Athens metro map: every station, the tickets and the airport line
Three lines, 66 stations and one rule worth more than the rest: Monastiraki, Omonia and Syntagma form a triangle, and every trip a visitor makes goes through it. The airport and Piraeus sit at the two ends of the same blue line.
The Athens metro is small enough to learn in one look. Line 1 is green, line 2 red, line 3 blue, and the three of them cross at Monastiraki, Omonia, Syntagma, Attiki and Piraeus. Here is every station, then what the map does not tell you: which train goes to the airport, what to pay and when the last one leaves.
The whole network
The official plan is a PDF on the STASY website, last redrawn in 2022, and it carries the suburban railway and the tram as well, which makes it busier to read. Google Maps routes the metro correctly and is the quickest way to plan a trip from a street address. For the sights themselves, the map of central Athens shows where each station comes out relative to the Acropolis, Plaka and the squares.
The three Athens metro lines: green, red and blue
Each line is known by its number and its colour, and the platforms are signed by the terminus the train is heading to. Know the last station in your direction and you will find the right platform in any interchange.
Line 1, green: Piraeus to Kifissia
The oldest line, opened as a steam railway to the port in 1869 and still above ground for most of its length. 24 stations and 51 minutes end to end. It runs from Piraeus along the old railway through Faliro and Thissio, dives under Monastiraki and Omonia, then climbs north through Victoria, Attiki and the Patissia suburbs to Nerantziotissa, Marousi and leafy Kifissia. Locals still call it the ilektrikos, the electric, and older signs say ISAP.
For a visitor it is the Piraeus line and the Thissio line. North of Omonia it matters for the Olympic stadium (Irini), the big malls at Nerantziotissa and, at Victoria, a ten-minute walk to the National Archaeological Museum.
Line 2, red: Anthoupoli to Elliniko
20 stations, 32 minutes, running north-west to south-east straight through the centre. It is the line for Akropoli, the Acropolis Museum stop, and for Larissa Station, where mainline trains leave for Thessaloniki and Kalambaka, the town under Meteora. South of Syngrou-Fix it serves the residential districts on the way to the coast at Elliniko, and Syngrou-Fix and Neos Kosmos connect with the tram to the beaches.
Line 3, blue: Dimotiko Theatro to the airport
The longest line, 27 stations and 63 minutes from end to end, and the one that does the most for visitors: the airport at one end, Piraeus at the other, Syntagma and Monastiraki in the middle. Its western half, extended to Piraeus in 2022, crosses Egaleo and Korydallos. To the east it runs under Vasilissis Sofias past Evangelismos and the concert hall, out to Doukissis Plakentias, where the airport trains continue on the suburban railway tracks. More on that catch in the airport section.
Athens metro stations for the Acropolis, Plaka and Monastiraki
Half a dozen stations cover almost everything in a first visit, and they are all within a few minutes of each other. Times below are on the train, from Syntagma, read off the STASY timetables. Add a few minutes for waiting and, where there is one, the change.
| From Syntagma to | On the train | Line | What is there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akropoli | 2 min | Line 2 | Acropolis Museum, the south slope gate, Koukaki |
| Monastiraki | 2 min | Line 3 | Flea market, Plaka's west end, Ancient Agora |
| Evangelismos | 2 min | Line 3 | Kolonaki, the walk up Lycabettus |
| Omonia | 3 min | Line 2 | Change for line 1 north, National Archaeological Museum |
| Thissio | About 6 min | Line 3, then 1 | Change at Monastiraki; Agora, Apostolou Pavlou |
| Larissa Station | 6 min | Line 2 | Trains to Thessaloniki and Kalambaka for Meteora |
| Piraeus | 22 min | Line 3 | The ferries, gates E5 and E6 opposite the station |
| Airport | About 40 min | Line 3 | Only on the airport train, every 36 minutes |
Akropoli (Acropolis station), line 2
The station for the Acropolis Museum, which is opposite the exit, and for the south gate of the site, about ten minutes uphill along Dionysiou Areopagitou. The concourse displays casts of the Parthenon sculptures and finds from the dig that built it. It is also the stop for Koukaki, the quieter neighbourhood behind the museum.
Syntagma, lines 2 and 3
Under the square opposite Parliament, and the station most visitors use first, because it is where the airport train stops for the centre. Glass cases on the mezzanine show what the tunnelling dug up: a section through the layers of the city, graves and an ancient water conduit, free to look at on the way to the platform.
Monastiraki, lines 1 and 3
The exit is on the square itself, with the flea market on one side and Ermou on the other, and the Ancient Agora and Plaka are both five minutes on foot. Line 1 and line 3 have separate platforms on different levels, so allow three or four minutes for the change. The station is the busiest place on the network for pickpockets.
Thissio, Omonia and Evangelismos
Thissio, one stop from Monastiraki on line 1, comes out on the pedestrian promenade below the Acropolis, with café terraces facing the rock and the Agora behind them. Omonia is the change between lines 1 and 2 and the nearest stop to the central market, in a neighbourhood that gets rough after dark. Evangelismos, on line 3, is the stop for Kolonaki, the War Museum and the walk up to the Lycabettus funicular.
Staying within a short walk of one of these stations is what makes Athens easy. The guide to where to stay in Athens compares the neighbourhoods by the line they sit on.
Athens metro to the airport on line 3
Line 3 is the only metro line to the airport, and the trip is direct from Syntagma, Monastiraki and Piraeus. It takes about 40 minutes from Syntagma and just over an hour from Piraeus. The airport station sits across a footbridge from the terminal.
The catch is the frequency. Only one train every 36 minutes goes to the airport. All the others terminate at Doukissis Plakentias, four stops short. The line is busy, trains come every few minutes, and most of them are the wrong one. Read the front of the train or the platform screen for the word Airport. If you board the wrong one, stay on to Doukissis Plakentias and wait there for the next airport train.
The first train towards the airport leaves Dimotiko Theatro at 05:30, the last leaves Syntagma at 23:18. From the airport, the first is at 06:10 and the last at 23:34. The airport branch does not run during the Saturday all-night service. Outside those hours, or with luggage for four, the X95 bus and taxis are compared on the Athens airport page.
Athens metro tickets and prices in 2026
One fare system covers the metro, buses, trams and trolleys, run by OASA. The basic ticket is cheap. The airport is the exception, at €9 each way. Prices below are from the OASA fare list, checked in October 2026.
| Ticket | Price | Reduced | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90-minute ticket | €1.20 | €0.50 | Metro, bus, tram and trolley for 90 minutes, changes included, airport excluded |
| 24-hour ticket | €4.10 | Everything except the airport for 24 hours from the first validation | |
| 5-day ticket | €8.20 | Five consecutive 24-hour periods, airport excluded | |
| 3-day tourist ticket | €20 | Three days of everything, plus one return trip to the airport by metro or express bus | |
| Airport metro, one way | €9 | €4.50 | Any metro station to or from the airport |
| Airport metro, return | €16 | Return valid 30 days | |
| Airport express bus | €5.50 | €2.70 | X95 and the other airport buses |
| Bank card (Tap2Ride) | From €1.20 | Capped at €4.10 a day; the airport is charged on top at €9 |
Which Athens metro ticket to buy
For three days in town with the airport at both ends, the €20 tourist ticket wins: two airport trips alone would cost €18. For a single day of sightseeing, the 24-hour ticket at €4.10 beats four single trips. If you will only ride two or three times, or if you are flying in and leaving on a ferry, a bank card at the gate is simplest.
Paying by bank card on the Athens metro
Since 2025 the gates take contactless Visa and Mastercard, physical or in Apple Pay and Google Pay, under the name Tap2Ride. A trip costs €1.20, and the system stops charging at €4.10 in a day, so you never pay more than a day ticket. Two rules: tap out with the same card where there are exit gates, as on line 3 at the airport, and use one card per person. Amex, Maestro and other networks are refused, and there is no reduced fare by card.
ATH.ENA card, paper ticket and validation
The ticket machines in every station sell the ATH.ENA card, a plastic card you reload, and a paper ticket for occasional use. Both take the same fares. Validate before the platform, at the gate or the machine at the top of the stairs: inspectors check tickets on trains and at exits, and since May 2026 the fine for riding without a validated ticket is €100, or €50 on a reduced fare.
Athens metro hours: first and last trains
Trains start between 05:00 and 05:30 and stop running around midnight. Lines 2 and 3 run later on Friday, and through Saturday night they run all night, a service introduced in September 2025. Line 1 keeps the same hours every day.
| Line | First train | Last train | Late service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Line 1, green | 05:00 | 00:15 from both ends | No late service, any night |
| Line 2, red | 05:30 | About 00:05 from both ends | Until about 01:40 on Fridays; through the night on Saturdays |
| Line 3, blue | 05:30 | 23:57 from Dimotiko Theatro | Until about 01:35 on Fridays; through the night on Saturdays, airport excluded |
| Airport trains | 05:30 to, 06:10 from | 23:18 from Syntagma, 23:34 from the airport | Every 36 minutes, no night service |
During the day, trains come every 4 to 10 minutes on lines 2 and 3 and every 6 to 7½ minutes on line 1, thinning out to 10 or 12 minutes late in the evening.
