-Europe.Greece.Athens-
So you have arrived in Athens International Airport, what next ? Now, if you have been following my blog for some time, you know that I am pretty cheap when it comes to getting around including with transfers to and from airports. I know, I know – I am on vacation but still when there is a metro somewhere odds are likely I will be on it. So.. if you know what I am talking about and nodding your head along – then this post is definitely for you.
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Table of Contents
Making your way out of Athens International Airport (AIA)
Seasoned travellers learn to ask if there is more than one airport in Athens – luckily or unluckily there is only one. So it does get busy as we were flying in from Vienna with the budget airlines Ryanair. We landed in the Satellite Terminal that is connected to the main via underground passage with travellators. So after grabbing your luggage from the carousel. Just head toward an exit.
Getting to Athens city from AIA
There are 4 main options and will pretty much depend on whether you are staying – we stayed near to Monastiraki and that pretty much made it easy for us. We took the metro and bus each time.
1. Bus (Cheapest) to Syntagma : Bus X95 ply the route from airport to city center every 15-20 minutes and costs 5,50 Euro – the journey varies according to traffic, approximately 60 minutes.
2. Metro – M3 goes from the airport to our stop in Monastiraki, with Syntagma as one of the stops. At 30-minute intervals the metro journey takes around 40 minutes costing 9 Euros.
3. Taxis – takes you directly to where you want to go – The journey is about 40 minutes and Approximate cost is from 40 Euros.
4. Welcome pickups – will wait at agreed time with your name in the Arrival Hall and bring you directly to where you want to go) – Click here to book your time to /from the airport.
Getting to Piraeus Port from AIA
There are 4 main options and with the public transport options: you would need to take a taxi after arriving at Piraeus but that is only for around a 2-3km ride.
1. Bus (Cheapest) to Piraeus – Bus X96 ply the route from airport to Piraeus port every 20-40 minutes and costs 5,50 Euro – the journey varies according to traffic , approximately 90 minutes
2. Metro (Next Cheapest) – M3 goes from the airport to Piraeus port with a change to the Green Line at Monastiraki. At 30 minute intervals the metro journey is around 60 minutes. Cost is 9 Euros.
3. Taxis (Direct to where you want to go) – Approximate cost is from 56 Euros.
4. Welcome pickups – will wait at agreed time with your name in the Arrival Hall and bring you directly to your destination – Click here to book your time to/from the airport.
Taking the Bus from AIA
We took this option to Athens City Center and here I will highlight some considerations to make when choosing it.
First off, it is the cheapest way to get to Athens city center , I mean 5,50 Euros is pretty hard to beat.
If you are a group of one or two with not too much luggage and your hotel is close to Syntagma Square then this is a good option.
The bus ride much depends on the traffic situation and our journey took us an hour and 15 minutes to arrive at Syntagma Square. So if you are not in a hurry then take this.
Bear in mind that there could be a lot of people on the bus and you might have to stand the entire journey.
Tickets can be purchased from the ticket booths in Arrivals Exit 4-5 and ask the ticket seller where the bus stop is or look for the different bus stops : they are different for the Piraeus (X96) stop and the Syntagma (city center- X95) stop.
Taking the Metro from AIA
The first time we touched down in Athens , we took the Metro to get to Athens center.
It costed 9 Euros per person and if you plan to do a return trip with the metro as well it would cost 16 Euros for a return ticket. There is a 3-day ticket which includes public transport for the days. We bought the 9 Euro ticket so as to keep our options open. I will elaborate more on my next post of seeing Athens.
If you are a group of one or two with not too much luggage and your hotel is close to metro stops then this is a good option.
The metro ride took us about 45 minutes to Monastiraki Station.
The metro is an incredibly popular option and there were so many people it felt like being sandwiched and we were standing the entire ride.
To get to the metro station, exit the airport terminal and cross the road. You will see an overpass with signs of metro/train. Follow until you arrive at the station where you can get the tickets either from a booth or from the machine. Next, follow the signs for train which will lead you down and there will be signs for metro. There is only the Metro Line 3 so no fear of getting on board the wrong line.
Taking the Taxi from AIA
We did not take a taxi to/from the Athens International Airport. However I checked all the information in case I would need it.
The most convenient way to get to where you want to be especially after a long journey on the airplane.
Taxis have a flat rate from the airport.
To the city center: 42 Euros (day rate) and 55 Euros (night rate – | 12 – 5am)
To Piraeus Port: 56 Euros (day rate) and 72 Euros (night rate – | 12 – 5am)
There is a taxi rank at Arrivals Exit 3 where there is normally a queue. Best is to write down where you want to go with the address to show the taxi driver to avoid miscommunication.
Other useful information
1. Sim card
If this is your first entry into Europe, then most likely you will want to get a sim card. If you can, hold off until you can get into the city. It is expensive to get it at the airport. Make use of the free wifi of 60 minutes instead.
2. Luggage Storage
You can store your luggage at Care4Bag situated at Arrivals next to Gate 1 with reasonable prices. Check out the Care4Bag site for prices and other services.
3. Departure
This needs to be said that being the only airport in Athens means that it is a very busy place and therefore you must plan to arrive truly at least 2 hours before your boarding time. The queues can get very long and also not underestimating the distances to walk to your gate especially if you are on budget airlines and need to get to the Satellite terminal.
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