Best Place to Exchange Money in Athens

Where to change money in Athens

Onexchange has several central bureaux and charges no commission except on walk-up exchanges at the airport; compare the euros offered with the day's rate. The City of Athens' visitor site says banks exchange too, with your passport, though Alpha Bank, for one, takes cash at the counter only between 08:00 and 11:00 on weekdays.

• Onexchange, Syntagma - 2 Karageorgi Servias Street on Syntagma Square and 16 Mitropoleos Street, both open until 21:00 Monday to Saturday.
• Onexchange, Monastiraki and Plaka - 1 Areos Street on Monastiraki Square, open 09:00-21:00 daily, and 109 Adrianou Street in Plaka, which keeps shorter weekend hours.
• Onexchange, Omonia - 1 Marikas Kotopouli Street on Omonia Square, open daily until 20:30.

Changing money at the airport

Onexchange runs all the airport's exchange counters, with a 24-hour desk at Arrivals Exit 2, but walk-up exchanges here don't get its no-commission deal. Greek banks' ATMs are at Arrivals Exits 2, 3 and 4, with Euronet machines elsewhere. Taxis from Arrivals Exit 3 charge a flat €50 to the city-centre inner ring from 05:00 to midnight and €65 from midnight to 05:00, set by your arrival time; the metro costs €9 and the express bus €5.50 (fares can change).

ATMs and cards in Athens

Since 11 August 2025 Greek banks cannot charge each other's customers for cash withdrawals, and non-bank machines such as Euronet's are capped at €1.50. But Protothema and Parapolitika, the latter citing finance ministry sources, reported that the cap does not cover foreign banks' cards, and the ministry's announcement doesn't say whether Greek banks' ATMs charge cards from abroad, so allow for a machine fee as well as your bank's. If an Athens ATM or card reader offers to convert into pounds, decline and stay in euros so your own bank sets the rate. Credit cards are widely taken, though some places refuse American Express and Diners; small tavernas, periptera (kiosks) and street-food stalls often prefer cash.

Paying for transport in Athens

Tap2Ride lets you pay at metro gates and on buses, trams and trolleys with a contactless Visa or Mastercard or a phone: €1.20 per 90-minute journey at current fares, capped each day at the €4.10 price of a 24-hour ticket. Use one card or phone throughout; inspectors check it. Maestro, American Express, Diners, JCB, Discover and UnionPay aren't accepted; with those, get an anonymous ATH.ENA card from a ticket counter.

Good to know

• Restaurants must by law itemise your bill, and taxi drivers must give you a receipt.
• Bars and restaurants add no service charge; the city's visitor site calls a 5% to 15% tip normal, not obligatory.
• Licensed taxis must take cards and show a sticker saying so in the rear right-hand window, the city's visitor site says; check the meter runs from the start.
• Pickpockets target the metro and busy sights in central Athens, so keep cards and cash apart.