Line 3 evening closures from 25 October 2026
Engineering work has closed five line 3 stations in the evening, Sunday to Thursday: Ethniki Amyna, Holargos, Nomismatokopio, Agia Paraskevi and Halandri shut at 21:40. After that time line 3 runs from Dimotiko Theatro to Katehaki and from Doukissis Plakentias to the airport, and replacement bus X25 links Katehaki and Doukissis Plakentias. On those evenings the last through train from the centre to the airport leaves Dimotiko Theatro at 21:06. STASY has not announced an end date, so check its timetable page before an evening flight.
Metro to Piraeus port: lines 1 and 3
Both line 1 and line 3 end at Piraeus, in the same station building, and the exit faces gates E5 and E6, where the boats to the Cyclades leave. From Monastiraki, line 1 takes 16 minutes and line 3 about 20. From Syntagma, line 3 takes 22 minutes with no change.
Get off at Piraeus, not Dimotiko Theatro, the last stop on line 3: it is in the town, uphill, and a long walk from most gates. Boats to Crete and the Dodecanese leave from the far end of the harbour, gates E1 and E2, which are a 15 to 20 minute walk from the station. The gate map, the shuttle bus inside the port and which island leaves from where are in the Piraeus port guide.
Athens metro strikes: how to check before you travel
Strikes on the Athens metro are usually work stoppages of a few hours, announced a day or two ahead, rather than surprise walkouts. They tend to fall on dates of national protest: on 28 February 2026, the anniversary of the Tempi rail crash, lines 2 and 3 only started at 09:00. A full day without trains is rarer, and the stoppage often spares the middle of the day.
Check the announcements on stasy.gr and oasa.gr, or the English pages of ERT and Kathimerini, the day before any journey that matters. The airport is the trip to protect: on a strike day, book a taxi or transfer in advance, because the ranks empty fast and the buses fill.
Is the Athens metro safe? Pickpockets and line 1
Safe, clean and well lit, with staff and police in the central stations. The one real problem is pickpockets, who work line 1 between Piraeus, Monastiraki and Omonia, and the airport line when it is packed with luggage. The classic move is a group blocking the doors while someone else opens your bag. Keep the phone out of your back pocket and the bag in front of you on a crowded train.
Keep your ticket until you leave the station, as inspectors check at exits as well as on board. And if you are looking for line 4 on the map, it is still under construction: the new orange line through Kolonaki and Exarchia is not expected before 2032.
Questions people ask about the Athens metro
How do you pay for the metro in Athens?
Three ways. Tap a Visa or Mastercard, including Apple Pay or Google Pay, on the reader at the gate: it charges €1.20 a trip and stops at €4.10 a day, but the airport is charged separately at €9 and you must tap out with the same card. Or buy an anonymous ATH.ENA card or a paper ticket from the machines in every station and load it with a 90-minute ticket, a 24-hour ticket or the 3-day tourist ticket. Whatever you hold, validate it before you reach the platform: an unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket.
Is the metro free in Athens?
No. A standard ticket costs €1.20 and covers 90 minutes on the metro, buses, trams and trolleys, changes included. Young children travel free and there is a €0.50 reduced fare for groups such as students and over-65s, but it needs proof of entitlement, and the reduced airport fare is only sold on a personalised card. Riding without a valid ticket now costs a €100 fine, raised from €72 in May 2026.
How much does it cost to take the Athens metro from the airport?
€9 one way and €16 return, the return being valid for 30 days. The 3-day tourist ticket at €20 includes one return trip to the airport, so it pays for itself if you stay three days and use the metro in town. A bank card tapped at the gate pays the same €9. The X95 bus to Syntagma is cheaper at €5.50 but takes longer in traffic.
Which metro line goes to the airport in Athens?
Line 3, the blue one, and only one train every 36 minutes. Most line 3 trains stop at Doukissis Plakentias, so check that the front of the train says Airport. The ride takes about 40 minutes from Syntagma and just over an hour from Piraeus, with no change. The first train leaves the airport at 06:10 and the last at 23:34.
What is the closest metro station to the Acropolis?
Akropoli, on line 2, two minutes from Syntagma. It comes out on Makrygianni street next to the Acropolis Museum, and the south entrance of the archaeological site is about ten minutes uphill from there. Monastiraki and Thissio, on lines 1 and 3, are the stations for the west entrance and the Ancient Agora. Signs and some guides spell the station Acropoli or Acropolis. It is the same stop.
Does the Athens metro run 24 hours?
Only on Saturday night, and only on lines 2 and 3. Trains then run through the night at roughly 15-minute intervals, but the airport branch shuts at the usual time. On Fridays lines 2 and 3 run until about 01:40. Line 1 closes at a quarter past midnight every day of the week.
