A splendid city of Athens with its unique ancient heritage is not just a capital of majestic Greece but also a real cradle of Western civilization and a treasury of the ancient world. Located on the Central plain of Attica, Athens is surrounded all around by beautiful mountains, and from the height of ancient Acropolis and Lykavitos everybody can enjoy a sweeping view of the Saronikos Bay. The holidays in the most important economic and cultural center of the country, which is called after the Greek goddess of wisdom, will bring an unforgettable experience to every guest of Athens.
Located 16 kilometers from the Greek capital, the Athens airport is the largest and the most required gateway not only for Greece but for the entire Balkan Peninsula as well. The modern airport was built to replace the older “Ellinikon”, which was no longer able to cope with the immense and constantly increasing load. A new comfortable terminal was opened in 2001 and nowadays it is one of the safest airports in the world. Moreover, for a systematic introduction of new technologies it regularly receives well-deserved honours. The air harbor is named after the national Greek hero Eleftherios Venizelos, who along with the other numerous merits was the founder of the first Civil aviation service in the country.
“Eleftherios Venizelos” serves annually about 20 million passengers and has a well-developed infrastructure. The Athens international airport accommodates aircraft from the European capitals and large cities of Europe along with the domestic flights. It also operates long-haul flights to the American, African, Middle East countries, as well as Eastern and South-Eastern Asia’ countries. The airport offers runways, which are 3800 meters and 4000 meters long, and it is able to accommodate even the largest passenger jets Airbus 380.
There are two passenger terminals on the territory of the air hub. They are connected by the underground passage with the travolators. The main terminal is divided into two zones — “A” is for flights from the countries that are outside the Schengen Union, and “B” serves for the planes from Europe and for domestic flights serving. The supporting terminal accommodates mainly the low-cost flights. The transit area is located in area “A” — here it is allowed to change planes for those passengers who do not have Schengen visas. After luggage screening you can go to the waiting room or take a walk to various shops that are situated in the hall. You can stay in the transit zone without Schengen visa during period of 24 hours.
More than 140 flight check-in desks are situated in the main terminal. Traditionally, the arrivals area is on the first floor, and the departure area is located on the second level. In this building, you can find also the fast-food zone, where you can have an excellent snack while watching the arriving and flying off planes. On the first level there is also a storage room where you can leave your things while waiting for the flight. The missed baggage office is located here, too. On the second floor, just behind the passport control and customs control, duty-free shops are situated. In numerous boutiques and small shops you can find goods of almost any kind — from brand-name clothes, vintage alcohol, products of world-known cosmetic manufacturers to wine, cheese, olive oil and cosmetics of local production. On the same floor, there is a place for children activity, too — children’s playground and games zone work for little passengers every day until late evening. Here there is a baby care room as well, and shops with necessary goods and toys for kids.
In every zone of the main terminal the business-lounges are functioning, along with almost 20 food courts, among which you can find popular coffee-houses and fast-food establishments, as well as restaurants where you can taste dishes of Greek or international cuisine. Inside the “Eleftherios Venizelos” building you can even visit exhibitions — two of them are regular and are dedicated to ancient artefacts and to the personality of the politic, whose name the airport is bearing, various temporary exhibitions are held regularly, too.
Full name:
Airport code:
Official website: www.aia.gr (there is a simplified version in Russian)
Arrival board: https://www.aia.gr/traveler/flight-info/rtfi/
Departure board: https://www.aia.gr/traveler/flight-info/rtfi/
Call-center: (+30) 210 35 30 000
Distance to the center of Athens: ≈30 км
Address: Attiki Odos, Spata Artemida 190 04
Work hours: 24\7
The distance from the airport of Athens to the center of the city is a little less than 20 kilometers, and it is possible to cover it in several ways. Depending on the amount of luggage, the presence of children or a large company, necessity to appear in the destination at a certain time, every guest of the capital can choose a convenient vehicle — public transport, taxi or transfer.
If you arrive for a holiday with a compactly packed light luggage and you are ready to spend some time traveling by public transport with possible transfers, there are several variants of the way from the airport to Athens:
The airport is connected with the city by a metro line. The way on the underground train takes 45 minutes and costs €10.
You can take one of the shuttle-trains, which run in two destinations: Piraeus via Larissis Station and Ano Liosia, and then you can make transfers.
From the airport round-the-clock buses run along 4 routes. It takes one hour to get by these buses to the Kifisos intercity bus station (route No X93) and to the Syntagma square (route No X96), the way to Piraeus (bus No X96) and to the Elliniko district (bus No 97) takes about one hour and a half. Tickets cost €6, they are available in the book office of the airport or you can buy them from the driver. The buses almost do not stop throughout the journey.
This way is the best for those who want to get to the hotel as quickly as it is possible, without waiting for the buses, which often fall behind the schedule, and without doing necessary transfers on the way to the hotel. But this variant has its nuances as well and it is worth to know them in advance.
It is not difficult to notice the taxi in Athens — these are cars of yellow color with checkerboard patterns. In the airport, the string of the cars is located close to the exit from the arrivals zone. Among the main disadvantages that can significantly put you out of humor — you cannot choose the proper car because they are sent in a strict order. You should not forget about the chance of possible language barrier because not all the taxi-drivers can speak even English language, without mentioning Russian language.
The fare is calculated by meter (do not forget to remind the driver to turn it on before the trip starts). But you need to pay extra money for waiting time in traffic jams, which are quite often seen in a busy season. Besides, the charge for travel on holiday or at night as well as for travel outside the city limits significantly increases. The extra pay is also charged for calling a taxi by phone, car order by a certain time or transporting of oversized luggage.
Perhaps the most reliable way to get from the airport to your hotel or to another destination quickly and comfortably is a transfer. This service is available to any quest of the capital and allows people to save time and effort for a hasteless rest in the hospitable Hellas. An opportunity to order the car in advance, fixed prices, experienced Russian-speaking drivers are just some of advantages of transfer.
If you decided to take care of your comfort in advance and to book a transfer, be sure that this procedure will not take much time. To book a transfer you should visit our website and complete the fields of the suggested form of online booking. Specify the date of your arrival, mention where from and where to you are going to travel and how many people are arriving. Among the suggested classes of cars, select the appropriate one (in Athens they are standard, comfort or premium as well as minibuses and minivans). After that, mention your personal data, the information about your flight and any possible wishes. A confirmation request will be sent to your email.
The cost of the trip by cars of our transfer service is 20% lower than an average cost of a similar service in Athens, which allows our passengers to save money without any loss of comfort.
Having appeared on holiday in Athens, do not miss the opportunity to walk to Acropolis and Parthenon, visit the temple of Poseidon, and stroll along the legendary areas of Plaka and Monastiraki and the central Syntagma square. Enjoy every day of your holiday in majestic Greece, and we will care of your transfer. We are glad to every guest and are ready to show what the famous Greek hospitality is!
