Greece – Buses and Trams

What is the overall standard of bus services in Greece, and how do they compare to systems in other countries?

Greek public transport has seen considerable investment and modernisation over the last two decades, with upgrades to urban transit, roads, and airports all progressing in parallel. Athens has benefited most visibly: the capital now runs one of the more cohesive urban transport networks in southern Europe, weaving together buses, trolleybuses, trams, and a metro under a shared authority and unified ticketing system.

A fleet of 140 new electric buses has already been delivered in Athens, and 300 CNG buses were added to the existing fleet. This fleet renewal is intended to upgrade the level of public transportation services offered to citizens and support sustainable urban mobility. In contrast to many older European city networks that continue to depend heavily on diesel vehicles, Athens is making a deliberate shift towards cleaner technologies.

Beyond the capital, the picture is more uneven. KTEL companies run city and regional buses in more than 60 cities; the standard of city buses is usually reasonable, and in some cities electric city buses have started operating. However, the quality of buses varies from area to area, and some rural parts of the country still operate very old buses. This disparity between metropolitan and rural provision mirrors conditions in many southern and eastern European nations, where capital cities attract disproportionately more infrastructure spending than smaller towns and villages.

On the Greek mainland, the intercity KTEL network performs impressively, linking virtually every town of meaningful size with reliable, affordable, and comfortable long-distance coaches. Expats familiar with unified national coach systems — such as those run by single operators in France or Germany — should be aware that Greece’s intercity arrangement is decentralised and cooperative in nature, which means a degree of upfront research is essential when planning travel across different regions.

What range of bus services is available in Greece — urban, intercity, and island routes?

Greek public bus transport divides broadly into three categories: the Athens metropolitan network, urban bus services in other cities across the country, and the nationwide KTEL network covering both regional and intercity routes.

Transport for Athens (OASA) is the operator of public transport in Athens, and through its subsidiary companies it operates metro, tram, trolleybus, and bus services throughout the Athens metropolitan area. OSY (Odikes SYgkinonies), or Road Transport, is the main operator of the bus network in Athens, created in 2011 after the merger of the two previous bus operators. As of 2017, OSY’s network consists of about 322 bus lines spanning the Athens Metropolitan Area.

Elsewhere, individual cities run their own urban bus operations, with Thessaloniki’s OASTH being the most extensive outside Athens. Thessaloniki’s routes cover both the city proper and its surrounding suburbs, and they now complement the city’s recently launched metro system.

The market for intercity bus transportation in Greece is quite different from many other European countries. In most EU countries, the majority of intercity bus traffic is handled by private companies, but in Greece more than 80% of regional and intercity bus traffic is operated by more than 60 public bus cooperatives called KTELs. KTEL stands for “Common Fund of Bus Receipts” and refers to a system of 62 regional bus cooperatives, each covering a specific Greek prefecture or group of prefectures.

A useful distinction exists between two categories of KTEL service: intercity (υπεραστικό) KTEL — long-haul coaches linking cities and towns, typically departing from a dedicated terminal — and urban (αστικό) KTEL, which are local city bus services running in most smaller urban centres.

Long-distance buses and those on the islands are operated by KTEL coaches, which are considered safe and modern. Every region has its own KTEL operator running local services within the region and to main towns in other areas. Most villages have at least a daily bus service, and there is generally a bus stop outside the main square or local café. Buses are convenient for moving across the country, with a network that can reach even the smallest villages.

Private intercity bus operators do exist, but they focus primarily on international routes — such as Athens to Istanbul or Thessaloniki to Sofia — and in certain areas also serve airport connections.

Where can I find bus timetables, routes, and fare information for Greece?

Unlike countries that offer a single national transport portal bringing all services together — such as Transport for London’s unified journey planner or France’s SNCF platform — Greece has no equivalent one-stop resource covering the entire bus network. Identifying which operator or authority is responsible for your area is therefore the essential starting point.

For Athens, the primary source is OASA (oasa.gr), the Athens Urban Transport Organisation. OASA can be reached via its website or by calling 11185. The OASA network covers metro, bus, trolleybus, tram, and the suburban railway within Attica. Real-time bus arrival information is available through the OASA telematics portal at telematics.oasa.gr. For metro and tram timetables specifically, STASY (stasy.gr) is the dedicated operator.

