To and from the Athens Airport

The best way to get to the airport from downtown Athens is by metro or light-rail. Single tickets cost EUR 6 and include transfers within 90 minutes of the ticket's initial validation to bus, trolley, or tram. Combined tickets for two (EUR 10) and three (EUR 15) passengers are also available; if you're making a stopover in Athens, opt for a round-trip ticket (EUR 10), valid for trips to and from the airport made during a single 48-hour period. In Athens six reliable express buses connect the airport with the metro (Ethniki Amyna and Dafni station), Syntagma Square, Kifissia, Kifissos Bus Station, and Piraeus. Express buses leave the arrivals level of the airport every 10 minutes and operate 24 hours a day. Bus X95 will take you to Syntagma Square (Amalias avenue); X94 goes to the bus terminus at the Ethniki Amyna metro stop (Line 3), which will get you into Syntagma within 10 minutes. Bus X96 takes the Vari-Koropi road inland and links with the coastal road, passing through Voula, Glyfada, and Alimo; it then goes on to Piraeus (opposite Karaiskaki Square). Bus X97 goes to the Dafni metro stop, while X93 brings voyagers to the dusty Kifissos intercity bus station. The Attiki Odos and the expansion of the city's network of bus lanes has made travel times more predictable, and on a good day the X94 can get you to Ethniki Amyna in 40 minutes.

Tickets to and from the airport cost EUR 3.20 and are valid on all forms of transportation in Athens for 24 hours from the time of validation. Purchase tickets (and get bus schedules) from the airport terminal, kiosks, metro stations, or even on the express buses. Taxis are readily available at the arrivals level of the Athens airport; it costs an average of EUR 27 to get into downtown Athens. (If you fear you have been overcharged, insist on a receipt with the driver's details and contact the tourist police.) Limousine Service and Royal Prestige Limousine Service provide service; an evening surcharge of up to 50% often applies, and you should call in advance. Prices start at around EUR 90-EUR 100 for one-way transfer from the airport to a central hotel.

Limousines

Limousine Service Travel (210/970-6416. www.limousine-service.gr.)

Royal Prestige Limousine Service (210/988-3221. 210/983-0378. www.limousine-services.gr.)