The suitcase is packed, the hotel room in Athens is emptied, and somewhere beyond the city a ferry is waiting at the harbor. That is the moment this question arrives for travelers heading to the islands. Piraeus is the port of Athens, and the city’s metro, its buses and its taxis all lead there.
How do you get from Athens to Piraeus?
You get from Athens to Piraeus on the city’s public transport or by road, and the Athens Metro is the first thing to look at. Piraeus is a working harbor town attached to the capital, and it sits at the end of the metro rather than in some separate region you have to cross the country to reach. You are going from one part of the Athens area to another, not leaving the city.
It starts early and stops just after midnight, which matters when your ferry leaves at an odd hour or when you land in Athens late and want to reach the port town before morning.
Taking the metro to the port
The Athens Metro operates from 5:30 a.m. to 00:30 a.m. On Friday and Saturday nights, lines 2 and 3 stay open later. So the first trains of the day are running before most cafés in the center have raised their shutters, and the last ones leave when dinner in the old neighborhoods is only just ending.
Piraeus sits at the end of the metro’s line 1 and is also served by line 3. Look at the posted ticket for your ferry before you leave the station, because the quays are spread out along the water and you will want to walk toward the right one.
| Service | Hours |
|---|---|
| Athens Metro, all lines | 5:30 a.m. to 00:30 a.m. |
| Lines 2 and 3, Friday and Saturday nights | Later than usual |
Reaching the port by road
If you prefer to arrive by road, a taxi from your hotel takes you straight to the harbor with your luggage, and a city bus does the same for passengers who like to watch the neighborhoods go by. A taxi gives you a door-to-door ride when the metro is closed or when you are carrying more than you want to take down station stairs.
For those arriving by car, there is one rule worth keeping in mind from the start. U.S. visitors driving in Greece must carry a valid U.S. driver’s license, and insurance companies may require an international driver’s permit.
The U.S. Embassy in Greece does not issue them. Travelers get one in the United States from the American Automobile Association or the American Automobile Touring Alliance.
A rental car is rarely the thing you carry onto a ferry from Athens, and travelers leave the car behind and use public transport for the trip to the port. Where you do drive, the harbor streets near the quays are busy with trucks, buses and taxis lined up beside the ships.
Which options are there?
There are four ways to get from Athens to Piraeus: the metro, a city bus, a taxi or your own car. Each one suits a different kind of morning, and which you choose depends mostly on how much luggage you carry and what time your ship leaves.
The metro
It operates from 5:30 a.m. to 00:30 a.m., with lines 2 and 3 open later on Friday and Saturday nights. A traveler staying near a central station steps on at the platform and arrives in the port town without a single traffic light.
The metro also solves the problem of the late arrival. If your flight into Athens lands in the evening and you plan to catch an early ferry, the trains can take you across town while the streets above are quiet. The airport section of line 3, between the Airport and Douk. Plakentias, has trains every 30 minutes, which is worth remembering when you plan the first leg of the journey from the terminal.
City buses
They are part of the ordinary city network that locals use every day, with commuters, shoppers and students filling the seats.
One rule applies to every rider. Bus passengers in Athens cannot use the front door to get on or off the bus. You board and leave by the other doors, which is a small thing to know when you are pulling a suitcase through a crowd at the stop. Keep the bag close and move toward the middle of the bus as soon as the doors open.
Taxis and your own car
A taxi collects you at the hotel and leaves you at the harbor, with no stairs and no transfers. It is the one option that works when the metro is closed. Taxi drivers in Athens know the port town well, and telling them the name of your ferry company or the island you are heading for is usually enough to get you to the right quay.
Driving yourself is possible for those who already have a rental car, and the license and permit rule above applies.
The tramway in the city
Athens also has a tramway, and it came back to Syntagma on 19 November 2020. Syntagma is the square in front of the Greek Parliament, a busy crossing of the city where visitors often start their sightseeing. The tram is a part of getting around the center, and travelers staying near the square will see it on the street outside.
The tram is useful to know about as a way of moving around the central neighborhoods on the days before and after the ferry.
What should you know before you travel from Athens to Piraeus?
Before you travel from Athens to Piraeus, know the metro hours, the bus door rule and the license rule for drivers, and nothing else is needed to make the trip. The rest is the kind of thing you learn by standing on the platform or at the bus stop with the other passengers.
Match the hours to your ferry
The metro stops just after midnight on ordinary nights and runs later only on Friday and Saturday, and only on lines 2 and 3. A traveler with a ship leaving in the small hours has to plan around that, and a taxi is the answer when the trains are not running. The trains start again at 5:30 a.m., so a morning departure is within reach of the first service of the day.
Count backward from it to decide which metro train, bus or taxi you need, and leave a margin for the walk along the quay.
Board the bus the right way
If you take a bus, remember that passengers cannot use the front door, either to get on or to get off. Watch the other riders at the stop and follow where they go. With a suitcase this is the detail that surprises first-time visitors, who tend to walk up to the driver out of habit.
The rule is simple, and it applies to every passenger on the city’s buses. Having your luggage ready before the bus pulls in helps you move to the middle doors without holding up the line behind you.
If you are driving
A visitor from the United States who drives in Greece needs a valid U.S. license and an international driver’s permit. The rental company may not ask to see the permit, but the requirement is there regardless. You have to obtain it before you leave home, because the U.S. Embassy in Greece does not issue it. The two organizations that do are the American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance.
Travelers find it simpler to arrive by metro or taxi and let the car stay at the rental office.
Good to know before you go
Carry a little cash and a card for the taxi and for a coffee at the harbor, and keep your ferry ticket where you can reach it without opening the main bag. The port area is crowded with travelers and luggage at departure times, so keep your belongings in view as you would in any busy station.
Sources
- OASA, Athens urban transport (https://www.oasa.gr/en/), checked October 12, 2026
- Athens Transport, public transport guide (https://www.athenstransport.com/english/), checked October 12, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Greece travel information, travel and transportation (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Greece.html), checked October 12, 2026
- Hellenic Train (https://www.hellenictrain.gr/en), checked October 12, 2026
- Wikipedia, Egnatia Odos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egnatia_Odos), checked October 12, 2026