DESTINATIONS athens cruise-travel-4

TRAVEL TIPS

Cruise Travel

Piraeus is the port of Athens, 11 km (7 miles) southwest of the city center, and is itself the third-largest city in Greece, with a population of about 500,000. In anticipation of a flood of visitors during the 2004 Olympics, the harbor district was given a general sprucing up. The cruise port has 12 berths, and the cruise terminal has duty-free shops, information, and refreshments.

The fastest and cheapest way to get to Athens from Piraeus is to take the metro. Line 1 (Green Line) reaches the downtown Athens stops most useful to tourists, including Platia Victorias, near the National Archaeological Museum; Omonia Square; Monastiraki, in the old Turkish bazaar; and Thission, near the ancient Agora. The trip takes 25 to 30 minutes. The Piraeus metro station for Line 1 (Piraeus-Kifissia) is off Akti Kallimasioti on the main harbor, a 20-minute walk from the cruise port, and you must walk all the way around the harbor to reach these piers.

You can also take the express X80 bus line, leaving the OLP cruise terminal for Acropolis and Syntagma Square (for info, www.oasa.gr).

Taxis wait outside the terminal entrance. Taxis into the city are not necessarily quicker than public transport because of traffic, and cost around €12–€15. Athens taxi drivers have a reputation for overcharging passengers, so make sure the meter is switched on. It is common practice for drivers to pick up other passengers if there is room in the cab. These extra passengers will also pay the full fare for the trip. Radio taxis also have an additional charge of €3 to €5 for the pickup. Taxis are also readily available at the port to get you to the airport for around €45.

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