Driving a car or a motorcycle in Athens is a difficult thing to do and it could also be dangerous if the driver is careless. Cars in Greece should be driven (as in the continent) at the right side of the road and the road signs are the international ones.

Street signs are written in Greek, and there is translation to English (sometimes it’s not a translation but the Greek word in Latin characters). In Athens you may have a problem with the official names of the streets written on the maps and the old name that is still written in signs at the roads. Such examples are the roads of Athens centre 28th October that is known as Patission Str. and Eleftheriou Venizelou that is known as Panepistimiou Str. .

To park your car on a street be careful that you will not park it in a Private Parking ask the cost before you park to avoid some of the extremely expensive parking companies. If there is an accident call 166 for an ambulance or 100 for the police (112 from a mobile phone). For a car malfunction call one of the many car companies in numbers such as 154 (Express Service) and 10400 (ELPA). If your car is rented don’t forget to call the rental company for instructions.

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Athens’ taxis are yellow and you can find them almost everywhere in the city. To hire one you just have to lift your hand and stop it.

The least charge once you ‘ve hired a taxi is 3.19 euros. The complete price table should be in front of the front passenger’s seat.

While in a taxi you ‘ld better be careful of overcharging. There are two pricing times: 05.00 am to 00.00 am when you should see at the taxi meter the number 1 and 00.00 am to 05.00 am when you will see the number 2. It's easy to understand that the pricing number 2 is the most expensive and it is also used while hiring taxi to destinations outside Athens. What you will have to pay at the end is what is shown on the taxi meter plus any extra charge (suitcases, airport charge, etc) should be written at the price table. When you pay the driver has to give you a receipt.

Taxi rides from the Airport to the Centre of Athens (the wide area called Dactylios) cost 35 euros and that's a flat rate.

Prices change in case that you have booked it by phone or online. In holiday periods you will be asked to pay for a –so called– Gift Charge which should also be written somewhere in front of the passengers' seats. If you believe that you are overcharged don’t hesitate to call the Greek tourist police on 171. Taxis in Athens operate in 24hours basis.

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Bus is the most popular transportation option in Athens. Buses and trolley buses network reaches almost every single corner of the city. Bus stops are pointed with blue (yellow for the trolley buses) signs on the pavements. Destinations of each bus are written on these signs and at the front of the bus. If you are not sure whether it’s the bus that suits you or not, ask the driver or, if he doesn’t speak English, another passenger.

The bus ticket costs 1.20 euros for a single route or 1.40 euros for multiple routes of maximum 90 minutes length. You must validate your ticket at the time that you embark on the bus.  Bus tickets are sold at Kiosks and at Bus Kiosks where special tickets (such as week-tickets and daily-tickets) are available. You can buy the special tickets at Metro ticket cashiers, too.

In several Athens districts you may see Red "Municipal" Buses which are used for local transportation. Their stops are pointed with red signs. Depending on the district the use of the buses may be free or there may be a ticket that costs up to 1 euro.

Buses in Athens provide their services from 5.00 am to 00.00 am (depending on each bus line, time changes).

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Tram is a new mean of transport for Athens and not that fast, yet.

That’s why Athenians do not use it that much. However it is a good choice for a visit to the southern suburbs of Athens and the seaside.

The areas that Tram pass through are (not in this order) Syntagma, Nea Smyrni, Piraeus, Kalithea, Moschato, Faliro, Alimos, Kalamaki, Elliniko, Glyfada and Voula, while there is also connection to the Metro at SEF (Faliro), Neos Kosmos, Fix and Syntagma.

Ticket price for the tram is 1.40 euros and the tickets are issued by machines in every station. Tram in Athens operates from 05.00 am to 00.00 am.

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