For Thessaloniki, urban bus timetables and fare information are published by OASTH (oasth.gr), the Organisation of Urban Transportation of Thessaloniki. The OASTH app and Moovit provide real-time arrival tracking for Thessaloniki’s bus network.

The most important thing to understand about KTEL intercity buses is that there is no central national system — no single website for cross-country journey planning, no unified timetable, and no one phone number to call. In practice, individual KTEL companies — such as those serving Thessaloniki or Ioannina — operate completely independently, with different websites, different ticketing systems, and different phone numbers.

The majority of KTEL websites are available in both Greek and English. Some rural operators do not have websites, only phone numbers — this is the case in small villages such as Metsovo. For most KTEL intercity services, searching for the relevant city name alongside “KTEL” will bring up the correct regional operator’s website. For example, KTEL Thessaloniki operates at ktelthes.gr.

The national tourism authority, Visit Greece (visitgreece.gr), also offers a helpful overview of transport options by region. For multi-operator journey planning, third-party apps such as Moovit and Google Maps work well in urban settings, though their accuracy drops off in less-connected rural areas.

What types of bus tickets and passes are available in Greece, and how do prices compare?

Fare structures differ considerably between Athens, Thessaloniki, and the wider country, so it is worth familiarising yourself with each system in turn.

Athens

Athens runs a unified ticketing system across all its public transport modes: a single ticket costs €1.20 and is valid for 90 minutes (as of 2025), covering buses, trolleybuses, the tram, the metro, and the urban section of the suburban railway. When paying by contactless card, a daily fare cap of €4.10 applies — once you hit that threshold, all further journeys within the same day are free.

A 3-Day Tourist Ticket costs €20 and includes unlimited travel plus one round trip to and from Athens International Airport. It is available at bus and metro ticket kiosks at Athens International Airport, and at Omonia, Syntagma, Thissio, Monastiraki, Acropolis, and Piraeus stations.

The ATH.ENA Card is a reloadable travel card that can be topped up with various fare products depending on your needs. It is intended for all users of modes of transport within the OASA group. It operates on a stored-value model — comparable to an Oyster card in London or a Navigo card in Paris — where you load either credit or time-based passes and tap in at validators.

Reduced fares are available for children under 18, students, people aged 65 and over, and passengers with disabilities, ensuring the system is broadly accessible.

Thessaloniki

In Thessaloniki, a basic ticket is valid for 70 minutes and costs €0.60 (as of 2025 — check oasth.gr for current prices). This ticket is valid on both urban buses and the new metro. Monthly and unlimited travel cards are also available for residents, issued as personalised smart cards through OASTH.

Intercity KTEL

KTEL intercity fares are government-regulated and generally very affordable — most intercity journeys cost between €5 and €25. As of 2026, the regular fare for Athens to Thessaloniki costs €45 for a one-way trip and €72 for a return, with student prices of €35 and €60 respectively. As a general guide, a journey typically costs roughly €4 per 100 km. Note that a fare increase of approximately 10% was approved in early 2026 for both intercity and urban KTEL routes across the country. This came on top of a 9% increase at the beginning of 2024, meaning KTEL tickets have seen cumulative increases of around 19% over less than two years. Always check the relevant KTEL operator’s website for the most current fares before travelling.

Outside Athens and Thessaloniki, city bus ticketing arrangements vary by location — some cities sell only per-ride tickets, while others offer day passes or multi-day options.

How do you buy a bus ticket in Greece?

The purchasing process varies depending on whether you are using urban buses in Athens or Thessaloniki, or travelling on an intercity KTEL coach. The following steps cover the main scenarios:

