Transportation
Getting to Athens by airplane

Getting to Athens by airplane

The airplane approachiiing!!!

Starting with the basics, because many tourists used to ask me that question, I want to clarify that there is -for now- only one functional international airport in Athens. The El.Venizelos.

But, there are 3 ports, with the Peiraeus port to remain the main one (It’s the bussiest port in Europe, since it has about 18,5million of passengers every year.).Getting to Athens - Peiraeus port From the city center (meaning from the Syntagma square) the port of Peiraeus is 12km far away. Rafina’s port is 32km and Lavrio’s port is 62km far away from the city center. So, be careful to check first your ticket. If you tell your taxi driver: take me to the port….he/she will definitely lead you to the port of Peiraeus. Now, if you are just making a stopover to Athens and you need to go to one of the ports directly, then ……from the airport the Peiraeus port is about 43km. Rafina’s port is 27km and Lavrio’s port is 37km far away the airport.

So, getting to Athens by airplane will lead us at Athens International Airport (AIA from now on). The AIA has direct flights to/from many European destinations: Larnaka/ Malta/ Madrid/ Rome/ Milan/ Geneva/ Zuric/ Munich/ Vienna/ Strasbourg/ Paris/ Stuttgart/ Luxemburg/ Frankfurt/ Prague/ Brussels/ Dusseldorf/ Berlin/ Warsaw/ Amsterdam/ Hamburg/ Copenhagen/ Stockholm/ Moscow/ Belgrade/ Bucharest/ Sofia and Tirana.

AIA also has international direct flights to/from: Beirut, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa and Beijing.

Many domestic direct flights to/from our beautiful islands and the mainland. Moreover, there are many international flights that has their 1st stop/stopover the AIA.

Domestic direct flights:

  • Aegean Sea: Karpathos / Rhodes / Santorini / Astypalaia / Kos / Kalymnos / Leros / Naxos / Milos / Paros / Syros / Mykonos / Ikaria / Samos / Chios / Skiros / Mitilini / Skiathos / Limnos / Kithira
  • Cretan Sea: Crete (Chania, Heraklion, Sitia)
  • Ionian Sea: Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Corfu
  • Mainland: Ioannina, Kozani, Kastoria, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Alexandroupolis

 

*Travel tip1: The Hellenic Police advices that you must be at the AIA at least 2 hours before your departure flight.

*Travel tip2: Hold your passport document rather than an id card. In that way  you will be able to accelerate the departure gate’s checks at the checkpoints of the Hellenic Police.

 

So, the AIA is about 32km from the center of Athens (Syntagma square). Getting to Athens, you will definitely need a transportation to take.

The blue line of metro (line 3, Nikaia-Airport) will lead you to the center of Athens. That starts from the AIA and it passes through Syntagma square metro station. Over there it intersects with the metro’s red line. It also passes through Monastiraki square where it intersects with the green line (the suburban railway). You may embark to lead you to the Peiraeus Port * to take a ferry/cruise ship to our islands. To get more information about the exact hours of the timetable and the connections, you could call at 14511. Or just send me a message and I will call them for you.

*You do not want to take the metro and then the suburban railway? All you have to do is to choose another route from the AIA to Peiraeus Port. You could take the blue bus 420or859 and then the blue bus again number X96.

 

The blue bus X95 is another way to go to the city center from the AIA. By the way, it stops at the Syntagma square. For further information, please call 11185 or send me a message.

 

If your trip continues outside Athens to other cities or to the ports of Rafina and Lavrio, you need to take the regional buses (called KTEL). You must take one of the 5 buses from the arrivals level (between exit 2&3). Or call them at: KTEL Kifissou Bus Station: tel: +30 210 5124910, +30 210 5124911, +30 210 5132601. Or at  KTEL Liosion Bus Station: tel: +30 210 8317186. Let me know if you need help finding the buses’s timetable to your destination.

 

Another way is to take a yellow taxi (1-4persons/per car) from the airport. Normally, is about 45minutes and 38-45euros to the city center. In Greece the taxis can charge you more between 00:00at night to 06:00in the morning. And an additional extra charge for the luggage. With that in mind, it is better to arrange the transportation with your hotel’s shuttle service. Besides, most of the hotels they have standardized prices for their customers.

 

If you are planning to stay longer and see many places outside the center by your own, you can embark at one of the hop-on hop-off buses. I propose the whole Athenian Riviera and lake Vouliagmeni. And enjoy swimming!!!

Last option’ rent a car waiting for you at the airport upon your arrival.

I am hoping to “see” you soon in Athens.

 

And after getting to Athens, you will need an accommodation. So,check this article about accommodation.

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