Athens is the capital, largest city and popular tourist destination of Greece. Thousands of tourists come here every day. Some are attracted by the historical heritage of the Greek capital, others are on their way to the islands and resorts of Attica. All tourists are accepted by Athens International Airport - the main air harbor of Greece. It is known as one of the most modern airports in Europe.

History of Athens Airport

Athens International Airport is located 35 km from the capital and is named after Eleftherios Venizelos, an outstanding Greek politician and diplomat. Previously (more than half a century), tourists were received by the Ellinikon Airport, built before the German invasion of Greece. It was only 7 km from Athens. However, in preparation for the 2004 Athens Olympics, it was decided to start building a more modern and larger air harbor. The airport was put into operation in March 2001.

Eleftherios Venizelos Airport serves charter and regular flights of dozens of airlines. The most famous are Aegean Airlines, Air Malta, Astra Airlines, Aeroflot.

Athens can be reached by direct flights from Moscow, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Israel, USA. Many regions and islands of the country are connected by direct communication with the Greek capital: Rhodes, Corfu, Thessaloniki, Crete (Heraklion and Chania), Lesbos, Kos, Skyros, Santorini.

Flights to Athens airport

Airport infrastructure

Athens Airport, which annually receives more than 16 million passengers, constantly increases and develops convenient services for tourists. Now it is divided into two terminals connected by passages. The main terminal receives flights from the Schengen countries and many foreign countries. An additional terminal mainly specializes in low-cost airlines, Asian and American flights.

It is difficult to compete with Athens International Airport in terms of the level of service, the number of amenities and the friendliness of the staff. Astronomical sums are invested in its development, and for good reason. Passengers have at their disposal several comfortable waiting rooms, shops (including several Duty Free and a shopping center), cafes, children's areas, car rentals, luggage storage, and pharmacies.

Upon arrival or while waiting for your flight, you can exchange currency and send a postcard. Athens Airport is also known for interesting cultural events. Passengers are entertained here with jazz concerts, tango dances, games and exhibitions. The archaeological museum at the airport has real scientific value. The collection is based on finds made during the construction of the airport.

Athens airport scoreboard

Airport hotel

For the comfort of passengers at Athens Airport, directly opposite the main terminal, there is a five-star Sofitel hotel with 345 rooms. Along with the standard set of services, they are ready to offer several restaurants, relaxation in the sauna and swimming pool.

Athens airport parking

Nearly 2,000 parking spaces are available on the adjacent territory. The first 20 minutes of parking (P1, P2) are free of charge for those who reserve a spot using the online service. Zone P3 with 5800 spaces is intended for long-term parking. Here, customers are provided with 24-hour service.

How to get to Athens airport and how to get to Athens from the airport

A lot of vehicles run between Athens and the air harbor. The most convenient and expensive alternative is a taxi. Bypassing transfers and traffic jams big city, you can get to the airport for 20-40 euros. The cheapest way is by bus. Several routes run to the airport (93, 95, 96, 97). Travel time - from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours. The price is approximately 5 euros. Buses depart from Piraeus Port, Eliniko, Kifissos KTEL and Syntagma stations.

Along with municipal buses, express trains run. They follow a similar route but with few stops. There is also a metro line 3 Agia Marina directly to the airport.

You can use the services and railway transport. Trains to the airport depart from the central station.

Taxi / transfer order from Athens airport

The most comfortable way to get to Athens from the airport is to book a transfer in advance. Pre-booking will solve many problems: the driver will meet you and help you load your luggage, he will be aware of your route, the cost will be lower than that of a taxi at the airport. In addition, the kiwitaxi.ru service has a large selection of cars, both in price and value.

1. Buses.

Routes X93, X95, X96, X97 go to the center of Athens. Their stop is located right at the exit of the terminal on the 1st floor. It's better to take an express train that doesn't stop along the way. The cost of the trip is 5 euros.

There are also intercity buses that run from the airport to other cities in the country. Bus X96 goes to the port of Piraeus.

