Piraeus Bus to Athens

Taking the regular commuter bus from Piraeus to Athens can be one of the cheapest ways to travel between the two cities, but it can also be time consuming and crowded. If your main focus is on affordability rather than comfort then this might be your best option.

Thankfully there are many bus services that operate between the two cities on a regular schedule, with dozens of routes linking Piraeus to various parts of Athens. That means you can find ways to get to different landmarks in Athens rather than having to stick close to one particular destination, giving you much more independence for your day trip.

To reach Athens’ center, the best bus lines to take are the 040 and X80. People generally consider the X80 to be the more convenient of the two routes, offering the most stops nearest the biggest and most popular tourist destinations once you’re in Athens itself. But it’s important to note that the bus operating hours are limited from 7am to 9.30pm only. Expect to pay roughly €4.50 for the ticket to Athens, and the journey should take about 30 minutes.

Alternatively, the 040 is cheaper and typically costs about €1.50 — plus this route has the benefit of operating 24 hours a day, so if your cruise ships arrives overnight then you will still be able to get to Athens by taking this bus. However, although it’s cheaper and operates more frequently than the X80, the 040 is notoriously crowded which can make the journey very uncomfortable. And it has more stops, so you can expect to be on the bus for almost 1 hour.

It’s easy to catch the bus to Athens from the port; if you enquire from one of the port employees they will be able to guide you to where the bus stop at the port is located. You can catch either the 040 or the X80 from the same stop, but note the differences in services detailed above.

X80 Bus Quik info

Χ80 Piraeus (Akti Xaveriou – Cruise Terminal) – Acropolis – Syntagma From 07:00 – 21:30 / Pass every 30 min

X80 Bus Ticket information

Single Ticket for Line x80 is valid for 90 minutes on all modes of transportation, including the express line X80 (invalid on Airport Lines). Cost is €4.50.

Piraeus Bus to Athens Airport

To get to Athens Airport from Piraeus Port you have to take Bus X96 departs from Piraeus port every 30-45 minutes. The travel duration for this route is approximately 60 minutes depending on traffic.

Here is the timetable: