Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is situated 27 km (17 miles) east of the city center, near the suburb of Spata. This well-appointed airport opened in 2001, raising the comfort levels of travelling to Athens and Greece by a phenomenal degree, for travellers arriving from 'Euro-zone' countries. This means that you are going to need euro coins if you want a trolley for your luggage; trolleys are available at the airport and they use coins the same way supermarket trolleys do. You insert your coin, and you get it back by placing the trolley back to its original position- so, be advised, and make sure you carry the correct currency. Athens airport is a major hub in the Aegean, Balkan and East Mediterranean regions. Delta and Olympic maintain non-stop flights from North America, while a large number of European carriers fly direct into Athens.
From the airport you can reach the city
- by metro to the city centre for €8 -group tickets (2 or 3 persons) are also available and they provide some discount (see below). That is an extension of Line 3 (blue line) that takes you to the downtown Syntagma and Monastiraki stations.
- by suburban railway to Larissis Railway Station for €8. Change from there to Line 2 of the subway that takes you to
the downtown Omonia and Syntagma stations northern Greece and the Peloponnese, by train
-by bus: X92 to Kifissia, X93 to Kifissos Coach Station, X94 to Ethniki Amyna metro station (subway Line 3), X95 to Syntagma Square (subway Lines 2 and 3), X96 to Piraeus (subway Line 1) and X97 to Dafni metro station (subway Line 2) for €5. It takes 45 min to 1.5 hrs depending on traffic.
-by taxi for €15-20:Taxis are available at the designated Taxi waiting area located at Exit 3 of Arrivals Level, If you take a taxi be careful. Make sure that the meter is switched on and shows tariff 1 (tariff 2 applies after midnight and is twice as expensive)
It is advisable to grab a free copy of city transport map in the airport - in the city, it helps a lot.
If you stay in Athens for a short time, consider leaving most luggage in a baggage storage. It is run by Pacific Travel, is located in the end of left-hand wing, arrivals level. Storage time differentiates between 6 / 12 / 18 / 24 / 36 hours, then x24hr; sizes vary to Small, Medium and Large. The only inconvenience is that same queue is for collecting and for leaving - allow extra time before your flight. No automatic lockers found in the airport. Athens airportAthens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is situated 27 km (17 miles) east of the city center, near the suburb of Spata. This well-appointed airport opened in 2001, raising the comfort levels of travelling to Athens and Greece by a phenomenal degree, for travellers arriving from 'Euro-zone' countries. This means that you are going to need euro coins if you want a trolley for your luggage; trolleys are available at the airport and they use coins the same way supermarket trolleys do. You insert your coin, and you get it back by placing the trolley back to its original position- so, be advised, and make sure you carry the correct currency. Athens airport is a major hub in the Aegean, Balkan and East Mediterranean regions. Delta and Olympic maintain non-stop flights from North America, while a large number of European carriers fly direct into Athens.
Car Rental: car rental companies currently operate at Athens International Airport with offices located at the Arrivals level
Europcar Tel.(+30) 210 3530580 & 3533321, Herz Tel (+30) 210 3534900, Budget Tel (+30) 210 3530553-5
National Car Rental / Alamo Tel (+30) 210 3533323-4 & 3533354
Shoping: over 50 selected shops and 14 dining facilities with a wide variety of specialties operate in the Shopping Centre of Athens International Airport. The Shopping Centre of Athens International Airport has been ranked amongst the top shopping centres of the finest European airports, offering tempting prices in combination with superb quality and variety, satisfying even the most demanding customers
Travellers with disabilities: a prime concern for Athens International Airport is to provide the best possible services to people with disabilities making their stay pleasant. AIA's particular services and facilities, secure fast & easy access and transportation to the airport, while the airlines and the ground handlers provide special services when needed.Passengers requiring special assistance should notify their airline at the time of ticket reservation and carry with them all necessary medical documentation.
Parking: Athens International Airport provides 4,800 short and long-term parking lots. All parking facilities are equipped with automated payment machines for easy and quick payment, while electronic message screens provide continuous information on parking vacancy.
Art & culture: athens International Airport (AIA) being a crossroads for people and cultures from all over the world, actively preserves and promotes Greece's cultural heritage and contemporary art. Besides the permanent exhibition dedicated to Eleftherios Venizelos and the Airport Museum, AIA frequently hosts cultural events, including painting and photography exhibitions, book presentations and a number of cultural collaborations in various realms, thus offering its millions of passengers and visitors an exciting airport stay.
Information and Help Desks: the airport information line operates daily 24 hours (tel: (30)210 353 0000). The Greek National Tourist Organisation (tel: (30)210 327 1000) is located in the Arrivals area of the Main Terminal and can provide information on tourism
Conference and Business Facilities: the IT&T Business Centre (tel: (30)210 353 6416) has offices equipped with desktop PCs, Internet access, telephones, photocopy and fax machines, laser and colour printers, scanners and office supplies; the centre also has one conference room. In addition, there are meeting rooms to hire from the airport facility and administration department (tel: (30)210 353 6318).
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