2. Metro.

The airport is connected to Athens by Metro line Line 3. Near the terminal is the station, which is called "Athens Airport". Trains run from 6:30 to 23:30. The final station is Aghia Marina. The interval of movement is half an hour. The fare is 8 euros. Read more: www.stasy.gr

3. Trains.

The Proastiakos train station is opposite the metro station. Trains arrive at the main bus station of the city - Larissa. They depart every 15 minutes, the journey time to the final one is about 40 minutes. There are stops along the way where you can transfer to the metro.

4. Car rental.

If you have an international driving license, you can rent a car upon arrival. Rental companies are located in the terminal building, in the arrivals area, there are:

• Alamo,
• avis,
• budget,
• caldera,
• enterprise,
• europcar,
• goldcar,
• Sixt and others.

You can rent a car in advance.

5. Taxi.

The best way to reach the hotel is by taxi. Their parking lots are located on the first floor at exits 1, 2 and 4.

The hotel can be booked in advance. In this case, the driver with a sign will meet you, help you carry your luggage and will already know where to take you.

In the old days, the Athens airport was located in the city, but in 2001 a new modern airport was opened far beyond the metropolis. The new air harbor was named - Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos", official website www.aia.gr, international code ATH. The airport includes the main and auxiliary terminals connected by an underground tunnel.

The distance from Athens to the airport is about 30 km east of the city. Now it is the most important transport hub not only for Europe, but also for the countries of the Middle East and South-East Asia. There are also transfers from international flights to domestic destinations in Greece. On the information board in the arrivals area, I managed to read dozens of announcements about flights from Heraklion, Thessaloniki, Thira (Santorini), Rhodes, Kerkyra (Corfu).

Athens airport flight schedule in real time:

At the airport, information is displayed on light panels in front of the check-in counters, in the waiting rooms before the boarding gates, as well as in the baggage claim and meeting areas.

Athens airport on the map

Weather now near Athens Airport

light rain

humidity: 69%

wind: 5Miz S

Weather from OpenWeatherMap

Athens airport plan

Here is the plan of the airport in Russian:

There are a large number of cafes, restaurants, shops and other passenger services on the territory of the main terminal. All staff speak English language. The building has free Wi-Fi, there are special stands for charging smartphones - Battery charging station.

The auxiliary terminal is small in size and mainly receives flights from low-cost airlines.

Here is another, more detailed diagram Athens Airport and the surrounding area. For full enlargement, we recommend opening the image in a new tab.

1. Arrivals area

After landing through the sleeve tunnels, we got to the arrivals area on the first floor of the terminal. Arrivals from non-Schengen countries must go through passport control before collecting luggage. Passengers on local flights go directly to the baggage claim area.

There is a tourist center in the center of the main terminal. Here you can book excursions, clarify the addresses of attractions and even get advice on how to get to the desired museum.

2. Departure area

It is located on the second floor of the main terminal, where 159 check-in desks work around the clock. Their total length exceeds the length of two football stadiums. There are also baggage drop points. The departure area is divided for international and domestic flights.

Passport and customs control I recommend passing at least an hour before boarding, because with a simultaneous influx of departing passengers, queues are formed. After passing the checks, you find yourself in waiting rooms with cozy chairs. There are also cafes, toilets, Duty Free shops.

For those flying to Greek airports and Schengen countries, the waiting rooms are located on the left after the security checkpoint.

3. Checkpoint

Located in the center of the departure area on the second floor.

The belt and jacket with metal parts had to be removed and passed through the frame twice. After scanning the backpack, I was asked to put all the things out of it.

Smartphone, camera and laptop must be turned on and demonstrated in working order.

The inspectors took away from me 3 packages of delicious local yogurt, which I wanted to treat my loved ones. Liquids, even in a jelly-like form, are not allowed on airplanes.

4. Children's room

Before passing passport control parents can use the services of a children's room. The minimum age of children is one and a half years, the maximum is 7 years. It opens at 9 am local time. Closes at 20.30.

5. Free Museum in the airoport

While the children frolic in the play area, parents can visit a small museum a few meters from the children's room.

photo: poznamka.ru

The main exhibits are items found by archaeologists during the construction of the airport. In the museum you can see household utensils: amphorae, vases, stone crafts and other exhibits.

6. Luggage storage

To make the most of your time in the city, I advise you to take your bags and suitcases to the storage room. It is located in the arrivals area on the first floor. The cost of services starts from 7 euros per day for a small travel bag. There is also a point for protective packaging of luggage in film.

7. Tax Free Refund

If you have bought a lot, you can get a tax refund before going through passport control. To do this, with documents, you need to go to the Global Blue and Premier Tax Free taxi counters on the first floor of the main terminal.

8. Waiting rooms (lounges)

Terminal A has 2 halls:

In terminal B (no man's land):

Business class passengers are provided with lounges of Aegean Airlines (Schengen area B), British Airways (non-Schengen area A), Lufthansa (Schengen departure area B).

9. Where to eat

Dozens of cafes, bars and restaurants of famous brands are open around the clock in the main terminal.

10. Duty Free Shops

They can be visited in secure departure areas.

The Athens Duty Free saved me from Aeroflot's restrictions on the weight of luggage carried per 1 passenger.

From Greece, in addition to fur coats, tourists often bring wine, cognac, cheeses and other delicacies. Congestion fees are often an obstacle to large-scale purchases of first-class Greek products. In the suitcase, checked in earlier as baggage, I could only put souvenirs for relatives and a couple of bottles of dry Cretan wine.

In front of the Duty Free checkout, I unloaded:

• 2 kilos of Cretan cheese Graviera;
• 3 liters of olive oil;
• 3 bottles of local dry wine "Earth and Sky";
• 2 liters of Metaxa;
• a liter of Greek Raki, Scotch whiskey and Finlandia vodka;
• large bottle of Baileys.

I doubted very much that they would let me out of the store with so much alcohol. The manager thought for a long time, but in the end he allowed the cashier to accept payment. But another problem arose - it was very difficult to drag three large packages with a total weight of more than 17 kilograms.

Airport parking

You can park your car in one of the parking lots on the right and left of the Sofitel. Each of them can accommodate up to 500 cars. The largest parking field for 2,000 spaces moved out of line railway. You can get there through a pedestrian crossing leading to the metro station and commuter train. All parking lots are open.

Hotels near the airport

There are many accommodation options near the Athens airport. I will describe some of them.

1. Sofitel Athens 5* . Built across the street from the main terminal. The average cost of living is from 200 euros per day. Inside the hotel complex there are 2 restaurants, an indoor pool, a spa center. Wi-fi is free throughout. My opinion - high quality, comfortable, but expensive. Rating on booking.com - 8.7.
   
   
2. Villa Vravrona Tower & Suites. The hotel is located in the fields 3 km from the terminal, built in rustic style. When booking, guests receive a roundtrip airport transfer. A pool is open on the territory in summer, and around it there is a beautiful southern garden. Wifi is free. On hot days, you can sunbathe on the wooden terrace, and in the evening sit by the fireplace. The cost of a room per night for two is from 97 euros. Rating on booking.com - 9.1.
   
   
3. A&J Apartments. Located in the village of Markopulon, 9 km from the airport. Guests are accommodated in apartments with a terrace, a kitchenette and a bathroom. The minimum cost of living per day is from 100 euros for two. Breakfast is included in the price. Free Wi-Fi is available on site. It also provides an airport shuttle. Rating on booking.com - 9.7.
   
   
4. Holiday Inn Athens Attica Av, Airport W . It is located 13 km from the airport. The advantage of the hotel is round-the-clock free transfer from the airport and back. Free Wi-Fi is available on site, gym, sauna and swimming pool. Breakfast is a rich buffet. The cost of living for two is from 170 euros per day. Rating on booking.com - 8.1.
   
   

How to get from the airport to the center of Athens

You can get from Athens airport to the city by different types transport.

