Using Athens metro - a bit nervous

It’s been over a decade since I rode the Athens metro so I don’t know about current English signage, but one thing you can do is write down the Greek name of the station you’re going to in advance and then match it against the signs. Also take a picture of the name of the station where you start so you can reference it for your return. Good luck!

The Metro is a good way to get around. As I recall we perched tickets at a machine at the airport.
There are pickpockets on the trains and at the stations. You must keep you valuables safe and secure.

No worries—-Everything in the Athens Metro system is in both English and Greek— from the signage, to the announcements. The ticket machines where you buy your Metro tix also have English as a language option.

Athens Metro was a great way to get around. I had no challenges figuring our ticketing or signage.

You won't have any problems using the Athens metro.

Pickpockets aren't that numerous, and they mainly target those who are "targetable" and careless, coming from the airport or the port of Piraeus with their luggage.
As everywhere in the world, don't let a wallet or phone stick out of your pockets, and don't leave your bags and luggage unattended. Just common-sense precautions.

I often take public transportation in Athens, and I find buses and trolleybuses much more convenient than the metro. There are bus stops almost everywhere and dozens of bus lines. No matter where you want to go in Athens, you're often more likely to find a bus/trolleybus going there than a metro.

Most bus stops have an electronic display that indicates the bus lines and the waiting time before buses arrive. On the buses, there's also a display that shows the bus's location and upcoming stops in real time (in Greek and English).

In fact, 9 times out of 10, in the city, I take a bus rather than the metro. Most visitors don't take the bus or Trollybus because they can't figure out the bus network. What are the lines? Where do they go? Etc. It's actually much simpler than it seems.

Note that since last February, a contactless payment system, "Tap2ride," has been introduced. It's no longer necessary to buy paper tickets; you can validate your journeys with your credit card or phone.

At the end of the day, the system will charge the cheapest fare based on your travel history, regardless of the number of trips.
If you only travel within the city (excluding the airport), at the end of the day you will be charged a maximum of €4.10, the price of a daily ticket.

There are signs both in Greek and English.
If you have a cellphone with data, you can use Google Maps or Apple Maps to guide you as to what station to take, in what direction, how many stops and the stop to get off of.
It sounds like you've never taken public transportation. The map is the most important piece of information you can have.
You must know the direction of the line you need to go.
You can download an Athens metro map in English:

https://www.cieca.eu/sites/default/files/public-pages/Events/2022TAGworkshop/athens-metro-map-pdf.pdf

It's easy once you get used to it. But frankly, the tourist sites are located close in one area. You won't need to be going to the End of any of the lines, unless you're going to/from the airport. But since you are a newbie with luggage, I'd take a taxi or private service like Welcome Pickups to get you to your hotel.
That way when you use the metro, you can concentrate on what you are doing and not have to worry about hauling luggage around.

Here's a You tube video explaining how to use the Athens Metro.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGyvWfyT23E

When I was there, it was tickets from the machine only. There was not tap in/tap out with a credit card. There may be now.

We’ve been to Athens twice in the last 3 years. It’s very easy to get around like any metro in any city. Announcements in Greek and English. Signs in both languages. Machines where one buys tickets has at least five languages on it. There’s also an app which can be downloaded to see when the next train is coming. Never had any worries about theft. Just be aware of your surroundings and keep your valuables safe like in any major city. Download the city mapper app. It will help you greatly. It connects to local transport options gives you the times trains are arriving and leaving. Good luck and happy travels

I'm in the same boat and a "public transport virgin" from America LOL (Janet's words I found on this forum that fully describes me and made me laugh).

I'll share a nice website that I was provided by another member on this forum. I didn't study yet, but it looks very instructive at a quick glance: https://realgreekexperiences.com/locals-guide-to-taking-the-athens-metro

Now if I am understanding Metro correctly from my slim reading thus far, the key is the direction. You'll know the metro is heading in the right direction by the sign on the front of the 1st car. It will display the name of the LAST/final station of that metro line. For example, look at the link of the Athens Metro Map that was provided above.

