Transportation Information for Participants, Staff and Volunteers for the 2009 WSDC.

• Transportation from the Airport to the Hotel.
• Daily Transport to the local tournament venues.
• Transportation from the Hotel to Athens Special Sites and Venues.

• Athens International Airport is situated in the east – southeast outskirts of the city and it offers an array of Transportation options.
• The Stanley Hotel is within walking distance from the RED Subway – METRO line station at METAXOURGION.

Taxi:

The regular taxi queue will start from Door 3 of the Arrivals Level and extend up to Door 1.  The taxi ride should cost you about 25 -30 Euro to the Athens city center.

Buses:

There are several bus lines to and from the airport. All buses depart from the designated area on the inner curbside of the Arrivals level of the Main Terminal Building right outside the Exit doors 4 and 5. X94 connects the Ethniki Amina (Pentagon) Metro Station with the Airport. Passengers can transfer from the BLUE Metro line to the Airport Bus X94 at this departure point. First bus is 06.30 and the last bus at 20.55. Frequency: 10-20 minutes. X95 Syntagma Square (City Center) - Airport Express has its departure point at the center of Athens (Syntagma Square across the park from the Grande Bretagne Hotel) and can be reached via the Subway – METRO RED LINE station. (Frequency: 15-25 minutes and 24 hours a day.) X96 Piraeus - Airport Express starts from the Northwest Corner of Piraeus main harbor and terminates at the airport by making use of the city’s beachfront avenues. It runs for 24 hours and at every twenty minutes during the day, but every 40 minutes after midnight till 5.00 AM. X93 connects the Airport with the Public bus terminals at Kiffissou and Liossion Avenues. The interval is generally 35 minutes during the day but one bus per hour from 22.00 to 6.00. X97 goes to the Dafni Metro Station and connects with the RED Line of the METRO. It has a frequency of 35 minutes during the day but one bus per hour from 22.00 to 6.00. For the Express Bus Lines the ticket costs 3.20 Euros and is good for one trip to or from the airport. You can buy tickets from the driver or at the Metro stations or at Public Transport Ticket Offices.

Metro and Suburban Train [ Click Here for Full Map ]:

The Metro BLUE Line goes from the International Airport to Monastiraki Station, where passengers can change to the old Electric Train (GREEN LINE), and it makes stops to all the metro stations in between which include Syntagma Square (where you will have to change to the RED LINE – Direction AGHIOS ANTONIOS in order to reach the Metaxourgion Station, where the Hotel is situated.) The first train from Airport to Monastiraki is at 06:00, the frequency of routes is approximately every 25 minutes and the last one from Airport to Monastiraki is at 23:30. The first train from Monastiraki to Airport is at 05:50AM and the last one from Monastiraki to the Airport is at 22:55. The ticket is 8 Euro. Athens International Airport is connected via the Suburban Railway (YELLOW Line) to Larissa Station (or Athens Central Railway Station) with stops at Koropi, Kantza, Pallini, Doukissis Plakentias (Connection with Metro BLUE Line) Kifisias, NERATZIOTISSA (Connection with Electric Line GREEN), Iraklio, Aharnes Railway Junction (S.K.A) and Larissa Station (Connection with Metro RED Line and trains to Northern Greece). Trains depart from the Airport every 15 minutes. The journey time from Athens International Airport to Larissa Station is approximately 40 minutes. The first train from Athens to the Airport is at 06:06AM and the last one is at 19:36PM. The first train from the Airport to Athens is at 06:48 and the last one is at 20:14. The ticket is 8 Euros. At this point we would like to offer you a suggestion for three alternative ways of getting to and from the airport with the use of the rail and bus system. Option 1: Arrival at the Airport – Board the METRO Airport Line (BLUE line with direction to AIGALEO) – Change to the RED METRO Line from Syntagma Station (Direction AGHIOS ANTONIOS) for three stops (Metaxourgion). Option 2: Arrival at the Airport – Board Bus X95 (Outside EXIT #5 on the Arrivals Level) to the terminal stop in Syntagma Station – Board the RED METRO Line from Syntagma Station (Direction AGHIOS ANTONIOS) for three stops (Metaxourgion). Option 3: Arrival at the Airport – Board the Suburban Railway with Direction to Piraeus – Get off board at Larissa Station – Change to the RED METRO Line from Larissa Station (Direction AGHIOS DIMITRIOS) for 1 stop (Metaxourgion).Obviously, option number 1 is the most direct, however there are some doubts concerning an expansion project for the Subway BLUE line set to begin probably this February, therefore we thought it best to offer you some alternatives when it comes to getting to and from the airport for the duration of the Tournament. Athens Airport Transportation Map.

