Athen Metro Closures? Is this still accurate

[audrey2580]

I read the green line was closed. Are these directions from Port to Acropolis still accurate?

 

Depart ship early – around 7:00 to 7:15 am, because there is a lot to see and it does take a while to get into Athens from the port of Piraeus. You can walk to the metro (about 30 mins) or look for a taxi. There is a good, safe sidewalk, and as long as you keep the water on your left and keep walking past all the ferry piers, you can’t miss seeing the escalator and overhead walkway that lead across the main street to the metro stop. Fare is 1 €, or 3€ for an all-day pass, and the metro was very efficient since it is not affected by traffic.

 

There is only one subway line at Piraeus (Green line). The Green line is also called the Electric Train; it’s not considered the “metro” as the Red and Blue lines are. Beware of pickpockets on the trains. Take the Green line to Omonia station (Omonia square) and transfer there to the red line. Travel on red line to Akropolis stop.

 

When you get off the metro, look around to get your bearings. First, visit Hadrian’s Arch (at the entrance of the Temple of Zeus; Amallias Avenue) and the Temple of Olympian Zeus (completed by Hadrian around 130 AD). The Temple opens at 8am. You can buy your 12 € combo ticket here and use it at most of the places visited this morning. If time permits, visit the new Acropolis museum, close to the SE entrance of the Acropolis.

 

Next, head for the southeast entrance of the Acropolis (included in your 12 € combo ticket). There is so much to see there, including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, and the Theater of Dionysus. (Get Frommer’s “Athens Past and Present” book and Peter Connolly’s “The Ancient City” before your trip to get oriented.) If you prefer a guide, there were several of them offering tours by the entrance. Be prepared: some part of the Acropolis is almost always in scaffolding.

Coming down off the Acropolis, walk to the ancient Agora (included in your 12 € combo ticket). (For a good map, see http://www.athensguide.com/map/athens.htm .) Tour the Temple of Hephaestos (the only ancient Greek temple with an intact roof), the Agora, and the small but excellent museum housed in the Stoa of Attalos. Then head next door to the Roman Forum (also included in combo ticket) and view the Temple of the Winds.

 

Then head towards the National Archaeological Museum: walk to the Monastiraki (Green line) metro stop nearby, and take it to Viktoria stop, then walk until you can see the museum. It should be time for lunch and there are tons of cafés near the museum.

 

Map showing location of Viktoria metro station and museum: http://www.dolphin-hellas.gr/Maps/At...p-Mousseio.htm

 

At 7 €, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens is an amazing bargain. What a superlative collection! You can easily spend hours here and still not see everything. They have some incredible pieces, including the well-known smiling Kouros, the spear-throwing Poseidon rescued from the sea, the jockey of Artemision, and Trojan gold including Schliemann's "Gold Mask of Agamemnon".

 

After the museum, return to the Viktoria station and take the Green line Metro back to Piraeus, and walk or (hopefully!) taxi to the ship. Allow about an hour for transit back to the ship (e.g., plan to leave the Museum by 4pm).

 

Another good interactive map with photos and explanations: http://www.chem.uoa.gr/Location/AthensMap/Athensmap.htm

 

 

 

Thanks

[see you soon]

I read the green line was closed. Are these directions from Port to Acropolis still accurate?

 

Depart ship early – around 7:00 to 7:15 am, because there is a lot to see and it does take a while to get into Athens from the port of Piraeus. You can walk to the metro (about 30 mins) or look for a taxi. There is a good, safe sidewalk, and as long as you keep the water on your left and keep walking past all the ferry piers, you can’t miss seeing the escalator and overhead walkway that lead across the main street to the metro stop. Fare is 1 €, or 3€ for an all-day pass, and the metro was very efficient since it is not affected by traffic.

 

There is only one subway line at Piraeus (Green line). The Green line is also called the Electric Train; it’s not considered the “metro” as the Red and Blue lines are. Beware of pickpockets on the trains. Take the Green line to Omonia station (Omonia square) and transfer there to the red line. Travel on red line to Akropolis stop.

 

When you get off the metro, look around to get your bearings. First, visit Hadrian’s Arch (at the entrance of the Temple of Zeus; Amallias Avenue) and the Temple of Olympian Zeus (completed by Hadrian around 130 AD). The Temple opens at 8am. You can buy your 12 € combo ticket here and use it at most of the places visited this morning. If time permits, visit the new Acropolis museum, close to the SE entrance of the Acropolis.