Let's say after visiting Acropolis you want to go to the Omonia Square. Red Line metro serves Acropolis metro station. I imagine that you should see signs directing you to "Anthoupoli" as the departure hall when you enter the metro station and then the same name should be displayed on the first car. If it says "Eliniko" instead, you will be headed in the wrong direction.

Metro pros, please correct me if I'm wrong.

On the metro it's quite difficult to go the wrong way as the signs in the stations and corridors indicating the lines and directions direct you to the correct platforms.

To get from the Acropolis area to Omonia Square by public transport ( for example), there are other options besides the metro. No need to go underground. Take a bus or trolleybus. Much nicer for seeing the city (and no pickpockets on the bus, in case that's a concern).

https://photos.app.goo.gl/j4Npsq83Y1HM78nN6

There's no official map of bus routes in Athens, but you can find one on OpenStreetMap by selecting the "transport" layer:

https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/37.97380/23.72352&layers=T

Or on Citymapper:

https://citymapper.com/athens/bus/stops?

Google Maps also allows to view bus routes by selecting a bus stop.

@JoLui, yes, your description makes it sound easy, but for a person who has barely used public transportation (except for flights) all their lives it's quite an emotional and mental challenge to use a local bus and in a different country to boot. And like you said there is barely anything to study in advance about local buses. Info about metro provides a little more comfort because there is structure thanks to a map with clearly marked stations and knowledge that the metro comes by every few minutes.

But did I explain it correctly that a tourist will be able to get to the correct departure platform (and hence the right direction of the metro) by knowing the final stations of each metro line? Here's a different example that I have just considered for my own commute to the ferry port. ALERT first: I have just noticed that the metro map Derek posted is outdated. It's the 2016 version and missing the new portion of BLUE M3 Line. Try this one: https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/gr/athens/athens.htm

Back to my example. OP can use practical examples. I'm not trying to hijack the OP's thread.

I will need to take a metro to the Piraeus Port. My hotel is a 10-min walk to Acropoli Metro station and 20-min walk to Syntagma. My options:
1) Walk to Syntagma Metro station and board BLUE Line metro headed to Dimotiko Theatro and get off at the Piraeus Station;
2) Walk to Acropoli Metro station and board RED Line metro headed to "Anthoupoli" and get off either at the Syntagma station or Omonia Station:
A) if I get off at Syntagma Station, see Step 1 above;
B) if I get off in Omonia Station, board GREEN Line metro headed to the Piraeus Station (which happens to be the final stop on this metro line and the station I need to get to).

Option #1 sounds simpler and probably the same time consumpltion because it takes time to get underground and then wait for the metro to arrive.

JoLui will probably point out to me a different alternative which is taking 80x bus from Acropoli bus stop https://www.oasa.gr/en/visit-athens/x80-piraeus-acropolis-syntagma-express-bus-line/
I will not be comfortable to consider it because I'll be nervous not knowing when and if the bus comes and whether I will be standing on the right side of the road (bus stop) to catch the bus. But it would be nice to look out the window while sitting in the bus

JoLui will probably point out to me a different alternative, which is
taking the 80 bus.

Ah ha, no! JoLui doesn't take the X80 because that bus goes to the cruise port, not the ferry port! It's a 45-minute walk from the cruise port to the ferry port.

Option 1 or option 2 doesn't matter, because the devil is in the details. What matters most when you have luggage are the slopes, the stairs, and above all the trash cans or parked scooters blocking the sidewalks.

That said, I prefer the old green line for the scenery, it's nicer and runs at ground level, while the blue line is underground (which also means more stairs or escalators).

Thank you everyone for your advice, it has helped a lot. We will be trying out both the Metro and the busses. I am studying the Metro and bus maps, and we can get helpful advice from the people at our hotel.
I think it will work out fine!

I learned something new. I thought ferries and cruises float in the same port. It's good I didn't even try to study 80x bus in depth but my initial assumption was that it's headed to the Piraeus Port and unloads people not too far from the Piraeus metro station or near Gate E5. My bad!!

Ha, now I'll be considering GREEN Line because I didn't know that we'll be riding outside. I must put this in my notes!