Transportation from Hotel to Athens Schools for Preliminary rounds and events:

Transportation to and from the Stanley Hotel for the daily venues where the scheduled debate rounds and events will take place is made possible through the invaluable and extremely kind assistance of the participating schools and their school buses that have been offered for the duration of the tournament. Each venue will be announced before hand; teams, assistants, coaches, judges and tournament personnel will be notified on time about their respective bus and its arrival time and with the help of our volunteers will be boarding the bus and will be thus transported to their destination on a case by case basis and within the appropriate timetable.

Transportation to Special Venues and Sites:

During the tournament and given the unique opportunity for the WSDC 2009 participants to discover the birthplace of democracy and competitive rhetoric, the organizing committee will offer us the option of visiting some Special Venues and Sites that, we sincerely believe, will make this tournament an unforgettable educating experience for everyone.

The Acropolis:

The towering Athens Acropolis can be very easily reached when taking the RED line METRO, from Metaxourgion, with the Direction of AGHIOS DIMITRIOS and getting off board at the ACROPOLIS stop – 4 stops total. The Acropolis is built on top of a hill, overlooking Athens and from the subway station, all the way to the Propylaea, you will find the scenic alleys of Plaka which will take you back in time and give you a picture of the old city of Athens. After climbing a long series of steps you will be at the Propylea (GATEHOUSE) which was completed in 432 just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian wars. The main architect was Mnesicles, a colleague of Phidias. To your left is the Pinacotheca and a Hellenistic pedestal and on the right the tiny temple to Nike Athena or the Athena of Victory which commemorates the Athenians victory over the Persians. This small temple stands on a platform that overlooks the islands of Saronic Gulf and used to house a statue of Athena. It was dismantled by the Turks in 1686 so they could use the platform for large cannons. It was rebuilt between 1836 and 1842 and again taken apart and rebuilt in 1936 when it was discovered that the platform was crumbing. If you looking from the Propylaea towards Piraeus on a clear day you can see ships waiting outside the port of Piraeus, the islands and the mountains of the Peloponnesus beyond. The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the 5th (fifth) century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens. The term acropolis means upper city and many of the city states of ancient Greece are built around an acropolis where the inhabitants can go as a place of refuge in times of invasion. It's for this reason that the most sacred buildings are usually on the acropolis. The New Acropolis Museum is within walking distance from the Subway Station.

The National Archaeological Museum:

The museum is a five minute walk from Victoria Station (GREEN Electric Line) and a 10 minute walk from Omonoia (RED Subway Line). It can be reached from Metaxourgion within a single subway stop, boarding the subway train with the Direction of AGHIOS DIMITRIOS and getting off board at Omonoia Square. Although its original purpose was to secure all the finds from the nineteenth century excavations in and around Athens, it gradually became the central National Archaeological Museum and was enriched with finds from all over Greece. Its abundant collections, with more than 20,000 exhibits, provide a panorama of Greek civilization from the beginnings of Prehistory to Late Antiquity. The museum is housed in an imposing neoclassical building of the end of the nineteenth century, which was designed by L. Lange and remodeled by Ernst Ziller. The vast exhibition space - numerous galleries on each floor accounting for a total of 8,000 square meters - house five large permanent collections: The Prehistoric Collection, which includes works of the great civilizations that developed in the Aegean from the sixth millennium BC to 1050 BC (Neolithic, Cycladic, Mycenaean), and finds from the prehistoric settlement at Thira. The Sculptures Collection, which shows the development of ancient Greek sculpture from the seventh to the fifth centuries BC with unique masterpieces; the Vase and Minor Objects Collection, which contains representative works of ancient Greek pottery from the eleventh century BC to the Roman period and includes the Stathatos Collection, a corpus of minor objects of all periods; the Metallurgy Collection, with many fundamental statues, figurines and minor objects and, finally, the only Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities Collection in Greece, with works dating from the pre-dynastic period (5000 BC) to the Roman conquest. National Archaeological Museum                                  44 Patission St., Athens Telephone: +30 210 8217724 Email: eam@culture.gr

The Goulandris Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art:

