Piraeus/Athens - Do it yourself by train (to see Acropolis)

[rockinpunkin]

Hello - We will be in Piraeus/Athens from 8AM - 6PM.

 

We would like to see The Acropolis but I'm confused about how to take the train:

 

 

1. I'm trying to figure out how to get to the train from the port (can we walk? How long? Directions/map?).
   
2. What is the train schedule (to and from) and how much?
   
3. From the train station, how do we get to the Acropolis?
   
4. Any other advice?
   

Thanks in advance!

[phcacruiser]

It depends on the time of year. Athens can get very hot in the summer. The walk to the Metro from the Pireaus station is a level, 1.2 mile walk. As you exit the port, turn left. Walk along the watre. There is a wide walkway. Keep the water on your left. After about a mile, you will see an escalator/overpass. Go up and over the overpass to the Metro station. Pireaus is the end of the line, so no problem knowing what direction.

Get off at the Monastiraki Stop. This is the stop for the Plaka/ancient Agora. As you exit the station, look up and you will see the Acropolis. The train is about a 15 minute ride. It runs about every 20 minutes. The ticket for the acropolis cost 12 Euro. It's a combo ticket thatallows you to see several other sights including the Agora.

[rockinpunkin]

Wow thanks! - we are going there next month (July 15)

[Fafos]

Better get off at Thision station because is 50 metres from Anchient agora.. see my maps: http://www.istopoli.com/cruise/athens-map-thision.html

[1stEuropecruise]

We were there last September. Took the train to Thisio, (I double checked with my wife!) This is the correct stop. You walk up out of the station and go to the right, you will see the Acropolis. You will have a hard time seeing the station, but it's right where there is a walkway over the street. Here is a map from our port to the train station:

[Hlitner]

Keep in mind that you can also take the local bus from the port to the train station. You simply walk through the port building, go outside, cross the street and wait at the bus stop. Unfortunately I am having a "senior moment" and do not remember the bus number, but somebody else will post that info.

 

Hank

[DEL67]

According to another post bus #843 goes from the pier to the train station

[texancruzer]

We took the shuttle bus (right off the ship) to the entrance/exit to the port area....... not a long ride :eek: Then we walked to the metro. No taxi would take us....we asked a bunch ! Too short a fare. It was quite a walk at a brisk pace ! Metro was easy tho. Don't forget to validate your ticket - fines are steep. Easy to get to Acropolis from Monistriki..... you look up and its right there.

 

We took a taxi back to the ship tho... 20 euros. I was not feeling well as I had a bad cold (along with 1/2 the ship !) and just wanted to sit and get there !

 

(From the map above - our ship was docked even further down) right next to where the port ended and the sea began..... it was not close at all !

[skinut]

Has anybody tried switching from the Green Line to the Red Line at Omonia and getting off at the Akropoli station on the other side of the Acropolis by the new museum? Is that faster?

[Imani68]

We did this last May. We walked from the port to the train. While it didn't take us that long it was a hot walk.

[susietb]

We switched (very easy to do) at the Omonia station and got off at Akropoli. It was less of an uphill walk.

[CintiPam]

Not only is this route far less of an uphill walk, you save over 100 steps. It is mostly gentle slope up. Plus it is right by the recently-opened New Acropolis Museum, where the entry fee is only one Euro through the end of 2009.

[skinut]

Thanks for the info on the Acropolis station option. If we do that, any thoughts on whether we should (1) see museum first and (2) assuming the answer is yes, come back down on the other side?

[CintiPam]

Thanks for the info on the Acropolis station option. If we do that, any thoughts on whether we should (1) see museum first and (2) assuming the answer is yes, come back down on the other side?

 

The answer depends on what time of the year you will be there. If it is prime tourist season (May through September), I definitely would climb the Acropolis first, because after 10 AM it is horrendously crowded with ship's tour groups. Our cruise ended in Athens, and we waited until we were overnighting in central Athens to visit the Acropolis first thing in the AM to avoid some of the crowds. It is far less crowded late in the day (and Rick Steves' advises going then when the light is so lovely), but Athens is so hot and humid, that this is a recipe for disaster IMO, unless you are there off-season. The new museum is large, and can handle the crowds a lot easier than the Acropolis itself. (It also has very lovely a/c, restrooms and water fountains.)

 

The main sights in Athens are so close together that you need not worry about backtracking. Also, you can buy a 3 Euro (I think) pass that covers the metro for the day, which not only saves time, but both the Monastiraki and Syntagma stops have really interesting archaelogical remains to visit.

[zooiet]

We had planned to transfer trains so that we could get off at Akropoli and take the southern approach to the Acropolis; however the train was so crowded during the early morning (we left the ship at 7:15), that we changed our plans and got off at Monasteraki instead.

 

The walk to the train station from the port was a brisk 30"; an easy walk.

[skinut]

The answer depends on what time of the year you will be there. If it is prime tourist season (May through September), I definitely would climb the Acropolis first, because after 10 AM it is horrendously crowded with ship's tour groups. Our cruise ended in Athens, and we waited until we were overnighting in central Athens to visit the Acropolis first thing in the AM to avoid some of the crowds. It is far less crowded late in the day (and Rick Steves' advises going then when the light is so lovely), but Athens is so hot and humid, that this is a recipe for disaster IMO, unless you are there off-season. The new museum is large, and can handle the crowds a lot easier than the Acropolis itself. (It also has very lovely a/c, restrooms and water fountains.)

 

The main sights in Athens are so close together that you need not worry about backtracking. Also, you can buy a 3 Euro (I think) pass that covers the metro for the day, which not only saves time, but both the Monastiraki and Syntagma stops have really interesting archaelogical remains to visit.

Thanks, we will be there in mid-october and mid-week.

[Skidspoppe]

Very cool map/tour. I'm going next week and this looks really helpful! Thank you!

[rmurray847]

We took the shuttle bus (right off the ship) to the entrance/exit to the port area....... not a long ride :eek: Then we walked to the metro. No taxi would take us....we asked a bunch ! Too short a fare. It was quite a walk at a brisk pace ! Metro was easy tho. Don't forget to validate your ticket - fines are steep. Easy to get to Acropolis from Monistriki..... you look up and its right there.

 

We took a taxi back to the ship tho... 20 euros. I was not feeling well as I had a bad cold (along with 1/2 the ship !) and just wanted to sit and get there !

 

(From the map above - our ship was docked even further down) right next to where the port ended and the sea began..... it was not close at all !

We walked from ship to bus stop (ten minutes), then rode bus just a few minutes to the Metro Station. Told driver when gettting on "Metro" and he was kind enough to point it out to us when we got off. Waited for train, then rode to Monistriki. From there, it's easy to find your way to Acropolis, because you can see it up above. Just go towards it, skewing to the right (the side with the main entrance).

 

It was incredibly easy to do ourselves. And we got all our info from the Rick Steves MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE PORTS book...included VERY detailed guide of how to get to the bus stop, etc. But I think you've got the info you need here.

 

Word of caution: the OP asked about schedules. From what we experienced, any schedule is a mere suggestion only! The trains seem to run fairly frequently, but on no schedule. Don't cut your time too close, and you should be okay. Also, there are lots of taxis near the station, so if you need to, you can grab one. Some folks we cruised with took a cab from Monistriki station to the port for 15 euros. 15 minute ride.

[paul929207]

According to another post bus #843 goes from the pier to the train station

BOth 843 an 859 will take you from the cruise terminal area to the Metro station.

[happier]

We walked from ship to bus stop (ten minutes), then rode bus just a few minutes to the Metro Station. Told driver when gettting on "Metro" and he was kind enough to point it out to us when we got off. Waited for train, then rode to Monistriki. From there, it's easy to find your way to Acropolis, because you can see it up above. Just go towards it, skewing to the right (the side with the main entrance).

 

It was incredibly easy to do ourselves. And we got all our info from the Rick Steves MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE PORTS book...included VERY detailed guide of how to get to the bus stop, etc. But I think you've got the info you need here.

