Last Updated on February 15, 2023 by Celeste.
Athens Happy Train was the focus of me and the girls on one sunny November morning. It is a great activity for winter and summer. Especially in the hot summer months when walking is not an option with kids.
What is the Athens Happy Train?
The Athens Happy Train is an open toy-like street train (no rails but wheels). It starts it sightseeing tour every 30 minutes from Syntagma square and crosses the historical city, the old Athens’ neighbourhoods the Acropolis hill. The train passes by the most famous sight and monuments such as the Acropolis, The Temple of Zeus, the Zappeion, the Panathinaiko Stadium, the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, Hadrian’s Arch, the New Acropolis Museum and the War Museum. The tour lasts approximately 60 minutes.
It has a hop-on-hop-off system so you can start your tour from any point on its route or leave the train if you found an interesting place to explore further. You can use the same ticket and hop-on again for the next two hours.
Our tried and tested experience of the Happy Train
Our starting point was Syntagma square at the beginning of the Ermou shopping street. The train has open-style carriages but due to the soft weather during our November excursion, this was not a problem.
The carriages are safe, the doors cannot open whilst drive but there are no seatbelts inside. Besides the driver, there is a hostess on board. She was not only looking after our safety but also provide some basic information in Greek and English about the places we passed. What we liked most was the drive through the old neighbourhoods of Athens around the Acropolis hill. This zone is partly car free and the tour was very peaceful.
I believe that the Athens Happy Train tour is a great introduction to the city for families that do not want to walk the whole time. Young children will love sitting on this red Thomas the train like vehicle. Strollers fit on the train when folded.
My 7-year-old daughter found the tour a bit boring but that is probably because she knows the city so well already. And she was still happy to sit back instead of walking as we normally do. You can also consider walking partly through the city and hop on the train at the end of your tour when your little ones are tired of walking.
During our November visit the sun was pleasant but not strong. I think that the train is a very good way to see the city on hot summer days. You will be sitting in the shade and there will still be plenty of fresh air. Consider the time of day. My children were tired in the afternoon and actually fell asleep on the comforting motion of the train.
Have you been on the Athens Happy Train and did you like it? Let me know in the comments! I have tried and tested and recommended it for families with young kids. If want to try it out, pin it for later!
For more things to do in Athens with Kids, check my updated Athens with Kids 2019 Guide with all my favorite things to do in the city.
More information and prices
Find more information and prices, have a look on their website: www.athenshappytrain.com