 

Next, head for the southeast entrance of the Acropolis (included in your 12 € combo ticket). There is so much to see there, including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, and the Theater of Dionysus. (Get Frommer’s “Athens Past and Present” book and Peter Connolly’s “The Ancient City” before your trip to get oriented.) If you prefer a guide, there were several of them offering tours by the entrance. Be prepared: some part of the Acropolis is almost always in scaffolding.

Coming down off the Acropolis, walk to the ancient Agora (included in your 12 € combo ticket). (For a good map, see http://www.athensguide.com/map/athens.htm .) Tour the Temple of Hephaestos (the only ancient Greek temple with an intact roof), the Agora, and the small but excellent museum housed in the Stoa of Attalos. Then head next door to the Roman Forum (also included in combo ticket) and view the Temple of the Winds.

 

Then head towards the National Archaeological Museum: walk to the Monastiraki (Green line) metro stop nearby, and take it to Viktoria stop, then walk until you can see the museum. It should be time for lunch and there are tons of cafés near the museum.

 

Map showing location of Viktoria metro station and museum: http://www.dolphin-hellas.gr/Maps/At...p-Mousseio.htm

 

At 7 €, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens is an amazing bargain. What a superlative collection! You can easily spend hours here and still not see everything. They have some incredible pieces, including the well-known smiling Kouros, the spear-throwing Poseidon rescued from the sea, the jockey of Artemision, and Trojan gold including Schliemann's "Gold Mask of Agamemnon".

 

After the museum, return to the Viktoria station and take the Green line Metro back to Piraeus, and walk or (hopefully!) taxi to the ship. Allow about an hour for transit back to the ship (e.g., plan to leave the Museum by 4pm).

 

Another good interactive map with photos and explanations: http://www.chem.uoa.gr/Location/AthensMap/Athensmap.htm

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

We have been closely watching the Green Line construction taking place since the fall of 2010. The stations past Monastiraki including Victoria have been closed down. The best information I have is they are still shut and may be open at the end of May. Their timetable for construction is not very reliable. So depending when you are traveling, you might have to find an alternate way to get to the Archaeological Museum. We are in Athens on May 4, and will take a taxi probably from Monastiraki or perhaps a bus, if the instructions to by-pass the closed stations are easily understood. The fares for transit have gone up slightly in the last few months.

 

See you soon

 

Mae

[mapleleaves]

you might want to ask on the Athens forum of Tripadvisor when it gets closer to your departure. There are several locals (destination experts) who regularly post and will have the latest info.

We took the train last May to Monastiraki, then walked uphill from there. A wonderful view of the acropolis from just outside the station; it was one of those " I can't believe I'm here" moments. The walk wasn't too bad and there were always places to sit and rest even it was just a stone fence. We ran into others from our ship so it was fun to walk with them and get to know them. Afterwards we walked to Syntagma Square to watch the Changing of the Guard; very entertaining!

[audrey2580]

Thanks.

[kruzseeka]

Not certain I've got this right (didn't know of any closures) but is the line from Pireaus to Monastiraki unaffected? We travel next week and were planning to get the Metro into Athens - but Thissio or Monastiraki will suit us fine. Is this section functioning normally?

[see you soon]

Not certain I've got this right (didn't know of any closures) but is the line from Pireaus to Monastiraki unaffected? We travel next week and were planning to get the Metro into Athens - but Thissio or Monastiraki will suit us fine. Is this section functioning normally?

 

The short answer is yes. It's stations past (north) of Monastiraki that are closed for renovation.

 

See you soon

 

Mae

[marazul]

At 7 €, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens is an amazing bargain. What a superlative collection! You can easily spend hours here and still not see everything. They have some incredible pieces, including the well-known smiling Kouros, the spear-throwing Poseidon rescued from the sea, the jockey of Artemision, and Trojan gold including Schliemann's "Gold Mask of Agamemnon".

 

The mask of Agamemnon and other pieces of Trojan gold are now inthe new museum at Mycenae. Having said that, don't miss the National archeological Museum. It has one of the most spectacular collections in the world.

[kruzseeka]

The short answer is yes. It's stations past (north) of Monastiraki that are closed for renovation.

 

See you soon

 

Mae

 

Thanks so much for your quick reply. :) Just wanted to avoid the walk to the Metro only to find we couldn't get into Athens.