Athens Greece: Riding on the Athens Metro
Taking a ride on the Athens Metro!
I visited Athens in Greece for the first time recently and stayed about half an hour outside the city centre. An easy way to get into Central Athens was to take the Metro or Underground.
There are three lines and several key stations where you can cross from one line to another. The Green Line (Line 1) started operation in 1869, making it the second oldest underground system in the world after the London Underground. Lines 2 and 3 opened in 2000 and increased the popularity of the Metro due to its speed, cleanliness and security. The diagram of the system is posted above the doors so you can keep track of where you want to change and announcements tell you where you are.
There are a number of ticket options available to buy at the stations like single journey, hop-on-hop-off for an hour and a half, weekly tickets across metro, bus and tram and more.
At the station you can queue up at the ticket counter or use the ticket machines which have multiple language options and easy to follow instructions. Just click on the circle with the flag of your language and the whole screen will change.
If you get stuck there are plenty of staff ready to offer help.
The carriages are spacious and clean and off-peak were not crowded at all. Our return journey was crowded and we didn’t get a seat but compared to the London Underground it was a pleasant journey.
If you get a chance to visit Athens don’t be afraid of using the Metro – it is very user friendly. Do you have any experiences of using Metro/Underground services in other countries? Please leave a comment below on how you got on.
You can read more about my trip to Athens here:-
Using metro is an easier way to avoid traffic and get around. A very informative and useful post. I’ve used the metro in Montreal and find its so easy to use and get around the city. Also like the London Underground the daily pass allows one to use the train or the bus.
It is a great way to get around a new city by using their public transport. The only time it didn’t work for me when I got lost in Russia because we couldn’t read their alphabet!!!
I guess just like we hop on and off on London underground , you get accustomed to the network in other countries . A great way to travel to save time and avoid traffic.
I like how they write it in their Greek alphabet then again in our alphabet. Makes it easier to find on the maps.
I have used a Metro in London, Chicago and Brazil .. It is really very convenient and faster way of reaching places to avoid traffic.