you've surrendered your ID to the rental agency, you won't get it back until you clear up the matter. You can pay your tickets at the rental agency or local police station; fines start at EUR29.49 and can go as high as EUR147.49 It never hurts to plead your case at the police station, especially if you have a reasonable argument. As a rule, police often give foreigners a break. However, they have become far stricter lately, regularly inspecting cars (which must have a fire extinguisher, emergency triangle, and first-aid kit) and introducing alcohol tests. The alcohol limit is 0.05, but if you are not too far over it, the police use their discretion about issuing a citation.
If you are involved in an accident, don't drive away. If the police take you in (they can hold you for 24 hours), you have the right to call your local embassy or consulate for help getting a lawyer. The use of seat belts and helmets is compulsory, though Greeks tend to ignore these rules, or comply with them by "wearing" the helmet on their elbows.
Subway
Athens opened two new metro lines in 2000, significantly extending Line 1, which runs through the city from the plush suburb of Kifissia in the north to Piraeus harbor in the south. Downtown stations on Line 1 most frequented by tourists include Platia Victorias, which is within walking distance of the National Archaeological Museum; Omonia Square; Monastiraki, located in the old Turkish bazaar; and Thission, near the ancient Agora and the nightlife districts of Psirri and Thission.
The new Line 2 cuts northwest across the city, passing through such useful stops as a station at the foot of the Acropolis, Syntagma Square, Panepistimiou (near the Old University complex and the Numismatic Museum), Omonia Square, and the Stathmos Larissis stop next to Athens's train stations. Line 3 runs from Syntagma Square northeast to the Greek "Pentagon" (Ethnikis Aminas). The stops of most interest for tourists are Evanglismos, which is near the Byzantine Museum, Hilton Hotel, and National Gallery, and Megaro Mousikis, next to the U.S. Embassy and Athens's concert hall.
The subway fare is EUR.44 if you stay only on Line 1; otherwise, it's EUR.73. You can buy a monthly pass covering the subway, buses, and trolleys for EUR29.41 at the beginning of each month. Remember to validate your ticket by stamping it in the orange machines at the entrance to the platforms, or you will be fined.
Taxi
Taxi rates are still affordable compared to fares in other European capitals, mainly because taxis operate unofficially on the jitney system, indicating willingness to pick up others by blinking their headlights or simply slowing down. Would-be passengers shout their destination as the driver cruises past.
Radio taxis can be booked by your hotel (a good idea when taking an early morning flight), with a surcharge of EUR1.17 for immediate response and EUR1.76-EUR2.05 for an appointment to come later. Contact:
Athina 1 (Phone: 01/921-7942).
Hellas (Phone: 01/645-7000 or 01/801-4000).
Kosmos (Phone: 01/1300).
Parthenon (Phone: 01/532-3300).
Most taxi drivers are honest and hardworking, but a few con artists infiltrate the ranks at the airports and near popular restaurants and clubs frequented by foreigners. Get an idea from your hotel how much the fare should be, and if there's trouble, ask to go to a police station, although most disagreements don't ever get that far. Most drivers speak basic English. Make sure the driver turns on the meter and that the rate listed in the lower corner is 1, the normal rate before midnight. Don't be alarmed if your driver picks up other passengers (although protocol indicates he should ask your permission first and never pick up anyone if you are a woman traveling alone at night). Each passenger pays full fare for the distance he or she has traveled.
The fare begins at EUR.58, and even if you join other passengers, you must add this charge to the final amount: note the fare on the meter when you get in an occupied taxi. The minimum fare is EUR1.47. The rate is EUR.21 per 1 km (mi), EUR.38 between midnight and 5 AM and outside city limits. Surcharges are made for holidays (EUR.35); fares to and from the airport (EUR.88); fares to, but not from, ports, railway stations, and bus terminals (EUR.44); and for each bag weighing more than 10 kilograms (EUR.16), though drivers expect more (EUR.29). Waiting time is EUR6.76 per hour.
Taxi drivers know the major central hotels, but if your hotel is less well known, show the driver the address written in Greek and make note of the phone number and, if possible, a nearby landmark. If all else fails, the driver can call the hotel from his mobile phone or a kiosk. Athens has thousands of short side streets, and few taxi drivers have maps.
