Athens Train for Cruisers:
How to Get to Athens From the Port of Piraeus in 2025

Updated: July 2025

Written by: Martina, a former cruise line employee

The Athens train, or metro train, can be used as one transport option to get from the port of Piraeus to the Athens Acropolis or the Plaka. Read my step-by-step instructions on how to walk from the Athens port to the Piraeus train/metro station, which metro line to use, and where to get off. 

Taking the Athens train from the Piraeus to central Athens is just one of the many different means of transport, but if you decide to use it, my tips and directions will help you with the whole process going as smoothly as possible.

How to get from your Piraeus cruise port to Athens by train? First of all, read about reaching the Piraeus metro train station:

How to get from Piraeus cruise port to the metro train station?

Can you take a taxi from the Piraeus cruise terminal to the metro train station?

I wish I could tell you the opposite, but...

• It WON'T be possible for you to take a taxi from the Piraeus cruise terminal to the Piraeus train station. All the taxi drivers that you will see at Athens port are exclusively interested in either taking you for a half-day tour around Athens or taking you to the Athens Acropolis at prices that are way too overpriced. In other words, walking is pretty much the only way you can reach the train station in Piraeus.

The map of the walking route from the cruise port to the Piraeus metro station:

On the map below, you can see the walking route from the Piraeus cruise port to the metro station, as well as the route that buses and taxis take to reach central Athens.

Athens train: How long does it take to walk from the cruise terminal to the metro train station?

The exact time it takes to walk from the cruise port to the metro station depends on the individual walking pace, but it usually takes around 15-20 minutes to cover this distance. 

Before you head for your walk, it is very important that you know which terminal at Athens/Piraeus port your cruise ship will be docking at. 

To understand what we mean by this, we suggest you read our article Port of Piraeus first. There, you will find out that Athens Port consists of two main terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B.

• Terminal A is the main terminal and the one you want to depart from if you will be walking towards the Piraeus train station. The walking distance from Piraeus Cruise Port Terminal A to the nearest metro station, Piraeus Metro Station, is approximately 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles).
• If your cruise ship docks at Terminal B, you can always use the free port bus that will depart from in front of your cruise ship approximately every 10-15 minutes and take you to Terminal A.

Exit the terminal building, go straight up the ramp winding to the left

Almost on the Piraeus waterfront! Turn left when you reach it

If you still want to make it easy for yourself by taking a taxi, think of taking a transfer from Piraeus to central Athens (not just to the train station). 

Here's the best offer for that service...

Step-by-step instructions for walking to Piraeus metro station

Once at Terminal A, walk through the halls and past the board that advertises official taxi prices to different destinations and attractions in Athens. Keep in mind that this board states prices that only locals would pay. In other words, taxi drivers don't normally stick to those prices if you are a tourist.

Taxi drivers on the left won't be willing to take you to the metro station

In front of the Athens cruise terminal, you will not find a single taxi driver that will charge these lower prices, so you might as well disregard them and continue your walk if you’re not ready to pay double or triple the amount for a taxi.

Once you push through the barrier of taxi drivers, carry on walking up the ramp towards the main road. Turn left and you will find yourself on Miaoulis Avenue.

Here you will still have a chance to change your mind: namely, you will be passing by the bus stop for the Express Bus 080, which goes straight into Athens (stops a few minutes from the Acropolis).

Stay on the left-hand side of the road and keep walking with the Port Bay and the ferry terminal on your left and big buildings across the street on your right. Follow the main road along/around the bay.

After about 20-25 min of walking, at the first intersection, you will turn right. In the distance, you will see a pedestrian bridge or an overpass. This bridge will take you right in front of the big yellowish building, which is the Piraeus train station.

Entrance to Piraeus train station to the right

How to buy a metro ticket from Piraeus to Athens?

Enter the hall with the ticket booth, and buy your train ticket either from the booth or the ticket machine.

How much is the metro train ticket from Piraeus to Athens?

The price of a one-way ticket to one destination (e.g., Thissio or Monastiraki) is 1.40 euros.

It is valid for 90 minutes in all directions for both the metro and the buses (except for the airport bus and the X80 tourist bus).

Before you get on the train, make sure to validate your ticket in the machines at the entrance to the platform.

For the latest Athens Metro news, timetables, and ticket prices, check the Athens Metro Official Site

Inside Piraeus metro train station

You can use either the train on the left or the right track, it makes no difference, they both go in the same direction.

Athens train: How to Get to Athens Acropolis by Metro Train?

If you are going straight to the Acropolis, you have two ways to do it by Athens train.

1. The first option is getting off at the Thissio station, which is on the green metro line, the one you embark on in Piraeus. You can get an Athens metro train map here.

The ride from Piraeus metro station to Thissio is about 15 min long, and it doesn’t involve any change of lines or trains.

From Thissio station, walk to the bottom of the Athens Acropolis for about 10 minutes, and from there climb up the steep hill to reach the top with the Athens Parthenon. That would mean entering the Acropolis through the less busy entrance, the one by the Dionysus theater.

2. The second option, if you’d like to enter the Athens Acropolis complex from its main entrance (not recommended; you could wait in line for hours), is to take the Green line to Omonia and then change to the Red line. Acropolis metro station will be the third stop on the red line from Omonia. The whole ride will take about 15 minutes more than getting off at Thissio.

The view from the Acropolis: Piraeus in the distance

If you have decided to visit the Athens Acropolis by yourself, make sure you buy your skip-the-line tickets online! I cannot stress enough how important this is! Read why you should do this and get a link to buying your skip-the-line ticket in my article, Acropolis Greece: Tips and Tricks.

If all these instructions seem too much, I feel for you. It's not always easy to get around in a foreign country, especially when doing it for the first time.

That is why I understand why many of our readers decide to go with one of the hassle-free shore excursions that take you from the port of Piraeus to the Athens Acropolis.

Here are the ones that they like booking most:

Athens train: How to get to Athens Plaka by Metro Train?

If you have visited the Acropolis before and want to spend the whole day shopping and dining in the Plaka area only, you can simply stay on the Green line from Piraeus and get off at the Monastiraki station. Learn more about the Athens Plaka area and major shopping streets in our article on Athens Plaka.

If you wish to visit Athens Plaka after your visit to the Athens Acropolis, you should do the following:

• Take the Athens Red Line train from Acropolis metro station to Syntagma Square (one stop only, about a 2 min ride). From there, walk for about 5 to 10 minutes to reach the Plaka.
• If you used the Thissio stop to climb up to the Acropolis, take the Athens green line train from the Thissio metro station to the Monastiraki metro station (one stop), which is in the heart of the Plaka, or simply walk!

How to take a metro train from Athens to the port of Piraeus?

If you used one of the tours or a private transfer to get into Athens but want to return to the ship using the metro train system, it is easiest to do it from the Monastiraki station at the bottom of the Plaka area.

Just keep in mind that from Piraeus metro station, where you will get off, you have at least a 30-minute walk to Terminal A at Athens port (Piraeus).

If your ship is at Terminal B, you can use the free port bus to give you a lift from Terminal A to Terminal B. The bus will stop in front of the Duty-free shops exit inside the terminal building. To find out more about Terminals A and B, read our article on Port of Piraeus.

If using the Athens train when returning to Piraeus port, allow at least one and a half hour for the whole procedure, just to be on the safe side.

You want to make sure you get there in time for the all-aboard time, which is generally 30 minutes before the ship departs the port.

For a fun and informative overview of the new Athens Metro, read Matt Barrett's Athens Guide: New Metro

If all this seems too much you can always book one of the transportation options online and have a smooth and worry-free day...Check our suggestions below: