Parking in Athens: what it costs and where to leave the car

Checked 6 Oct 2026

The short answer

• On the street: white lines are for visitors who pay, blue lines are for residents with a permit, yellow lines are for special uses. Visitors pay 1 euro an hour for the first 2 hours, then 4 euros for 2.5 hours and 6 euros for 3 hours, the longest you may stay; Sundays and public holidays are free. Pay in the city's AthensWay app, which replaced myAthensPass on 21 Sep 2026, or at partner kiosks.
• In a garage: booking platform prices we read on 6 Oct 2026 for one hour ran from 10 to 13 euros around Syntagma, Plaka and Monastiraki, and from 3.50 to 6 euros around Omonia.
• Park and ride: the open air car park at Ethniki Amyna metro station charged 2 euros for up to 4 hours and 6 euros for a full day.
• At the airport: Economy parking costs 5 euros per day, booked online.
• Best advice: leave the car outside the centre and take the metro in; the old centre, Plaka and the market streets are made for walking.

Why parking is hard

• Pangrati ranks first among the hardest Athens areas to find a parking space, ahead of Kypseli; old buildings without private parking plus many restaurants and cafes push demand far above supply. Source: neolaia.gr, citing Kathimerini (Tania Georgiopoulou), read 6 Oct 2026.
• A July 2026 report says many Athens residents are caught between a lack of spaces and steep prices in private car parks. Source: neolaia.gr, citing Kathimerini, read 6 Oct 2026.
• A 5 October 2026 column describes lanes with cars parked on both sides, mirrors folded, pedestrians without pavements, potholes and dumped furniture; the writer circled for hours at night before finding a space. Source: POPAGANDA, Alexandra Tsolka, read 6 Oct 2026.

Street parking: the colour of the lines

Source: Municipality of Athens, announcement on restarting the controlled parking system, read 6 Oct 2026.

Paying, zones and apps

• The free AthensWay app replaced myAthensPass on Monday 21 September 2026. Drivers confirm the zone, enter the plate, pick 30 to 180 minutes and see the cost; the wallet is topped up by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, with expiry alerts and remote extension. Source: Insomnia.gr (Nikos Chatzis), read 6 Oct 2026.
• Parking time can also be bought at partner sale points such as kiosks with special signage, in cash or by card, by registering the car's plate; the app also shows sale points, municipal underground car parks and EV chargers. Source: GTP Headlines (Guest Editor), AthensWay announcement, read 6 Oct 2026.
• AthensWay gradually pushes the traditional scratch parking cards into second place. Source: To Vima (Newsroom), read 6 Oct 2026.
• The official AthensWay page says the system has 11 visitor zones and runs Monday to Friday 09:00 to 21:00 and Saturday 09:00 to 16:00, with no charge on Sundays and public holidays; stays run from 30 to 180 minutes, charged by time. Source: Municipality of Athens, AthensWay, Controlled Parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• After 3 hours there is a 10 minute period in which no new parking ticket can be bought for the same space or zone, so the car must move. Source: Municipality of Athens, AthensWay, Controlled Parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Electric vehicles park free in visitor spaces for up to 180 minutes, as do vehicles with a disability badge (without the time cap). Source: Municipality of Athens, AthensWay, Controlled Parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Vehicles with a disability badge may park free in visitor spaces on all days and hours. Source: Municipality of Athens, announcement on restarting the controlled parking system, read 6 Oct 2026.
• The system has 5,177 resident spaces, 3,463 visitor spaces, 1,604 motorcycle spaces and 1,000 special spaces for disabled drivers; checks are made digitally in real time by the Municipal Police. Source: Municipality of Athens, AthensWay, Controlled Parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Drivers can park from half an hour to three hours, paying from 0.50 euros to 6 euros, in controlled zones such as Evangelismos, Ilisia, Goudi, the Commercial Triangle, Plaka, Alexandras and Kolonaki. Source: To Vima (Newsroom), quoting DAEM chief executive Lazaros Karaoulis, read 6 Oct 2026.
• The controlled zones include Zone 1 (Rigillis street and Hilton hotel area), Zone 2 (eastern Kolonaki), Zone 3 (western Kolonaki and the southern part of the centre) and Zone 4 (northern centre and Exarcheia). Source: Municipality of Athens, older official site, page on the controlled parking system, read 6 Oct 2026.
• The system applies in the historic centre, Kolonaki, Exarcheia, Plaka and Psyrri; from 1 March 2010 it was extended to the Megaro Mousikis, Panathinaikos stadium, Goudi, Ilisia and Thiseio areas. Source: Municipality of Athens, older official site, Traffic and Parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• The Municipality of Athens launched Parkout, a free app for Android and iOS that tells drivers in real time when another driver is leaving a space, only in areas without controlled parking. It is run by DAEM with ParkEasy. Source: LiFO (The LiFO team), read 6 Oct 2026.

What a garage costs

Prices from each car park's own site where it publishes them, otherwise from the booking platform named on the card, read on 6 Oct 2026. Platform prices change with the day, the time and the length of stay; book or check before you drive in.

Park and ride: leave the car at the metro

Source: STASY, Parking spaces page, read 6 Oct 2026. Source: Polis Park, PolisPoint open air car parks page, read 6 Oct 2026.

Parking at Athens Airport

• Free time. Free parking for up to 30 minutes at Short Term 1 (new location) and 20 minutes at Short Term 2 and Long Term. 30 min free (Short Term 1); 20 min free (Short Term 2, Long Term). Source: Athens International Airport, Long Term parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Economy parking. Economy parking has moved to the Retail Park area with a free shuttle to the terminal; online booking only; recommended for stays over 2 days; 500 spaces. 5 euros per day. Source: Athens International Airport, Official Airport Parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Long Term parking. Long Term parking is within walking distance via a pedestrian bridge, with free shuttle buses; overstay can be paid in cash or by card at autopay stations, or by card at the exit barriers. Parking areas are changing while a new multi storey car park is built. Source: Athens International Airport, Long Term parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Extras. A 'be fast' add on giving Fast Lane priority at security costs 4 euros when booking Economy or Long Term online; bookings are possible up to 30 minutes before entry. 4 euros. Source: Athens International Airport, Long Term parking page, read 6 Oct 2026.

Getting to the airport without a car: see Athens Airport to the city centre.

Fines and towing

• Greece's new Road Traffic Code, Law 5209/2025 (Government Gazette A 100, 13 June 2025), took effect on 13 September 2025. The old 50 percent discount for paying a ticket within 10 days was abolished; fines go to the local authority within 2 months. Source: e-nomothesia.gr (legal news), read 6 Oct 2026.
• Under Law 5209/2025 most stopping and parking offences cost 30 euros; parking on a pedestrian crossing or at a hospital entrance costs 30 euros plus 40 days loss of the driving licence. Illegal parking lasting over 3 hours counts as a new offence. Source: kokparavaseis.gr, Article 38 summary citing Law 5209/2025, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Under the new code, parking on a pavement, square or cycle lane costs 150 euros plus 20 days loss of the driving licence; parking at the entrance of a pedestrian street costs 30 euros; fines are halved for mopeds and motorcycles. Source: Thrylos24.gr, read 6 Oct 2026.
• After the second three hour period of illegal parking the vehicle may be towed; towing is immediate if it blocks traffic, a disabled space, or a rail or tram line. Towing and storage costs fall on the owner. Source: kokparavaseis.gr, Article 38 summary citing Law 5209/2025, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Parking in a disabled space or blocking a wheelchair ramp is category E2 B: a 150 euro fine, removal of number plates and registration for 70 days, immediate towing, plus 20 more days of licence removal. A repeat within 5 years costs 1,000 euros. Source: onday.gr, read 6 Oct 2026.
• A second summary of the new code lists parking in a disabled space at 150 euros, 60 days removal of licence and plates, and towing; sources differ on the number of days (60 here, 70 for plates plus 20 for the licence in onday.gr). Source: Thrylos24.gr, read 6 Oct 2026.
• Under the revised road code, parking fines run from 30 to 150 euros depending on severity, often with removal of the licence or plates for 20 to 60 days. Source: caroto.gr (Kostas Kakkavas), read 6 Oct 2026.
• Parking in resident spaces (P70) without a resident permit, or in special P40 spaces, brings a fine of 40 euros according to the municipal page. Source: Municipality of Athens, older official site, page on the controlled parking system, read 6 Oct 2026.

The traffic ring (Daktylios)

• The previous Daktylios period in central Athens ran from 20 October 2025 to 24 July 2026. Source: Todaypress.gr, read 6 Oct 2026.
• For 2026 to 2027 the start date had not been announced in the sources read; a joint ministerial decision was still awaited, with press estimates of mid October (reports cited 12 to 26 October). Source: Parapolitika.gr (Parapolitika Newsroom), read 6 Oct 2026.
• When active, the ring applies Monday to Thursday 07:00 to 20:00 and Friday 07:00 to 15:00; it does not apply at weekends, on public holidays or on public transport strike days. Source: Simata.gr guide (based on the joint ministerial decision and daktylios.gov.gr), read 6 Oct 2026.
• Inside the small ring, cars with plates ending in an even digit may enter on even dates and those ending in an odd digit on odd dates. Electric, hybrid, factory LPG or natural gas cars and low emission Euro 6 cars can get a digital exemption badge via gov.gr. Source: Magenta Insurance guide, read 6 Oct 2026.
• The small ring is bounded by Leof. Alexandras, Zacharof, Leof. Mesogeion, Feidippidou, Michalakopoulou, Spyrou Merkouri, Vryaxidos, Ymittou, Ilia Iliou, Amvrosiou Frantzi, Leof. Syggrou, Chamosternas, Pireos, Iera Odos, Leof. Konstantinoupoleos, Achilleos, Karaiskaki Square, Karolou, Marni and Patision; traffic on the boundary roads themselves is free. Source: Todaypress.gr, read 6 Oct 2026.
• STASY notes that its Syggrou Fix car park sits at an entrance to the Daktylios, so drivers can leave the car and take the metro into the centre. Source: STASY, Parking spaces page, read 6 Oct 2026.

Good to know

• The metro, tram and buses reach most of what visitors come to see; see Getting Around.
• Practical Info has the emergency numbers, pharmacies on duty and shop hours: Practical Info.
• Staying in Pangrati, Kypseli or Exarcheia with a car? Ask your host about a garage before you book; see Areas and prices.