Do you need to take a taxi in Athens Greece? Unfortunately, some taxi drivers might try to scam you, so you need to be aware. This guide includes Athens taxi fares, and provides information on alternative transfers, including Welcome Pickups and Uber.
Taking a taxi in Athens Greece
Most people visiting Athens in Greece will want to take a taxi at some point. While public transportation in Athens is pretty convenient overall, there will be times when a taxi will be more suitable.
Taxis in Athens are instantly recognizable by their bright yellow color. They can fit up to four passengers, and are fairly inexpensive compared to many other countries in Europe. They serve central Athens, the Athens airport, the ferry / cruise ports of Athens, like Piraeus port, and the suburbs, like Glyfada.
Most of the taxi drivers in Athens use their meters when they have a passenger. However, not all of them are honest. Some of them would rather make some extra cash by scamming customers. Foreign visitors are a much easier target, as they are in a new country, and they are often unaware of taxi scams in Athens.
I’m Vanessa from Athens and I wrote this guide to help any of you who are thinking to take a taxi in Athens Greece. Please read before your trip, and avoid getting scammed!
Taxi from Athens airport to central Athens
Many visitors will arrive at the Athens airport, and will want to get to their hotel in central Athens. There’s a stand for yellow taxis just outside the airport, where people often queue for a taxi.
Yellow taxis are supposed to charge a flat fare of 40 euro to take you from the Athens airport to central Athens during daytime (5 am – midnight). The price increases to 55 euro from midnight to 5 am. This includes all the associated expenses, such as tolls, luggage and VAT.
Note that the airport fare is only set to 40 euro if you are going to Athens downtown (see map below). When it comes to suburbs outside the city center, for example Faliro, Glyfada or Vouliagmeni, the driver will need to use the taximeter.
Unfortunately, even at this day and age, I still hear of visitors getting scammed when hailing a yellow taxi from the Athens airport. Don’t just take my word for it – please read this Facebook post for a traveler’s first-hand experience. They were charged a whopping 180 euro!
To avoid a similar incident, please consider pre-booking a transfer from the Athens airport to your hotel, especially if you are arriving after a very long flight. This way, you will know exactly what you are paying, and you will have peace of mind, which is very important when arriving to a new country.
How to pre-book a transfer from Athens airport to the center
While there are many transfer services in Athens, I warmly recommend Welcome Pickups. I’ve personally used them a few times, both in Greece and abroad, and I’ve had positive feedback from dozens of travelers.
The driver monitors your flight, and they will know when you’ve arrived, plus you can communicate with them after you’ve landed. In my experience, they all speak excellent English, and are keen to interact with visitors, so you’ll have a great first introduction to Athens.
Welcome Pickups charge a little more than a regular yellow taxi, and I really think is worth it. It will save you a potential hassle and bad start to your Greek vacation. Very importantly, they can provide children’s seats or specialized assistance upon request.
Other taxi services you can use from the airport include Uber and also two more services that are used in Athens, Taxiplon and FreeNow. Or, you can ask for your hotel to book a transfer for you – just be aware that they may be charging a commission.
This is a photo I took at the Athens airport, explaining the airport flat taxi fare. If you decide to take a yellow taxi, at least have a look at the small print to know what to expect.
Taxi for short distances within Athens: Uber, FreeNow
While it’s possible to get around central Athens entirely on foot, some people will not want to walk for too long. In these cases you can use the metro, tram, buses, trolleys, or taxis.
Again, while most taxi drivers are honest people trying to make a living, you might be unlucky and come across a scammer. Have a look at this Facebook post for some personal experiences.
In cases like that, I recommend that you use one of the available apps in Athens:FreeNow, Uber, or Taxiplon. I personally prefer FreeNow as this is the first one I got used to, but Uber works fine as well.
By the way, if you use my discount code, c2k76nqm4, when you join FreeNow , you will get 5 euro off your first journey!
It’s important to note that these taxi services in Athens are still run by the yellow taxis, rather than private cars. However, by using Uber / FreeNow you can have an indication of the cost before you jump into the taxi, so at least you will know roughly what you are paying.
Also, I should note here that these apps charge each driver a fee, which is actually added to your end fare – so, by using Uber, you will be paying a little extra. But at least you will know the amount in advance, and you can pay by card, so you don’t have to deal with cash.