1. Urban travel in Athens — contactless payment (Tap2Ride): From 15 January 2025, a contactless payment system called Tap2Ride was fully implemented on all Athens transport modes. All contactless debit and credit cards issued in Greece, as well as most international contactless cards, are accepted on buses, trolleybuses, metro, tram, and suburban railway. Mobile payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are also accepted in the same way as contactless payment cards. Simply tap your card or device at the validator when boarding.
2. Urban travel in Athens — ATH.ENA Ticket or Card: OASA encourages passengers to top up the ATH.ENA Ticket or ATH.ENA Card as part of its sustainable urban mobility initiative. These can be purchased and reloaded at metro station vending machines, ticket offices, and selected kiosks. Load your preferred product (single rides, daily, or period passes) and tap the card at validators on board or at metro gates.
3. Urban travel in Thessaloniki — vending machines or on-board: Automated ticket vending machines across the city allow the purchase of smart reloadable tickets using cash, debit, or credit cards. On-board ticket vending machines installed on buses accept payments only via debit or credit card. Payment on the bus in Thessaloniki is only accepted with a contactless card — cash is no longer accepted on vehicles.
4. Intercity KTEL coach — at the terminal: Tickets can be bought directly at the station’s ticket counter. In most cases, purchasing on the day of travel — even shortly before your coach departs — is not a problem. Most towns with a population above 5,000 have a bus station with a sales office; larger terminals also feature a waiting area, a café or snack bar, a kiosk, and sometimes luggage storage.
5. Intercity KTEL — online booking: Many KTEL operators now offer online ticketing through their own websites. Tickets for international connections such as Athens to Belgrade or Athens to Tirana, and for some airport buses, can be bought online. Athens to Thessaloniki costs around €43 with an e-ticket (as of 2026), a small saving on the walk-up price. Check individual KTEL operator websites for online booking availability on your specific route.
6. Book ahead for peak periods: The main exceptions to buying on the day are when travelling on busy public holidays or if taking a bus to a busy seaside town during summer — for those journeys, advance booking is strongly recommended.
7. Keep your ticket: KTEL intercity tickets are non-refundable on most lines, though some companies allow date changes. Always keep your ticket — drivers check them on board.

Are there trams in Greece?

Athens is currently the only city in Greece with a tram network. The Athens Tram is the modern public tram network serving Athens, and is owned and operated by STASY, which took over from Tram S.A. in June 2011. The Athens tram routes were reintroduced for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, having originally closed in 1960.

STASY operates a fleet of 25 Alstom Citadis and 35 Sirio vehicles, serving two tram lines and 60 stops. The tram network spans a total length of 27 kilometres throughout ten Athenian suburbs.

There are two tram lines: T6 connects Syntagma with Faliro (Pikrodafni station) and T7 connects Voula (Asklipeio Voulas station) with Piraeus Port (Akti Posidonos station). The two lines meet at Pikrodafni station. The network links central Athens with the coastal suburbs of Faliro, Voula, and Piraeus. The journey from Syntagma Square to the furthest seaside stops at Voula or Piraeus takes roughly one hour.

The Athens tram system provides average daily service to 65,000 passengers. It offers a relaxed and scenic way to travel along the Athenian Riviera, with the coastal stretches providing open views across the Saronic Gulf.

Integration with other transport

Purchased tickets are valid for 90 minutes after validation and can be used for several rides across all means of public transport in Athens, including the metro, buses, and the urban section of the suburban railway (between Piraeus, Magoula, and Koropi stations, excluding the airport). This means a single ticket or ATH.ENA Card tap covers a tram journey, a connecting metro leg, and a bus — all within the 90-minute validity window. This represents a genuinely integrated approach, comparable to systems in cities like Lyon or Madrid.

Operating hours and frequency

The tram operates daily from 05:30 to 01:00, with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays. From September 2025, the tram (Lines T6 and T7) operates 24 hours every Saturday. During peak hours, trams arrive every 7 to 10 minutes.

Accessibility

Each station is equipped with ramps and low platforms, making the tram accessible to wheelchair users and those with pushchairs. Every stop is equipped with a visual and audio information system, ticket issuing and validating machines, and a CCTV system. Passengers are informed through sound announcements and electronic signs about arrival times, delays, and route changes.

What practical tips should expats know about using buses and trams in Greece?

Always validate your ticket

On boarding any tram, bus, or trolleybus in Athens, you must stamp your ticket using the electronic validators inside the vehicle. Holding a paid, valid ticket is not enough — failure to validate it is treated as fare evasion. Penalties are severe (€120) and are applied consistently, including to tourists and visitors.

Contactless payments: know your card

In Athens, the Tap2Ride system lets you pay directly at validators with a contactless Visa or Mastercard — physical or digital via Apple Pay or Google Pay — and is ideal for visitors and occasional commuters. However, only Visa and Mastercard are accepted — cards such as Maestro, JCB, Amex, Diners, Discover, and China UnionPay are not supported at this stage. If your card is not compatible, use an ATH.ENA Ticket instead.

Use the same card for the whole journey

Use the same card or device for your entire journey, including transfers, to avoid multiple charges. Ticket inspectors verify payment by scanning the exact card or device you used to tap in — no paper receipt is provided.

