ATHENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND PIREAUS PORT FLIGHTS, TICKETS, BOATS, BUSES, TRAINS, METRO, and other useful information about getiing in Greece and then to the Isalnds. If you plan to flight in Greece you can use the following form to check flights and find a ticket. You can check flights from and to Athens Airport here : If you decide to stay in Athens for several days or if you must stay for a day or so, there are two convenient hotels in the Airport area, the Sofitel Hotel and The Holiday Inn. You can always use the metro and go downtown for a hotel if you have time and decide to visit some sites there.You can spend a few hours in the airport, the food is good, there are cafes, shops etc. If you have an early morning flight you can stay in Athens center (Monastiraki, Psiri, Plaka, etc.) where bars and cafes are open till the morning and then take a bus or the metro directly to the Athens Airport. The timetables of the metro schedule can be found here . You can see a map of the metro here FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO ATHENS Athens Airport connections with the city are among the best in Europe. There are many ways to reach Athens center. 1. Metro It costs 8€ to get to Athens by train. Frequency is every 30 minutes. You should be careful of Syntagma Station which is in the center of the town and there you can change line to go to Omonia or Acropolis (Makriyiani). Monastiraki station just after Syntagma (no line change) is where the night and day life, (restaurants, bars, market etc) is. The trip is about 40 minutes. 2. Proastikaos-Suburban railway connects the Airport with Nerantziotissa station. From there you can change to the old metro green line and get to Athens Center again. Be ware that for the summer of 2008 there will be no metro directly to Athens because a new station is being made. You MUST use the suburban route for this summer. Proastiakos is connecting the Athens Airport with other Greek towns (Korinthos, Halkida) and the Stathmos Larissis Train Station from where you can take a train to other towns (Thessaloniki, Larissa, etc). Prosastiakos goes directly to the port. There are 3 routes every hour, the trip takes something more than an hour and costs 6€. The train stops in the center of Pireas port, just across the boats dock in a place full of cafes and restaurants open 24/365. Please check the Proastiakos Schedule here: BUSES There are several bus lines to and from the Athens Airport. They all depart from a convenient place just outside doors 4-5 at the basement (arrivals) of the airport. LINE X94 It connects ETHNIKI AMINA (this is a metro station -black line-) with the airport. From the very early morning until midnight. Every 15 min. approx. LINE X95 This connects Syntagma Square (the center of Athens where the Parliament is) with the Airport. Every 20 min. approx. 24/365 LINE X96 This connects Pireaus Port with the airport. It departs from Karaiskaki Square (not really a square, just across the boats). Every 20 minutes (40 late hours) 24/365 X93 This connects the Athens Airport with Kiffisos Bus Station (a major bus station from where you can go almost everywhere in Greece. ) Every 40 min approx. Buses schedule can bee found here: TAXI Taxis are there just outside the Airport in the basement. Usually there are plenty. You must usually stand in line for your turn. It will cost you something like 25€ to get to Athens. You can if you wish have a taxi waiting for you (even if your flight has delayed). Try this link RENT A CAR If you plan to travel in Greece have in mind that you can rent a car in the Airport (all known Rent a Car companies are there) and go away quickly, avoiding all Athens center. You just take Atiiki Odos to Elefsina, if you travel to Peloponnese, or Lamia if you go to North Greece. You are out in 30 minutes. Baggage Storage at the Athens Airpot the new Athens Airport offers Baggage storage. Prices start from 2.5€ for a handbag and can reach up to 6 € for a bulky object (12 h) AIRPLANE OR BOAT TO ISLANDS? Well, it depends. Crete, Lesvos, Chios, Rhodes, and other destinations are far away and you could consider a flight. On the other hand most of the boats going there are traveling overnight, this meaning that you can sleep in a hotel like cabin and find your self there relaxed and fresh. Mykonos, Andros, Syros, Tinos, Paros, Naxos and all other Cyclades are not far. Highspeed boats will take you there very fast from Piraeus or Rafina ports. (Rafina is 2 hours less sea trip, but one hour road trip to go there), usually in 2-4 hours. This is much faster than going to the Airport (1,5 hour trip to the Airport, plus 1 hour prior departing time, plus half an hour flight, plus an hour or so in the islands airport and going to the town). Santorini is a question. It is far, (5 ours on a high-speed, 8 hours on a normal boat), but the amazing view of the island from the sea is worth. Especially if you arrive there early in the morning, or late before sunset. All boat trips schedule can be found here.
Corfu, is out of the question by plane. You must cross the whole of Greece, no matter the beautiful new high-speed Egantia Road. You will need a day of driving and then do to Igoumenitsa, take a boat and do there. But if you are driving from Europe, through Italy, (boats from Ancona, Bari, Venice) then Corfu is the first place you find in Greece. If you live in Europe and like driving, consider the boat trip to Corfu - Patras (Patras-Athens is 200 klm driving). You can find information about the Italy-Greece boat lines here For any other specific destinations and info about them please ask us. We will be happy to help |
