🎫 The single rule that solves 80% of cases
How long are you in Athens?
- 1 day: Buy the 24-hour day pass (€4.10).
- 2-4 days: Buy the 5-day pass (€8.20) — pays for itself within day 2.
- 5-7 days: Buy the 5-day pass + a couple of single tickets (€1.20 each).
- 1+ week: Buy an ATH.ENA Card (one-time €0.50 fee) and load a 30-day pass (€30).
- Airport rides are separate — €9 each way, not covered by city passes (except the €20 3-day tourist ticket which DOES include one airport return).
💶 Full fare table (2026)
€1.20
Single ticket. Valid 90 minutes. Unlimited transfers metro / bus / trolley / tram.
€4.10
24-hour pass. Unlimited rides on metro / bus / trolley / tram. Excludes airport.
€8.20
5-day pass. Same coverage as 24-hour, just longer. Excludes airport.
€9.00
Single airport ticket. Metro Line 3 OR Suburban Rail OR X95 bus from/to Athens Airport.
€18.00
Airport return ticket. Valid 30 days for the return leg. Useful when you know your departure date.
€20.00
3-day tourist ticket. Includes one airport return + 3 days unlimited city travel. The pre-packaged option.
🧮 Which is cheapest? — Worked examples
- Weekend visitor (3 days, no airport ride): 5-day pass €8.20 → €2.73/day. Cheapest.
- Weekend visitor (3 days + airport return): 3-day tourist ticket €20.00 (includes airport return + 3 days) vs 5-day pass €8.20 + airport return €18.00 = €26.20. Tourist ticket wins by €6.
- 5-day visitor with airport return: 5-day pass (€8.20) + airport return (€18.00) = €26.20. The 3-day tourist ticket only lasts 3 days; not enough.
- 1-week visitor with airport return: ATH.ENA Card (€0.50) + 30-day pass (€30.00) + airport return (€18.00) = €48.50. Or: 5-day pass + 2× single + airport return = €8.20 + €2.40 + €18.00 = €28.60. The piecemeal approach wins for short stays.
- 10-day visitor: 30-day pass (€30) + airport return (€18) = €48. Effective ~€4.80/day. Roughly break-even with two 5-day passes (€16.40) + airport return (€18) = €34.40 — actually the 5-day-passes-strategy stays cheaper. Two 5-day passes win.
🏪 Where to buy
Metro station vending machines
Every station has at least one. Touch-screen, English/French/German/Greek interface. Accepts coins, notes (€5 / €10 / €20) and cards (contactless and chip-and-pin).
Metro ticket offices
Larger stations (Syntagma, Monastiraki, Omonia, airport, Piraeus) have staffed counters. Useful for the ATH.ENA Card and questions.
Periptera (street kiosks)
Many central periptera sell single tickets and day passes. Cash only typically. Convenient if you're far from a metro station and need a bus ticket.
OASA app
The OASA Athena Ticket app sells digital tickets. Activate before boarding; the QR code is your ticket. Useful for the smartphone-only crowd.
Contactless EMV at the gate
Live since 2023–2024 across metro, tram, Suburban Rail. Tap your contactless bank card or phone wallet at the gate; €1.20 charged automatically. Best for occasional rides.
On-board ticket machines (some buses)
A growing number of buses have on-board machines. Don't rely on this everywhere — buy in advance.
📋 The ATH.ENA Card
The ATH.ENA Card is the rechargeable smart card of the Athens system. €0.50 to issue (one-time fee), then load any of the standard products: 24-hour, 5-day, 30-day, or pay-per-ride credit. Get one if you're staying a week or more, or if you simply don't want to deal with paper tickets.
Where to get one: any larger metro ticket office (Syntagma, Monastiraki, Omonia, Piraeus, airport) — show ID (passport works for non-residents), pay €0.50, the card is issued on the spot. Top up at the same ticket offices or vending machines.
✅ Validation — the bit everyone forgets
Validate every ticket, every time
The Athens metro is gated — to enter the platform, you tap or insert at the orange gate, and the gate opens. That's automatic validation. The trick is on the buses, trolleys and trams: the vehicle is open-boarding (you can enter through any door without showing your ticket), and you must actively validate at the yellow validator inside the vehicle. If you don't, you don't have a valid ticket, and an inspector boarding 10 minutes later will fine you €72 (60× the fare).
👀 Inspectors
OASA inspectors travel in pairs in plainclothes (sometimes uniformed) and board buses, trolleys, trams and metro cars at random. They show ID, ask for tickets, and issue on-the-spot fines for unvalidated or fare-evasion cases. The fine for an unvalidated single ticket is €72; for a deliberately false ticket, higher. Don't try to argue — pay or appeal in writing within 30 days.
👶 Discounts and free travel
- Children under 6: free, no ticket required.
- Children 6-18: reduced fare (€0.60 single) with proof of age.
- Students up to 25 with valid Greek student ID: reduced fare. EU student ID may be honoured at inspector discretion.
- Greek residents 65+: reduced fare with ID.
- Disabled passengers (with Greek certification): often free or reduced.
- Tourists: no specific tourist-card discount — the tourist 3-day ticket bundles airport+city but isn't a discount per se.
💡 Tactical advice
- Buy your airport-arrival ticket at the airport machine rather than the line at the ticket office. Machines accept cards.
- Always start the trip with a card or a multi-day pass. Single paper tickets are fine but slow.
- If you're staying near Victoria, the Acropolis area or the Plaka, you'll use the metro 4-6 times per day. Day pass pays back even on a slow tourist day.
- Save the airport return ticket carefully — the second leg sits in your wallet for 30 days. People throw them away.
🎯 FAQ
Are tickets cheaper online?
Identical price. The OASA app and the kiosk and the machine all sell at the same regulated prices.
Is there a "tourist card" combo?
The closest thing is the €20 3-day ticket which combines airport return + 3 days unlimited city. Useful if your stay is exactly 3 days. The Athens Combined sightseeing ticket (€30) is separate from transport. (See combined site ticket guide.)
What about the Hop-on Hop-off bus?
That's a separate commercial operation. Not part of OASA. Day passes don't work on it.
Children — what age proof?
Inspectors will accept a passport for under-6 free travel. Greek schools' student cards work for under-18; tourist children should carry passport.
Are there refunds?
For unused multi-day passes, generally no. For lost ATH.ENA cards: report at any office, but lost balance is not refunded unless the card was registered.