1. Metro

Most fast option to get to the center - take the metro. Athens Airport is the terminus of a branch that stretches for almost 40 kilometers. In the diagram, it is designated as line M3. of blue color. If you make one transfer in the center, you can get to the seaport of Piraeus.

To get to the platform, you need to exit the terminal building, cross the road and, following the signs, follow the covered walkway for 150 meters. Ticket price - 10 euros. Trains depart every 15-20 minutes. Athens city center is a 40-minute metro ride.

Most of the way, the train follows open areas and dives underground closer to densely populated areas. The carriages and design of the stations are noticeably different from their Russian analogues. The subway does not work at night. The opening time of the station is 6.35, and the last train leaves at 22.35.

2. Commuter train

On the transport scheme, it is designated under the number P2. From the airport, the railway line leaves north of the center of Athens, has several connections with three metro lines. The fare is 10 euros. Boarding the train from the airport is located next to the metro line. Opening hours: from 7.00 to 20.20. Intervals are 20 to 30 minutes. My opinion is that the metro is more convenient.

3. Buses and fixed-route taxis

On the airport website, bus stops are marked between gates 4 and 5 of the arrivals area. There are several routes going to different parts of Athens, the suburbs and the nearest cities of the region. To get to the center of the capital, you need to find the X95 bus stop.

Buses have their advantages and disadvantages. I'll start with the pros, there are several:

• The ticket price is only 6 euros one way.
• Flights are operated around the clock with a frequency of 10 to 50 minutes.
• The last stop in the city is the central Syntagma Square.

By cons, I attributed the high probability of standing all the way on your feet, if you do not have time to take a seat, as well as traffic jams, which the Greek capital is famous for in the daytime.

The center of Athens can also be reached by minibuses. The price is 20 euros per person.

4. To Athens from the airport by taxi

This mode of transportation is suitable for small families with children, a company of 3-4 people or those who are in a hurry. The average travel time is 40 minutes. It is not difficult to find a taxi - immediately after leaving the terminal, dozens of yellow cars are parked in the parking lots. At the airport you can see black taxis of prestigious brands.

Features of ordering a taxi from the airport:

• You may be in line to board. I advise you not to rush brazenly across. Better wait five minutes and prove that Russians are just as cultured Europeans.
• Four people can sit in a taxi. Just for this, it is convenient to negotiate with neighbors in the queue. The savings are obvious.
• Not all local taxi drivers speak English or German. The first step is to test their ability to communicate clearly.
• Before you get into the car, check the fare to the center and be sure to agree on the place of disembarkation - it is possible that the road may be blocked due to repairs or a utility strike.
• Carry cash with you in small denominations for payment.

5. Car rental at the airport

Through the site, a car can be booked from the airport parking lot. Car rental suppliers are the largest European and Greek companies: Avis, Caldera, Europcar, Goldcar, Alamo, Sixt and many others.

You can search for a car right here:

Each company has its own requirements for both drivers and the order of using the car. Before you rent a car, check the details - are there any restrictions on age, length of service, region of movement, mileage, etc. Such information is usually not indicated on sites. E-mail correspondence may be the best option.

To conclude a contract, you need a passport, as well as a personalized credit card. A credit card is needed to block the collateral. The more expensive the car, the higher the deposit. In some cases, you can leave cash. In Athens, they may refuse to rent if you do not have an international driver's license. This is due to the problems of compensation for damages arising from an accident.

During the high season, the choice of cars is limited, and it is better to book 2-3 weeks in advance.

The rental price depends on the car class, year of manufacture, its technical condition, the presence or absence of an automatic transmission. If you study the prices for daily rent on websites, you may be surprised to find that, for example, a Volkswagen Polo will cost 3,850 rubles, and you need to pay 10,719 rubles for a Peugeot 308.

6. Transfer from the airport to the center of Athens

Another way to quickly and comfortably leave the airport is a transfer. The service is ordered on specialized sites, for example, on. In the arrivals area you will be met with a sign or by phone they will indicate the landing site. Depending on the number of passengers, light taxis and minivans are often used for the trip. At the same time, the cost of transportation is comparable to the cost of a taxi.

