How to travel to Athens

There are many different ways to travel to Athens since it is the capital of Greece and the largest of all the cities in the country.

Below, you will find all the needed information to travel to Athens with ease!
• Flights • Ferries • Helicopters • Buses • Trains • FAQ

In brief, it is possible to travel to Athens via any means of transfer.
The city hosts an International Airport, three ferry ports, two intercity bus stations, and suburban railway and train networks.
Depending on your starting point, the plane and the ferry are the most practical and preferred options for traveling.

Don't forget to get informed about the local transportation options in order to organize your transfer to your hotel and explore each and every spot on the island easily!

Flights

From Greece and abroad

The International Airport of Athens is located in the region of Spata, around 30 km from the city center. It receives many domestic and international flights every day and it has a 24/7 connection with the city center and the port of Piraeus. Apart from international flights, it also serves direct flights to most Greek islands all year round. A flight to an island is short and lasts from 40-60 minutes.
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Ferries

From the islands and the mainland

There are three ports around Athens. The busiest is the port of Piraeus, from where ferries to the majority of the Greek islands, Crete, and a few ports in the Peloponnese and Macedonia depart. Note that several island-hopping itineraries depart from Piraeus, too!
The port of Rafina, on the northeastern side of Athens, is the closest to the airport. Ferries to some islands of the Cyclades depart from there.
The port of Lavrion is located close to Cape Sounion and is connected to Kea and Kythnos all year round.
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Helicopters

From Santorini, Mykonos and others

A helicopter transfer between Athens and the islands allows people to gaze at the magical seascape and unique cityscape from above. It may be the most expensive option for travel, but it is the most unparalleled, convenient and brief at the same time.
 

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Buses

From Greece and abroad

KTEL (Suburban) buses connect suburban places and towns around Greece. There are buses from Athens to almost all towns around the country. There are two main bus stations in Athens: Kifissos KTEL Station and Liossion KTEL Station. Most buses depart from Kifissos Station while Liossion Station serves destinations in central Greece and a few destinations in northern Greece.

Trains

Most trains depart from Larissa Station, close to the center of Athens. The train is the cheapest way to travel to Greece. They are usually slow as they make frequent stops. The railway network of Greece is approximately 2,500 km long, covering a large part of the mainland and linking the country with central Europe and Turkey. There are regular and express trains from Athens to Thessaloniki, with the regular trains continuing to Alexandroupolis.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We have gathered the most common questions regarding traveling to Athens and answered them for you.
Do you have another question? Are you looking for additional information to organize your trip? Let us know! You can send us your questions or post them in our community section.
Our informative team and community members will be more than happy to serve you!

How can I travel there from abroad?

There are numerous direct flights from several European cities, as well as from America, Africa and Asia.
The Airport of Athens receives plenty of flights throughout the year, yet flight quantity increases during summer in order to serve the millions of travelers who select Greece for their vacation.

How can I travel there from the Greek islands?

Islands that boast airports are most likely to be connected to Athens by air. Most of the popular destinations (Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, Kefalonia and many more) host an airport, from where direct flights to the Greek capital take off.
However, many guests prefer to reach Athens via a ferry in order to marvel at the beautiful seascape and briefly admire other islands during the crossing.
Note: The Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete and the island of Eastern Aegean are all connected with Athens via ferries. The Ionian Islands and the islands of the Sporades are not.
A new way to travel from some islands to Athens is via helicopter, as mentioned above.

How can I travel there from the Greek mainland?

KTEL (Suburban) buses connect Athens with most cities and towns in Greece, including Thessaloniki, Patra, Volos, and Ioannina among many others. Some regions like Thessaloniki and Patra are also reachable via train.

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