Taxi costs in Athens
But how much does a taxi cost in Athens? Here is a summary of costs. “Daytime” is between 5:00 and midnight, and “nighttime” is from midnight to 5:00.
- Starting fare from the moment you enter the taxi: 1.80 euro
- Daytime (single) fare: 0.90 euro / km
- Nighttime (double) fare: 1.25 euro / km
- Outskirts of Athens fare: 1.25 euro / km (this includes areas outside the metropolitan area of Athens, e.g. Rafina, Vouliagmeni)
- Minimum fare: 4 euro
- Surcharge for ports, railway station and intercity bus stations: 1.07 euro
- Daytime Athens Airport to center and vice versa: 40 euro
- Nighttime Athens Airport to center and vice versa: 55 euro
- Cost per piece of luggage over 10 kg: 0.40 euro (does not apply to airport fare)
Note that there’s also a charge for any periods when a taxi is stationary for over 20 minutes while executing a route. This comes to 15 euro / hour.
Example of taxi costs in Athens
As an example, let’s say you want to take a taxi from the Acropolis to the National Archaeological Museum, which is a distance of 3.8 km / 2.4 mi. This route should cost you about 5.20 euros if you take a yellow taxi.
In order to calculate the rough cost, you will need to add the starting fare (1.80) plus the number of kms (3.8) multiplied by the daytime fare per km (0.90). This works out to be 1.80 + (3.8 x 0.90) = 5.20.
Allow an extra euro or two if you are using an Uber / Free Now, and you should expect to pay no more than 7 euro.
The minimum fare, which is set to 4 euro, applies for very short distances, of up to about 2 kms / 1.3 mi. Uber and Free Now will probably add on a euro or so – so, expect to pay 5 euro for a short trip.
Should I tip my Athens taxi driver
Tipping a taxi driver in Athens, or anywhere in Greece, is totally up to your discretion. If you were happy with the service, there is no reason why you wouldn’t! There’s no standard tip in Greece, so just leave as much as you feel like.
Here is some more info about tipping in Greece.
Things to know about Athens taxis
Here are a few things you should know about taxis in Athens:
- Athens taxis are bright yellow.
- Yellow taxis in Athens can carry up to four passengers, plus luggage. If you are a larger party, or have lots of luggage, you will need to hire a small van.
- The airport fare is 40 euro during daytime (5 am – midnight) and 55 during nighttime. There’s a small fee of 0.40 euro per piece of luggage exceeding 10 kg.
- By law, all taxi cabs in Athens and Greece should accept both cards and cash. If a taxi driver claims they don’t accept cards, please take another taxi, as they are not being honest with you.
- You can hail a taxi in Athens, but unfortunately scams are not uncommon.
How to avoid taxi scams in Athens
As an Athenian, here is my best advice to avoid taxi scams in Athens:
- Instead of hailing a taxi in Athens, it’s best to use an app like Welcome Pickups, Uber or FreeNow. These services will cost you a few euros more, but you will know the pricing in advance and you will have peace of mind.
- If you absolutely need to hail a taxi in Athens, make sure they accept payment by card and that they use the meter before you enter the taxi.
- You can get a rough idea of how much you will be paying by estimating the approximate distance you are using the taxi for. As an indication, a ride of 3-3.5 kms should cost you about 5 euro. Minimum fare is 4 euro.
- If you feel you have been scammed, you can consider taking a photo of the taxi’s number plate and contact the tourist police:.
Athens Tourist Police
- Address: Veikou 43-45, Koukaki, 117 42
- Tel: (+30)210-9200724, (+30)210 9200729
- E-mail: tta.athinon@ermis.ydt
How to not get scammed by taxi drivers in Athens
I’ll make one final suggestion here, which is my personal advice, especially for people travelling solo.
If you are not feeling safe to argue with a random taxi driver, please just accept that you’ve been scammed and move on. Most importantly, don’t let a single unfortunate incident ruin your Greek vacation! And, please, make sure you pre-book your transfers in the future!
And don’t worry, mishaps happen to everyone. Here’s a few things that have gone very wrong during my own Greek holidays in the past. None of those were very amusing when they happened!
More Athens travel guides
Here are a few more travel guides about Athens:
- How to get around Athens
- Best things to do in Athens
- Combined ticket to the ancient sites in Athens
- Best tours in Athens
Hi! I’m Vanessa from Athens and I love travelling around Greece and the Greek islands. Follow me on my social media:
- Facebook page and very active Facebook group
- Amazon