You can order a transfer here:

The transfer is convenient because you can choose any available transport. The following are also offered as a means of delivery:

• a bus for a large group with a lot of suitcases;
• limousine for newlyweds and close relatives;
• premium cars or helicopters for businessmen.

Conclusion

The information in this article about Athens Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" is taken from my personal experience and open sources in the Internet. If you have questions or comments, please use the form at the bottom of this page.

Alexander Dunaev, 45 years old, Krasnogorsk

Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" is the largest aviation hub in the country, located in the Greek capital. Work began in 2001, to replace the Elinikon. Passenger traffic is more than 16 million people a year. If your path lies through the airport of Athens "Eleftherios Venizelos", you should read this article and find out all the details.

basic information

• The official name of "Eleftherios Venizelos" in English is Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos";
• Operator - Athens International Airport S.A.;
• Type - civil;
• Athens airport has ICAO codes - LGAV, IATA - ATH;
• Equipped with 2 terminals connected by a passage. One is for the Schengen countries and other countries, the second serves low-cost airlines.
• Geographic coordinates: latitude - 37.94, longitude - 23.94;
• Serves passengers airport of Athens 24 hours a day and every day.

Contacts

• The official address of the air gate is: Bullding 17, GR 190 19 Spata, Greece;
• Eleftherios Venizelos website, where you can learn everything about him (English and a short guide in Russian are available): https://www.aia.gr/traveler/;
• Call center: (+30) 2103530000;
• Fax: (+30) 2103530001;
• Email: [email protected]

Airport on the map

Eleftherios Venizelos Online Flight Scoreboard

The official website allows you to find a flight by the principle of departure / arrival, time, you can use the search bar, clarify information about the flight.

How to get to Athens airport?

The transport hub receives passengers 17 kilometers from the center of the Greek capital, near the city of Spata in East Attica. From Athens to "Eleftherios Venzelos" can be reached in different ways:

Metropolitan

Metro line No3, or Aghia Marina - Athens International Airport, is accessible from Syntagma or Monastiraki stations. Travel time will be approximately 1 hour. Trains run daily from 06:00 to 22:00 for every 5-10 minutes. Ticket terminals are located at the stations, you can buy a ticket at the box office. The cost is about 10 euros.

How to buy a ticket for the metro - in the video:

electric train

Suburban trains run from Athens Central Station, as well as from the Acharnes Railway Center (SKA) stop. The interval of movement is approximately half an hour, trains run from 05:30 to 21:00.

Bus

4 routes connect Athens and the aviation hub. They go straight to the arrivals floor, gates 4 and 5. Every day and around the clock with an interval of 30 minutes during the day and 1 hour at night, you can go on these buses:

• X93 from Kifisos Intercity bus station.
• X95 bus from the very heart of the city - Syntagma Square.
• X96 bus from Piraeus port.
• X97 follows from the Elliniko area (red metro line M2).

Taxi

In Athens, passengers are ready to be taken to the airport by many services. If you need to get to the city, the taxi rank is located at the exit of the 3rd floor of the arrivals. The rates are:

• 38 euros - to the very center during the day;
• 54 euros - at night.

The pre-order of the car is available at the number: +30 210 5239524.

You can rent a car at the Athens airport. Five car rental companies provide their services, their offices are located in the arrivals area in the main terminal building.

parking

For those traveling by private car, the following parking areas are available:

1. Short-term parking P1 and P2. Located on the arrivals floor, right next to it, 1360 parking spaces. You can park for 20 minutes for free.
2. Long term parking. Located near the main airport access road, P3 has a capacity of 5,800 vehicles.
3. Premium parking. Waiting for everyone on the departure floor at entrance 3, including improved service.

Airport map

Presented on the official website.

Infrastructure

Baggage services

For all-round comfort, Eleftherios Venizelos has:

1. Luggage storage CARE4BAG;
2. Luggage wrapping services from the same company;
3. Porter service available around the clock.