KTEL: the two terminal system in Athens

Athens currently has two intercity KTEL terminals, and which one you use depends entirely on where you’re going. Terminal A (Kifissos), at 100 Kifissou Avenue, handles buses to the Peloponnese, western Greece, Epirus, the Ionian Islands, and the Athens–Thessaloniki service. Both Kifissos and Liosion are due to be replaced by a single new Central Bus Terminal in the Eleonas district, next to Eleonas Metro station (Line 3). The facility will cover 66,400 m² and handle up to 15 million passengers per year, with an operational target of 2026 — check current status before travelling, as the changeover may affect departure points.

Night services in Athens

In September 2025, OASA introduced 24-hour services on Saturdays. On top of the Saturday 24-hour routes, certain bus routes such as 040, 11, X93, X95, X96, and X97 operate 24 hours every day, alongside dedicated night lines including 400, 500, 790, and X14.

Apps and real-time information

The OASA app provides live updates for Athens services, making it easier to time connections and react to delays. In Thessaloniki, the OASTH app and Moovit both offer real-time bus tracking. Google Maps also functions adequately for journey planning in Greece’s main cities, though it may lag behind very recent route or timetable changes.

Rural and island services

In rural areas and on the islands, bus services are less frequent and schedules can change seasonally. Some rural operators do not have websites, only phone numbers — as is the case in small villages such as Metsovo. In these situations, local hotels, restaurants, and businesses will be able to inform you about schedules. On the islands, KTEL services typically connect the port to main towns and resorts, but frequencies can be very limited outside the tourist season.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a single app or website for all public transport in Greece?

There is no central national system for intercity bus travel in Greece — no single website for cross-country journey planning and no unified timetable. For Athens, the OASA website and app cover all urban transport. For intercity travel, you need to identify and contact the relevant regional KTEL operator. Third-party apps like Moovit and Google Maps are helpful for urban areas.

Can I use a contactless bank card on Athens buses and trams?

Since 15 January 2025, all contactless debit and credit cards — as well as most international contactless cards — are accepted for travel on all Athens transport modes, including buses, trolleybuses, metro, tram, and suburban railway. Only Visa and Mastercard are supported — Maestro, Amex, JCB, Diners, Discover, and China UnionPay are not accepted at this stage.

How much does it cost to take the bus in Athens?

Standard fares in Athens are €1.20 for a 90-minute ticket and €5.50 for airport express buses (as of 2025). If you use contactless payment, a daily fare cap of €4.10 applies — so after a certain number of journeys in one day, you travel free. Always check oasa.gr for current fares, as these may be updated.

How do I get from Athens city centre to the airport by public transport?

Airport Express buses operate on a 24-hour basis and connect Athens International Airport with the city centre (Syntagma Square), Piraeus port, and the Intercity Bus Terminal (KTEL Kifissos). A metro line also connects the airport directly to the city centre. Airport express bus fares are €5.50 with contactless payment.

Does Thessaloniki have a tram?

No. Thessaloniki does not have a tram network. Since the end of 2024, Thessaloniki has a functional metro system, which has significantly changed how people move through the city. Urban buses operated by OASTH remain the main surface transport option in Thessaloniki, covering the city and its suburbs.

Are KTEL intercity buses comfortable for long journeys?

KTEL coaches offer comfortable extra-wide seats, on-board Wi-Fi, and allow passengers to take up to 3 suitcases with a total weight of 45 kilograms. Long-distance KTEL routes are comfortable, punctual, and very good value compared to alternatives. Air conditioning is standard on major intercity routes.

What is the penalty for not validating a ticket in Greece?

Fines for not having a valid ticket are extremely high — €120 — and are strictly enforced, even for tourists. Even if you are a tourist, the fine will be forwarded to border authorities and will be waiting for you upon leaving Greece. Always validate immediately on boarding any urban bus, tram, or metro.

Are there reduced-fare bus options for expat residents in Greece?

Discounted tickets are available in Athens for children under 18, students, seniors over 65, and those with disabilities. In Thessaloniki, for minors, citizens over 65, unemployed individuals, and persons with disabilities, no documentation is required as eligibility is verified automatically through the AMKA system — Greece’s social security and health insurance number, which resident expats are also issued. Check the relevant operator’s website for the full list of concession categories and required documentation.