Are you flying to the capital city of Greece soon and would like to find the best way to commute from the airport? Eleftherios Venizelos or Athens International airport, the main air passenger terminal in Greece, is not far away from the downtown; however, due to the presence of mountain ranges in between the two points, it may take a little longer to arrive for those choosing the road.
In case your hotel in Athens does not offer pick-up services for guests, there is a variety of transportation methods that you may choose in order to travel from Athens airport to the city centre and start enjoying the wonderful views of the Acropolis, the Parthenon temple and the ancient Agora, not forgetting the charming local cafés, restaurants and nightlife venues.
If you enjoy the independence of getting around with your own car and feel confident driving in a new city, know that you will get the chance to hire a vehicle at the rent a car offices situated on the Arrivals hall of Athens airport. Currently, four trusted international companies operate in this hub: Enterprise, Budget, Avis and Hertz. Uber suspended its Athens operations according to local legislation in early 2018, so even when you might still find services of this kind offered, we recommend taking an authorised taxi cab instead. You will find further details later on in this article.
Commuting by subway from Athens International airport
In Athens, Metro line 3 –handled by the OASA transport company- is the one running services between the airport station and the city centre. Two trains depart every hour (at 30-minute intervals) transporting arriving passengers to the Syntagma station, or to the Aghia Marina area if the wish to continue their journey beyond the downtown. It takes about 40 minutes and a one-way ticket costs 9 euros.
The cheapest way to go from Athens airport to the city
Thrifty travellers will like the idea of taking a bus to central Athens from the airport, even when it takes a little longer than one hour to complete the journey. The stands where bus lines X93, X95, X96 and X97 pick up passengers are located outside Arrivals exits 4 and 5. A single ticket costs only 5 euros and there is an average of 18 stops along the way.
The fastest way to get to Athens from the airport
Without a doubt and even when we have warned about the difficulties of travelling across the mountainous scenery between the airport and the city, the fastest means of transport when it comes to reach Athens city from Eleftherios Venizelos airport is the taxi. Your driver will help you with your bags near exit 3 of the arrivals hall and inform you about their flat rate before setting off. The price of a taxi from Athens airport will not vary once confirmed with the driver, and it is normally around 38 euros during the day and approximately 54 euros in the night time.
Suburban trains departing Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Greece
These trains are similar to the subway ones, are run hourly and take about 41 minutes to reach the Piraeus station in Athens city centre from the airport. The only difference is that each single journey costs 20 euros.
Travelling by limousine from Athens airport to the downtown
Is this trip a special occasion? Are you getting married or on a decisive business trip to find new customers in Greece? Then you might like to travel in a more stylish fashion. Upon arrival, you will find a limousine services office next to the taxi area, where you can book your own limo to commute to your hotel in the centre.
After visiting Athens, many travellers feel attracted by the holiday destinations in Greece. If you are a sea lover, we recommend you take a look at our selected beach hotels in the Greek islands.
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