Syntagma metro station, Athens.
The short answer: Athens International Airport (ATH) sits about 35 km east of the city centre, and you have four reliable ways in. The easiest is a pre-booked Welcome Pickups transfer, where a driver meets you at arrivals and takes you straight to the door for a fixed price. Otherwise, Metro Line 3 (the blue line) runs directly from the airport to Syntagma and Monastiraki with no changes, the X95 express bus runs to Syntagma Square around the clock, or you take a taxi at a fixed flat fare into the centre. Once you are in Kolonaki, most of what you came to see is a short, flat walk or a couple of stops on the metro, and you rarely need anything more than your feet and, occasionally, a ride-hailing app.
We are Sissi and Galinos, and we have hosted in Kolonaki for over a decade. Below is exactly how we tell arriving guests to get from the plane to our door, and how to move around once they are settled. The fares and times below were current when we last checked, but treat them as a guide, because those numbers do change; message us and we will confirm the latest for your trip. Verified July 2026.
From Athens airport to the centre: your four options
The X95 express bus at Athens Airport.
1. A Welcome Pickups transfer (the easiest, door to door)
After a long flight, the thing most guests want is to not think. A pre-booked transfer with Welcome Pickups is the option we point people to first: you book online before you fly, a friendly English-speaking driver waits for you at arrivals holding a sign with your name, and you are taken straight to our door. The price is fixed and shown up front when you book, so there are no meter surprises and no queue to stand in.
It is our first suggestion for a late-night landing, a first visit to Athens, or anyone arriving with children and a pile of luggage, because child seats and larger vehicles can be arranged when you book. It costs a little more than the metro, and we say that plainly, but for the ease of a named driver waiting for you and a price you already know, most of our guests feel it is worth it for the arrival at least.
You can book your airport pickup through our Welcome Pickups link, and if you would like us to help you decide whether it is the right call for your particular flight, just ask.
2. Metro Line 3 (the simplest if you are heading central)
Line 3, the blue line, connects the airport directly to central Athens. You board at the airport station, stay on the same train, and it carries you to Syntagma (the main interchange, in the centre) and Monastiraki without a change. This is our default recommendation for guests who are travelling light and staying anywhere central, because there is no traffic to sit in and the schedule is predictable.
- Journey time from the airport to Syntagma: roughly 40 minutes.
- Fare: €9 one way (€16 return). The airport metro has its own single ticket, higher than a standard city ticket. Buy it at the machines before the barriers.
- Frequency and first/last train: trains run at set intervals through the day; the first and last departures do not cover the full 24 hours, so late-night arrivals should check. From the airport, the service runs roughly 06:30 to just before midnight.
From Syntagma to us in Kolonaki it is a short, flat walk of roughly eight to twelve minutes, or one short taxi hop if you are tired and carrying bags.
3. The X95 express bus to Syntagma
The X95 is the express airport bus to Syntagma Square, and it runs 24 hours, which makes it the honest choice for a very late or very early flight when the metro is not running. You buy a ticket before boarding.
- Where it drops you: Syntagma Square, the same central hub as the metro.
- Journey time: roughly an hour, and highly dependent on traffic; Athens traffic into the centre can be heavy at peak times, so budget generously.
- Fare: €5.50, bought before you board.
The bus is the cheapest fixed option and runs all night, but in daytime traffic the metro will usually beat it and is more comfortable with luggage.
4. A taxi at the fixed airport flat fare
Athens airport taxis charge a fixed flat fare into the central zone, so you are not exposed to meter surprises or traffic. There is one flat rate for the daytime and a higher one for the night. This is a door-to-door option, and with two or more people and luggage it often works out sensibly per head.
- Daytime flat fare to the centre: €40, from 05:00 to midnight, tolls and luggage included.
- Night flat fare: €55, from midnight to 05:00.
- Ride-hailing: app-based taxis operate in Athens too and can be convenient for a fixed, pre-agreed price. More on the apps we use just below.
Whichever you choose, from the airport you are essentially one clean journey from our front door. If you would like us to help you weigh the options for your specific flight time, just message us before you travel and we will point you to the easiest route for that hour.
Getting around Athens once you are here
A yellow Athens taxi on the street.
Central Athens is smaller and more walkable than most first-time visitors expect, and from a base in Kolonaki you can reach a surprising amount on foot.
Walking
Kolonaki is the calm, residential, genuinely central neighbourhood at the foot of Lycabettus Hill, and the walk from here to Syntagma and its metro is short and flat, roughly eight to twelve minutes. From Syntagma the pedestrianised route toward the Acropolis, Plaka and Monastiraki is one of the great city walks in Europe. We tell guests to plan on walking far more than they think, and to bring proper shoes for the marble and the cobbles, which get slick in rain.
The metro
The Athens Metro is clean, cheap and the fastest way across town. Line 3 (blue) is the one you will use most from us: it links the airport, Syntagma and Monastiraki, and it is also your line back out to the airport at the end. Evangelismos station sits right beside our two-bedroom apartment near Evangelismos, which makes that flat especially easy for anyone who wants the metro on the doorstep. A single ticket covers a set window of travel with transfers; validate it when you enter.
Taxis and ride-hailing apps
For late nights, hills, or when you are simply done walking, taxis are plentiful and, by European standards, inexpensive. We recommend using an app so the price and route are agreed in advance and there is no language friction. Three work well in Athens:
- FREENOW is the app most locals use, and the one we open first. It dispatches the same licensed yellow city taxis you see on the street, with the fare handled in the app.
- Uber operates in Athens too, and dispatches those same licensed yellow taxis rather than private cars, so it is a familiar way to book with a card already on file.
- Bolt is the third option, often the keenest on price, and widely used across the city.
All three are easy to use from a phone with data, and for a night out or a tired afternoon they save you flagging one down. For the climb up Lycabettus specifically, there is also the funicular (teleferik) that carries you to the summit, the Chapel of St George and the sunset viewpoint, which starts a short walk from our one-bedroom apartment in Kolonaki.
Buses, trolleys and the tram
There is a dense bus and trolley network, plus a tram toward the coast, but for a first central stay you will rarely need them. If your plans reach the seaside suburbs or somewhere off the metro map, ask us and we will tell you the specific line rather than have you guess.
Arriving at Kolonaki: what we tell our guests
We hand over the keys to a friend's home, so we like arrivals to be effortless. A few things that genuinely help:
- Self check-in. Both of our apartments use a lockbox, so your arrival time is flexible and a delayed flight is no drama. We send the exact directions and code before you travel.
- Luggage drop-off. If you land before check-in, message us. We can usually sort a way to leave your bags so you start your day unburdened.
- From Syntagma to the door. If you have come in by metro or the X95 and want to walk the last stretch, we will send you the flat, straightforward route. If you would rather not, a short taxi from Syntagma to Kolonaki is a few minutes.
- A pickup, if you would rather be met. If you want to step off the plane and straight into a waiting car, book a Welcome Pickups transfer through our link and tell us your flight, and we will keep an eye out for your arrival.
Which arrival option should you pick?
- First visit, a late or early flight, or travelling with children and luggage: book a Welcome Pickups transfer. A named driver meets you, the price is fixed, and you go straight to the door.
- Staying central and arriving in daylight, travelling light: take Metro Line 3 to Syntagma. Fastest, cheapest fixed option, no traffic.
- Very late or very early flight on a budget: take the X95 bus (runs 24 hours) or a flat-fare taxi.
- Two or more people who want the door-to-door ease without pre-booking: take a taxi at the fixed flat fare, or an app-based ride.
For a fuller picture of why we think Kolonaki is the calm, central base to build a trip around, and how it compares to Plaka and Koukaki, see our guide to where to stay in Athens and our neighbourhood guide to Kolonaki.
Stay with us in Kolonaki
Central Athens is at its most grown-up in Kolonaki: calm, safe, and a short flat walk from Syntagma, the metro and the sights. When you book direct with the two of us, you get the lowest rate with no platform fees, and hosts who live five minutes away and will happily talk you through your exact arrival. Have a look at our two apartments, or check dates and book direct, and tell us your flight details. We will make the last leg from the airport to the door the easy part of your trip.
We disclose our bias: we host here, and the Welcome Pickups link above is our referral link, so booking through it supports us at no extra cost to you. Everything above is how we genuinely move around our own city. Last updated July 2026.
Photos: Palickap / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0; Yoo Chung / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5; philip.mallis / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0.