For travelers with children

The whole family at the airport has access to:

1. Baby playgrounds. Children aged 1.5-7 years can use them free of charge. Parents must look after the children themselves, at least one of them. The gaming zone is located on the 2nd floor of the main terminal building, open from 09:00 to 21:00.
2. Children's rooms. Designed for parents of very young children. Equipped with everything you need for feeding, as well as changing tables. They are marked with special symbols and are located near sanitary and hygienic zones.

Connection

The transport hub offers free Wi-Fi throughout the complex. You need to select an ATH Free Wi-Fi network, you need to update the session every 45 minutes.

In addition, there are Internet kiosks at Athens Airport.

There is a post office in the arrivals area. Opening hours: Monday-Saturday - 07:00-19:30, Sunday and weekends - 08:30-17:30.

Public catering establishments

On the territory of the aviation hub there are many catering establishments, including such as:

1. AIRTH COFFEE & NUTS. Confectionery and coffee shop, where you can also buy a lot of delicious gifts.
2. EAT GREEK. Traditional Greek cuisine including the legendary gyros.
3. FLOCAFE ESPRESSO ROOM. One of the coffee shops.
4. HEINEKEN STAR BAR. Italian and Greek cuisine, beer, coffee, refreshing drinks, snacks.
5. MCDONALD'S. World famous fast food.

Things to do?

In order to completely relax, passengers can proceed to one of the business lounges. Here is their list:

• Departure area, non-Schengen flights: Skyserv Handling Services – Aristotelis Onasis, Swissport Executive Lounge, Goldair Handling;
• Departure area, Schengen flights: Aegean Airlines - Club, Goldair Handling, Lufthansa - Business Lounge, Skyserv Handling Services - Melina Mercouri.

Athens airport often becomes a venue for cultural events.
Shopaholics will also be interested in the airport: there are many shops offering goods from international companies. Appliances, gifts, clothes and accessories.

There are outlets DUTY-FREE. Mini market with the same name in English - a good place for those who want to eat not at catering points.

FAIRYNAILS is a beauty salon where you can get all the necessary beauty treatments and relax, healing your body and resting your mind.

Where to stay?

For those who are waiting for a long transplant, it is possible to stay at the following establishments:

1. Five-star hotel Sofitel Athens Airport. It is located 50 meters from the transport hub. 2 restaurants, swimming pool, spa, free internet is waiting for all guests.
2. Detached Vintage House - Vacation home, which is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from the aviation hub. Jacuzzi tub, terrace, garden are just a few of the amenities guests need.
3. Sweet Home is an apartment located 5 kilometers from the airport. At home, you can relax while waiting for your flight.

Other services

In addition to the already described, "Eleftherios Venizelos" offers guests the following amenities:

• pharmacies;
• emergency station;
• banks;
• ATMs;
• currency exchange point;
• airline offices;
• "air taxi" and helicopters.

At the entrance to the airport there is a large shopping center, where there are stores such as IKEA, LEROY MERLIN, SHELL gas station.

What to do with a long transplant?

To exit the airport to Athens, you need a visa, if everything is done, it's good to take the chance to see the ancient beauties:

1. Plaka area. The historical center of the city is located under the shadow of the Acropolis. Narrow streets, taverns, small Greek houses.
2. Acropolis. A legendary attraction, where the remains of ancient temples and sculptures have survived to this day.
3. Theater of Dionysus. The amphitheater was founded in the 5th century BC. 17 thousand people could accommodate in it, enjoying performances by Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Sophocles. And yes, the acoustics are still amazing.
4. Port of Piraeus. sea ​​harbor Athens will please you with fresh air, beautiful views, as well as the richness of its history.
5. Hill of Lycabettus. highest point in the vicinity of the Greek capital. It is worth climbing just to see the panorama, and also visit the St. George's Chapel and the open-air platform, where cultural events are often held.

Airlines

Among the carriers that operate flights to Athens Airport, such as:

1. Hall A: Aegean Airlines, Aeroflot, Ryanair, EgyptAir, British Airways and others;
2. Hall B: Iberia, Scandinavian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Astra Airlines and others.

