USEFUL NUMBERS
Emergencies
POLICE: 100
AMBULANCE: 166
FIRE: 199
TOURIST POLICE: 171
Hospitals
Evangelismos Hospital
45-47 Ipsilandou, Kolonaki, 210 7201000 / Metro: Evangelismos
Major public hospital, centrally located.
Eginitio Hospital
72-74 Vasilissis Sophias Avenue, 210 7220811-3 / Metro: Megaro Mousikis
Public hospital, centrally located
Ippokratio
114 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue, 210 7483770 / Metro: Ampelokipi
Public hospital, centrally located
Metropolitan Hospital
Ethnarhou Makariou & 1 Eleftheriou Venizelou, Neo Faliro, Telephone centre: 210 4809000, Emergency: 210 4809199 / Metro: Sygrou-Fix, then taxi
Private hospital, five minutes from Intercontinental Hotel
Tourist information
Greek National Tourist Organisation (GNTO)
Known as EOT in Greek.
Offices: 18 Dionysiou Aeropagitou Street, 210 3310392 / Metro: Acropolis
Hrs: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat-Sun 1000-1600
The GNTO offices, sponsored by the Tourism Ministry, is where you can ask for any travel information concerning Athens and Greece.
Transport
AIR
Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport
Flight information (all airlines): 210 35 30 000
Access: Metro Line 3, trains to airport run every 30 minutes, tickets cost €8 / Suburban railway (proastiakos) from Larisis Metro station / Bus number X95 departs from Syntagma square, bus X96 from Piraeus and bus X97 from Dafni Metro station, tickets cost €5.
Website: www.aia.gr
BOATS
Ports
Piraeus Port (main port of Athens, all destinations): 210 4147800 for general information
Rafina port (Akti Andrea Papandreou, www.rafinaport.gr): for trips to Andros, Tinos, Myconos, Paros, Naksos, Evia.
Call 171 for information in English.
Main ferry and hydrofoil companies:
All companies at: www.ferries.gr
Hellenic Seaways, 210 4131111, www.hellenicseaways.gr
Blue Star Ferries, 210 3226400, www.bluestarferries.com
Minoan Lines, 210 4145700, www. minoan.gr
CITY TRANSPORT – METRO, BUS, TRAM TRAIN
Daily commuting has immensely improved since the arrival of the metro in 2000, and thankfully it continues to expand southwards and westwards.
The regular ticket costs €1.40 and can be used for an hour-and-a-half after validation towards any direction (except the airport) combining Metro, bus, tram or ISAP train (the green line). If you plan to use only bus, or tram, or the ISAP train you can buy the €1.20 ticket, which is valid only for one way. Students and senior citizens over 65 pay a half-price ticket.
If you’re going to or coming from the airport, you have to buy an €8 ticket, whereas transportation on the suburban railway (proastiakos) to Pallini, Paiania-Katza, Koropi requires a €4 ticket.
There is also a 24-hour flat rate ticket valid for all forms of transportation at €4 and a weekly ticket at €14 (both exclude the airport and bus stations beyond Varkiza). Tickets can be purchased in all Metro, tram and train stations, as well as from the automated machines located in every station, and the Metro ticket booths.
For information about Athens Metro tickets and routes visit: www.amel.gr.
For the tram visit: www.tramsa.gr
LONG-DISTANCE BUSES (KTEL)
KTEL buses are widely used for travel within Greece, because they are cheap, clean and with regular daily routes. However, due to an incomprehensible decision, the old KTEL website (www.ktel.org) - which used to provide free information on all KTEL routes from Athens - has been replaced by a phone service (Tel: 14505) which is only in Greek. Therefore, to be certain you have booked your tickets, it is advisable to request assistance from your hotel reception, or to arrive at the terminal early (half hour before departure) and buy your tickets on the spot. The bus terminals are located at Peloponnese station, which is a short distance from Larisis metro station. Below are the phone numbers and addresses of the main long-distance bus terminals in Athens, but keep in mind that there is no guarantee that the employee who answers the phone will speak English. There is also a KTEL service for wider Attica, which will take you to Sounio, Rafina port, Marathon and Nea Makri.
Terminal A – 100 Kifisou Street, Peristeri 210 5124910 – For buses to the Peloponnese, western Greece and Thessaloniki
Terminal B – 260 Liosion Street, Peristeri 210 8317096 – For buses to central and Northern Greece
KTEL Attikis (for trips in wider Attica) – Offices: 68 Patision Avenue & 2 Kotsika Street, 210 8808080 / For buses to Sounio, Rafina, Marathon, Nea Makri: Station at Mavromateon Street, Pedion tou Areos. Services run from 0545 to 2130.
TRAINS
Long-distance train tickets are issued by Greek Railways Association, known as OSE and can be bought online at www.ose.gr/en/Home.aspx, or at OSE’s ticket booths at the central Larisis Station, from where trains to all destinations depart. Metro: Stathmos Larisis.
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