Athens International Airport

Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, often referred to simply as Athens International Airport, is a new, modern facility situated 33 kilometers (or 18 miles) from the center of Athens.

Named in honor of one of the most important statesmen and Prime Ministers of Greece, Eleftherios Venizelos, the new airport opened in March of 2001 and is capable of handling 65 landings and take-offs per hour and an anticipated 16 million passengers annually.  The main terminal is built on four levels and occupies 150,000 square meters; it is equipped to support 144 check-in counters, has more than 35 shops, 12 eating/drinking facilities, numerous Internet kiosks for passenger Internet access, a fully equipped business center, its own museum, and a special play area set aside for children.  You’ll find plenty of ATM machines and at least two bank branches offering full service.  State-of-the-art communications and security ensure a high level of passenger comfort.  The Greek National Tourist Organization (GNTO) operates a kiosk at the airport, and dispenses helpful information, maps, brochures, and ferry timetables to the islands.

The airport currently has set aside approximately 4,500 parking spaces for both short and long-term parking, located just in front of the main terminal.  At present, the short-term lot does not charge for the first 20 minutes.  A charge of between 2 and 3 Euro per hour is levied thereafter, and daily long-term rates cost about 10 Euro per day.

A new six-lane highway called Attiki Odos connects the airport to the city, and there are a variety of public transport options available as well, including express buses, metro, and railway.

The suburban railway system will whisk you from the airport to the central Athens railway terminus in only 30 minutes at a present cost of 6 Euro.

The new and extended metro, Line 3, will take you from the airport to Syntagma Square in 27 minutes, or to the port of Piraeus in 60 minutes.  The single fare is 6 Euro, but there are a variety of ticket combinations available for round-trips, seniors, students, and disabled persons.

Express buses operate around-the-clock on five different routes, though three of them address most tourism requirements:

The E95 Syntagma Square–Airport Express begins and ends its route at Syntagma Square, opposite the Parliament building, in central Athens.  It makes several stops along the route.  You need to allow at least 70 minutes for the trip.

The E96 Piraeus–Airport Express runs between the Port of Piraeus and the airport. The E96 begins and ends its route in Piraeus at Karaiskaki Square, across from the train station.  It makes numerous stops on the way to the airport, and you need to allow at least 90 minutes for this trip.

The E94 connects the Ethniki Amyna metro station with the airport. Passengers can transfer between the metro line and the E94 at this location.

The current cost of the express buses is €2.90 euros and the transfer on the ticket is good for 24 hours from the time of validation on all forms of public transport (bus, metro, trolley). Tickets for the airport buses can be purchased at terminals, transport kiosks, or from the driver.

Regional bus services (KTEL) also offer a variety of connections, and one of the most useful is the airport express service to the Port of Rafina.  In just about 20 minutes, you’ll reach this port, which offers the widest variety of boat service to the Cycladic Islands.

Of course, you can always make your way by taxi.  No flat rate yet exists for the trip between the airport and central Athens, but you can expect to pay anywhere between 15 and 20 Euro.  Be sure that the meter is set to single fare … some of the drivers have been known to take advantage of visitors.

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