The Museum of Cycladic Art can be reached with the use of the METRO - Subway lines. Board the RED Metro Line with the Direction to AGHIOS DIMITRIOS, disembark at Syntagma Square Station, change to the BLUE Line with the direction to AIRPORT and get off board at the next stop of EVANGELISMOS. The Museum of Cycladic Art is dedicated to the study and promotion of ancient cultures of the Aegean and Cyprus, with special emphasis on Cycladic Art of the 3rd millennium BC. Nicholas and Dolly Goulandris started collecting archaeological objects at the beginning of the ‘60s, after being granted official permission by the Greek state. The collection soon became renowned among scholars because of its exquisite and rare Cycladic objects (marble figurines and vessels). There are three main Collections that are available in the Museum: the Cycladic Culture of the Early Bronze Age (3200 - 2000 BC) the Ancient Greek Art, from the Bronze Age to Late Roman times (2nd millennium BC - 4th century AD) the Cypriot Culture from the Chalcolithic Age to the Early Christian period  (4th millennium BC - 6th century AD) 4 Neofytou Douka St, Kolonaki Tel (+30) 210722-8321 or 210722-8323 Open daily except Sundays and Tuesdays from 10am to 4pm.

The National Research Foundation:

The National Research Foundation can be reached with the use of the METRO - Subway lines. Board the RED Metro Line with the Direction to AGHIOS DIMITRIOS, disembark at Syntagma Square Station, change to the BLUE Line with the direction to AIRPORT and get off board at the next stop of EVANGELISMOS(exit to Rizari Street). Then walk  across the street, south on Rizari Street for 5 minutes and the National Hellenic Research Foundation is on your right hand side. The National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) is a multidisciplinary Research Centre established by Royal Decree on 9th October 1958. Its purpose is the organization, finance and support of high-level research projects in the humanities and the natural sciences. The Humanities Institutes cover a wide spectrum of study and research fields in Greek history and culture, contributing substantially and critically to the knowledge and promotion of Greek identity. The Natural Sciences Institutes perform basic and applied research in leading edge areas of science such as health, pharmaceuticals, environment, biotechnology and new materials. They develop innovative methods for solving complex problems facing Greek industry and they provide specialized services and know-how, both to the public and private sector. National Hellenic Research Foundation (N.H.R.F) 48 Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue 11635, Athens

The National Bank of Greece Auditorium:

The National Bank of Greece Auditorium can be easily reached on a 10 minute walk from Omonoia (RED Subway Line). It can be reached from Metaxourgion within a single subway stop, boarding the RED Line subway train with the Direction of AGHIOS DIMITRIOS and getting off board at Omonoia Square. Proceed south on Athinas Street till you reach the City Hall and the main square in front of it. The National Bank of Greece building is across the square. Founded in 1841 as a commercial bank, National Bank of Greece enjoyed the right to issue banknotes until the establishment of the Bank of Greece in 1928. It has been listed on the Athens Stock Exchange since the Exchange's foundation in 1880. Since October 1999, the Bank has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange. National Bank of Greece is a financial institution legally operating subject to the Greek and the European Union banking legislation, The NBG Group provides a full range of financial products and services that meet the constantly changing needs of corporate customers and private individuals, including investment banking services, brokerage, insurance, asset management, leasing and factoring. The National Bank of Greece new Headquarters building was designed by Mario Botta and finds itself over the ancient gates of the Athenian Long Wall. National Bank of Greece 82-86 Aiolou Street, 10232 Athens Tel. +30 210 3341000

The Old Parliament Building

The Old Parliament Building can be reached with the use of the RED subway line. Board the train at Metaxourgion with direction AGHIOS DIMITRIOS and after two train stops disembark at the Panepistimio Station. Exit on Stadiou Street and walk across the square. The Building is right in front of Stadiou Street, featuring a large statue in its front. The site was originally occupied by the house of an Athenian magnate, Kontostavlos. After Athens became the capital of Greece in 1833, King Otto I selected it as temporary residence, pending the construction of the Royal Palace (which houses Parliament today). The Hellenic Parliament would remain in the building from 1875 until its move to its current location in the Old Palace in 1932. As such, it witnessed some of the most turbulent and important events in modern Greek history, including the assassination of Prime Minister Theodoros Deligiannis on the Parliament steps on 13 June 1905, and the declaration of the Republic on 25 March 1924. After the parliament was moved, the building housed the Ministry of Justice. In 1961 the building underwent extensive restoration and became the seat of the National History Museum, administered by the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece. National Historical Museum Old Parliament Building 13, Stadiou Street, 10561, Athens Greece Tel. +30 210 32 37 617

The Athens Metro and Electric Rail System.


The Athens Suburban Railway Network.