 

Word of caution: the OP asked about schedules. From what we experienced, any schedule is a mere suggestion only! The trains seem to run fairly frequently, but on no schedule. Don't cut your time too close, and you should be okay. Also, there are lots of taxis near the station, so if you need to, you can grab one. Some folks we cruised with took a cab from Monistriki station to the port for 15 euros. 15 minute ride.

so, you take the shuttle bus from the ship or the port itself?

does the ship provide the shuttle or is it a city bus-either 843 or 859

then you walk to Metro station-is it nearby?

is the metro the same as the train?

where did you get tickets for the Metro?

can you get them round trip?

was there a shuttle back to the ship?

do you know what stop to take if going to the new archeological museum?

also to see the changing of the guard?

yipes! so many questions!!!

thanks for any info-greatly appreciated!

[cruisemom42]

so, you take the shuttle bus from the ship or the port itself?

It is not a shuttle bus but an actual city bus. You catch it just outside the port.

 

does the ship provide the shuttle or is it a city bus-either 843 or 859

then you walk to Metro station-is it nearby?

Yes, the station is quite close to where the bus drops you off.

 

is the metro the same as the train?

Yes, the "electric train" is part of the metro system and it is also called the Green line

 

where did you get tickets for the Metro?

I purchased them at the station, using one of the machines.

 

can you get them round trip?

You can buy an all-day ticket or two single-trip tickets if you don't plan to use the metro other than to and from the port.

 

was there a shuttle back to the ship?

Same as getting to the station, just reverse the process.

 

do you know what stop to take if going to the new archeological museum?

You can get off the Green line at Monastiraki and then walk to the Acropolis area. The Acropolis Museum is just at the foot of the Acropolis, near the Theatre of Dionysis.

 

also to see the changing of the guard?

This is a bit more complicated. If you want to do this first, then you would take the Green line from Piraeus and get off at Monastiraki (same as before) where you transfer to the BLUE line one stop to Syntagma Square. If you want to do it after visiting the Acropolis museum, then get on the Metro at the nearby Akropolis station, where you'll be on the RED line and ride it one stop to Syntagma Square. See link to Metro map below to visualize.

yipes! so many questions!!!

thanks for any info-greatly appreciated!

 

See my answers to some of your questions above in green.

 

Link to metro map: http://www.dolphin-hellas.gr/Maps/Athens/Metro/AthensMetroMap.gif

 

There's a lot more info on the Greece board giving details on how to get into and around Athens using public transportation.

[texancruzer]

See my answers to some of your questions above in green.

 

Link to metro map: http://www.dolphin-hellas.gr/Maps/Athens/Metro/AthensMetroMap.gif

 

There's a lot more info on the Greece board giving details on how to get into and around Athens using public transportation.

 

Just to clear something up.....

 

We actually had a shuttle bus that parked right outside the ship at the gangplank. It took us to the port exit. Then many people take the city bus to the metro but we walked.

 

So depending on your cruise line there may be a shuttle bus to take you to the port exit (the secure area) and then another city bus to the metro station.

[jb12]

Would anybody tell me how reliable public transportation in Athens?

[Hlitner]

Would anybody tell me how reliable public transportation in Athens?

 

Very reliable unless there is a major stike. Strikes are generally annouced days (or weeks) in advance. The Athens Metro is a great system and the surface buses are also fine. My only warning is to protect your valuables as pickpockets/purse snatchers are too common in Athens as they are in many European cities.

 

Hank

[sentosa25]

Hello Happier,

we used the red hoho bus in Athens in may to get to the Acropolis and the other must see sites.

Both red and yellow buses were there waiting when we arrived at the bus stop,which is a short walk from the ship, but the red bus was leaving in 10 minutes, the yellow in 20 minutes, so we took the red. The fare was 22 Euros, although if you have a ticket from a previous hoho red bus tour, they will give you 2 Euros discount.

We did not book tickets beforehand, as the buses run frequently.

The bus goes up to The Acropolis via Syntagma Square and there is an interchange there for the rest of Athens including Temple of Zeus, National Gardens, museum, Greek Parliament, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , City Hall and a few other stops before coming back to The Acropolis where you change for the bus back to the pier.

Some people just changed buses and went straight back to the ship as it was a little windy that day

The whole thing takes about two hours. The headphone commentary is good and included some nice Greek Music

Hope this helps,