Greek2Me staff · Vocab
Greek Transport and Directions
The Greek words you need to buy a ticket, ask the way, and get from A to B by bus, metro, taxi, or ferry. Read at a glance, use on the ground, and print for the trip.
| Greek | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Directions | |||
| αριστερά | left | ||
| δεξιά | right | ||
| ευθεία | straight ahead | ||
| πίσω | back / behind | ||
| μπροστά | in front / ahead | ||
| κοντά | near | ||
| μακριά | far | ||
| εδώ | here | ||
| εκεί | there | ||
| Vehicles | |||
| λεωφορείο | bus | ||
| τραμ | tram | ||
| μετρό | metro | ||
| τρένο | train | ||
| ταξί | taxi | ||
| αυτοκίνητο | car | ||
| ποδήλατο | bicycle | ||
| μηχανή | motorbike / scooter | ||
| πλοίο | ferry / ship | ||
| αεροπλάνο | aeroplane | ||
| Tickets, stops, and places | |||
| εισιτήριο | ticket | ||
| στάση | stop (bus, tram) | ||
| σταθμός | station | ||
| λιμάνι | port / harbour | ||
| αεροδρόμιο | airport | ||
| χάρτης | map | ||
Asking the way
Three phrases will get you almost anywhere:
- Πού είναι…;: Where is…?
- Πώς πάω στο…;: How do I get to…?
- Είναι μακριά;: Is it far?
Answers you'll hear come with the direction words above:
- Ευθεία και μετά αριστερά.: Straight, then left.
- Δεξιά στη γωνία.: Right at the corner.
- Πέντε λεπτά με τα πόδια.: Five minutes on foot.
Aisha said the phrase that saved her most in Athens was είναι κοντά;: 'is it near?', because Google Maps had lied about the walking time up a hill.
Buying a ticket
The word for ticket, εισιτήριο, works for buses, metro, trams, trains, ferries, and planes. Useful phrases:
- Ένα εισιτήριο για…, παρακαλώ.: One ticket to…, please.
- Δύο εισιτήρια, με επιστροφή.: Two tickets, return.
- Πόσο κάνει;: How much is it?
- Τι ώρα φεύγει;: What time does it leave?
Athens metro uses reloadable Ath.ena cards these days rather than paper tickets, but the vocabulary above still applies at ticket booths, ferry counters, and buses across the country.
Buses, metro, and taxis in Athens
Some words you'll see specifically in Athens:
- στάση λεωφορείου: bus stop
- σταθμός μετρό: metro station
- γραμμή 1 / 2 / 3: line 1 / 2 / 3 (metro colour-coded)
- ταξί: taxi (usually yellow)
- πιάτσα: taxi rank (loan from Italian)
Hail a taxi with a raised hand and shout your destination through the window, the driver decides whether to take you, and often picks up multiple fares along the way. Στο κέντρο, παρακαλώ (to the centre, please) is a common opener.
Ferries between islands
Ferry vocabulary is worth memorising if you're island-hopping:
- το πλοίο: the ferry / ship
- το λιμάνι: the port
- αναχώρηση: departure
- άφιξη: arrival
- οικονομική θέση: economy seat
- καμπίνα: cabin
- γκαράζ: car deck
- επιβίβαση: boarding
A useful line: Ένα εισιτήριο για Σαντορίνη, οικονομική θέση, παρακαλώ.: One ticket to Santorini, economy, please.
If μελτέμι is blowing, expect delays or cancellations, see the [Greek weather words](/vocab/greek-weather-words) page for the wind vocabulary.
'With' + transport is με
To say you're travelling by a particular mode of transport, use με (with) + the definite article:
- με το λεωφορείο: by bus
- με το μετρό: by metro
- με το αυτοκίνητο: by car
- με το ποδήλατο: by bicycle
- με το πλοίο: by ferry
- με τα πόδια: on foot (literally 'with the feet')
So πάω στη δουλειά με το μετρό: 'I go to work by metro'. Once this pattern clicks, describing any journey becomes automatic.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ask for directions in Greek?+
The three most useful phrases are πού είναι…; (where is…?), πώς πάω στο…; (how do I get to…?), and είναι μακριά; (is it far?). Add ευχαριστώ (thank you) after any answer and you've done the whole exchange politely in Greek.
How do you say left, right, and straight in Greek?+
Αριστερά (aristerá) for left, δεξιά (dexiá) for right, ευθεία (efthía) for straight ahead. So a typical answer to 'how do I get there?' might be ευθεία και μετά αριστερά, straight, then left. All three words are the same in the accusative, so you can use them freely without worrying about endings.
How do you buy a bus or metro ticket in Greek?+
Ένα εισιτήριο, παρακαλώ (one ticket, please). Add the destination with για: ένα εισιτήριο για το κέντρο. For a return, με επιστροφή. In Athens the metro now uses Ath.ena reloadable cards, but the ticket vocabulary works everywhere else.
How do you say 'by bus' or 'by car' in Greek?+
Με + the definite article: με το λεωφορείο (by bus), με το αυτοκίνητο (by car), με το μετρό (by metro), με το πλοίο (by ferry). For 'on foot', με τα πόδια, literally 'with the feet'. So πάω στη δουλειά με τα πόδια means 'I walk to work'.
What's the Greek word for ferry?+
Πλοίο (plío) is the general word for ferry or ship. You might also see φέρι μποτ (feri bot, borrowed) on tickets. The port itself is το λιμάνι, and Piraeus (Πειραιάς) is the main port for the islands from Athens.
Practise this in the app
Learn directions in the app
Short quizzes on directions and transport, audio for every phrase, and drills on με + article.
Start the directions lesson