El. Venizelos, the international airport of Athens
Airports in Greece and the Greek islands
The airports of Greece serve millions of locals and visitors from abroad throughout the year, making it possible to reach various locations on the Greek mainland or the islands in no time.
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The biggest airport in Greece is the International Airport of Athens, which is located right outside the capital and can be easily reached by bus, suburban railway, or metro from the city center. Athens International Airport receives the majority of foreign visitors arriving in Greece; from there, most of them catch a connecting flight to travel to the Greek islands by plane or get to one of the ports of Athens to travel to the islands by ferry.
It is good to know that the majority of airports in Greece are not connected via direct flights; to get from one place to the other, most of the time you will have to get a connecting flight at the Airport of Athens or take a bus, train, private transfer or ferry.
All the airports in Greece take the same safety and security measures and all the other details depend on the airline company you are traveling with.
Greece boasts some International Airports, which serve domestic and international flights, and National Airports which only serve domestic flights (maybe some charter flights from abroad from time to time, too).
Below, you will find more information on both types of airports in Greece.
International Airports
Situated at various locations in Greece and the Greek islands, the country's International Airports have been designed to receive domestic flights, as well as scheduled or charter flights from abroad.
The largest and busiest International Airport in Greece is the International Airport of Athens "Eleftherios Venizelos", near the city center of Athens. This airport is connected to all the airports of Greece, while it also receives direct flights from most European capitals and some smaller European cities. Intercontinental direct flights between Athens and the US, Canada, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also available.
The second biggest International Airport in Greece is the Airport of Thessaloniki, which is quite popular among those spending their vacation in the northern part of the country.
Other notable international airports include the ones of Heraklion, Santorini, and Mykonos, which get quite crowded during the summer, as they serve several seasonal flights from abroad.
Note: International Airports on the Greek islands make it possible to get there directly from several locations outside Greece, without having to get a connecting flight at the airport of Athens. However, if a flight from the capital is required to reach an island, keep in mind that depending on your destination, travel time is usually between 40 and 60 minutes.
Islands that have international airports, such as Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Skiathos, Corfu & Kefalonia, are usually connected to other islands via ferry crossings, which tend to be cheaper than plane tickets.
A list of all International Airports in Greece is available below. For more information on each airport, click on the links:
National Airports
National Airports are generally smaller than International ones. They are situated in various locations, including many islands and a few cities on the mainland. Most of them serve only domestic flights directly from Athens and a few ones from Thessaloniki, allowing travelers to reach another location easily.
Domestic flights are highly recommended to visitors from abroad who arrive at Athens International Airport and wish to travel to the islands. In this way, you will save a lot of time by not having to go to the port to catch a ferry.
The following National Airports are available in Greece:
IOA - Ioannina
KSJ - Kasos
KZS - Kastellorizo
*Note: Even if an airport has been registered as a national one, in certain cases it is possible to find a few charter flights from abroad during the summer season.
MAP WITH AIRPORTS IN GREECE
Discover the International and National Airports on our illustrated map:
Map with airports of Greece
