The X95 bus is an Airport Express bus operating from Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos to Syntagma Square in the central Athens area. It is the cheapest way to get to the city from the Airport.
All Airport Express buses are operated by OASA, the state owned company operating public transport in Athens.
Note: This guide is for the X95 from the airport to Syntagma Square. Click here for our guide to taking the X95 from Syntagma Square to the airport.
Where do I board the bus?
The public bus stand at the airport is right outside Gate 5 on the Arrivals level driveway in Arrivals zone B.
If you are arriving on an Intra-Schengen flight, you are already exiting at Gate 5 in Arrivals zone B.
If you are arriving on a flight from outside the Schengen Area (Ireland, UK, USA and everywhere else), you will be in Arrivals Zone A and are likely to see Gate 2 right after you clear customs. This is not where you board the bus and you have to keep heading down the Arrivals corridor to Arrival zone B.
I recommend walking outdoors as you can get your bearings better. Once you exit Gate 2, immediately turn right, and walk straight down the walkway. Aim for the big “Arrivals B” sign – You know you’ve made it when you start seeing the public buses waiting by the side of the driveway.
When in doubt, follow the big blue and white signs pointing you to the buses. You will also see blue poles with the bus numbers and destinations displayed, together with an LCD screen displaying the time of the next departures.
How much does the ticket cost?
There are 2 kinds of tickets you can buy for the X95 bus – a 1-way ticket, or the 3-day tourist pass.
| Ticket type | Full fare (EUR) | Discounted fare (EUR) |
| 1 – way ticket | 5.50 | 2.70 |
| 3 – day tourist ticket | 20.00 | N/A |
The 1-way ticket does exactly what it says – a 1 way journey from the Airport to Syntagma Square.
The 3-day tourist ticket is essentially a 3-day pass for all public transport in Athens – the Metro, the Buses, the Trolleybuses, and the Proastiakos Commuter Rail between Piraeus, Magoula, and Koropi. Most importantly, it includes a 2-way return ticket for the X95 bus.
How do I buy my tickets?
You can buy your tickets at the ticket counter right outside Gate 5 in Arrivals zone B at the Airport. This ticket counter accepts both cash and card. Simply tell the counter staff what tickets you need and how many, and they’ll tell you how much you need to pay.
Alternatively, there are 2 ticket machines available for use. Remember to choose the 1-way Airport Express ticket or the 3-day tourist pass, as the other tickets do not include the Airport Express buses. These ticket machines accept both cash and card, but the user interface takes getting used to.
Once you’ve gotten your tickets, board the bus and tap in onboard.
Remember: the X95 bus (and all the X airport buses) requires its own ticket. A regular ticket for public transport in Athens does not include the Airport Express buses by default.
A little fun fact: If you’re buying a 1-way ticket and need to use the Metro immediately after arriving at Syntagma Square, you can reload the same ticket card with a Metro ticket using the ticket machines.
Operating Hours
The X95 runs 24 hours a day, with a departure from the Airport every 15 minutes.
How are the buses like?
The buses running the X95 route are all regular articulated city buses. There’s nothing special about them, and they have no dedicated luggage space. If you have luggage with you, you have to either hold on to it or get creative. Be warned that the bus can get very busy and very full at various times of the day.
There are information screens onboard, and an automated system reads out the names of the stops – both in Greek only.
Arrival at Syntagma Square
The X95 takes around 40 minutes of travel time to travel from the Airport to Syntagma Square, subject to traffic conditions.
Note that the X95 bus is not a nonstop express. It calls at a variety of stops along the way from the Airport to the city, but the big one is Syntagma Square. Unfortunately the onboard announcements are in Greek only, but Syntagma Square is very hard to miss.
Basically, if everyone on the bus starts getting off, you have reached Syntagma Square.
Public Transport connections at Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square is the most important public square in Athens. There are a good number of hotels and tourist apartments in the general area, and the Square is within walking distance of the Plaka neighbourhood and a few other ancient sites, making it a tourist central of some kind.
The Square also offers public bus connections, connections to the Athens Tram, and is also a key interchange between Lines 2 (Red) and 3 (Blue) of the Athens Metro. If you’re a tourist, the Metro is probably what you’ll be looking for.
The X95 Airport Express bus stop at Syntagma Square is on Othonos Street, the southern side of the Square, and right across from the Syntagma tram stop and Exit No. 2 of the Syntagma Metro station. This makes interchanging to the Tram or the Metro very easy.
Are there other buses?
Yes. There are a total of 4 Airport Express buses (including X95) –
X93 – Athens Airport to Kifissos and Liosion Bus Stations
X95 – Athens Airport to Syntagma Square
X96 – Athens Airport to Piraeus Port
X97 – Athens Airport to Elliniko Metro station
The ticket prices for all 4 Airport Express buses are exactly the same.
Which bus will I need?
If you’re a tourist focusing on Athens, the X95 is more suited for your needs. If, on the other hand, you’re catching a ferry or an intercity KTEL bus after your flight, have a look at the X93 and X96 buses instead.
If, for some reason, you are staying in the south of the city, hop on the X97 to Elliniko.
External links
For more information, please visit OASA’s page for the Airport Express bus lines at https://www.oasa.gr/en/visit-athens/airport-express-bus-lines/
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