Eleftherios Venizelos is a large and well-developed aviation hub in Greece. It has everything that passengers need for a comfortable pastime.

Greece is a state in which a person for the first time realized his seemingly unrealizable dream and took to the air, making a long flight. This man was the mythological glorious master Daedalus, who designed wings not only for himself, but also for his son Icarus. With their help, the ancient engineer and his son flew from Crete almost to Sicily.

The descendants of the ancient Greeks are worthy of their ancestors in the field of aeronautics: Athens Airport receives flights from all over the world. Huge A380 Airbuses arrive here, accommodating from 525 to nine hundred superfluous man, the largest airliners land for refueling when flying to the states of the Middle and Far East.

The old Athens airport Ellinikon functioned as the capital air gate of Hellas for more than half a century. It was located in the southern part of Athens, seven kilometers from the city center. In preparation for Olympic Games construction began on a new air harbor located 35 kilometers southeast of the Greek capital.

The modern airport was commissioned in 2001 and named after the prominent Greek diplomat and politician Eleftherios Venizelos. Since then, all planes flying to Athens land in this place (the old air harbor is planned to be turned into a museum). Over the past twelve years, Eleftherios Venizelos has grown even more, metro and highways have brought here. Every year, Athens airport receives over sixteen million passengers, and this number continues to increase.

Currently, for convenience, the airport is divided into two parts, called terminals: main and satellite. The terminal, called satellite, serves flights that fly outside the Schengen zone: planes arrive here from Beijing, Singapore and other capitals of Asian states, as well as from Russian, British and American cities. Flights that do not depart from the borders of the Schengen area are served by the main terminal. Most planes from Europe land here and take off from these runways.

A tunnel is equipped between parts of the airport, through which those who wish can go from one half to the other.

Russian and Russian-speaking citizens have to “master” the satellite terminal, since the CIS countries (except for the former Soviet Baltic republics) do not belong to the Schengen area.

You can fly to Athens from many Russian cities and former countries THE USSR. Here is a list of Russian airports with direct air routes to the Greek capital:

• Moscow;
• Kazan;
• Khabarovsk;
• Rostov-on-Don;
• Simferopol;
• Yekaterinburg;
• Novosibirsk;
• Kaliningrad;
• Permian.

The fastest way to the Athens airport can be reached from Simferopol - in about an hour and a half. It will take about three and a half hours to fly from Moscow, from St. Petersburg - almost four.

How to get there

Buses, taxis, express trains, metro trains and something like Russian "electric trains" run between Athens and the main Greek airport. The metro here also has its own characteristics. The fare in it is 8 euros, and a two-way trip is estimated at 14 euros, so it’s more profitable to buy tickets right there and back, but you need to use the opportunity to travel within an hour and a half after composting the ticket.

However, using the metro is undesirable for those who do not know Athens well and do not speak English or Greek. In addition, the underground roads of the Greek capital are divided into three branches: green, blue and red, and each has a large number of stations. Therefore, before traveling on the Athens metro, it is necessary to purchase a route map.

For beginners, it will be easier to take the express bus number 95, which runs every twenty minutes from Athens Central Square to Syntagma Square. The cost of a ticket in it, which can be bought from the driver, is 5 euros, and you can get to the stop by leaving the airport through the fifth or fourth exit. It will take a little over forty minutes to get there.

But the easiest way to get from the airport to the capital of Greece is by taxi. To do this, you need to go through the second or third exits of the building, where there is a parking lot of yellow cars next to them. This is the Greek "green-eyed" cars. The fare in them to the center of Athens is 35 €, and from midnight to five in the morning, when there is no other transport, this amount increases to 50 €.

Shops, kiosks, prices and hotels of the capital airport

The well-known computer store of the Athens airport is Germanos, where you can buy SIM and flash cards, as well as various accessories for tablets and phones. And grocery - a network of Duty-Free mini-markets, that is, duty-free shops. There is an extensive range of gastronomic products (cheese, sausages, canned olives, canned fish, etc.), light snacks, spirits, sweets, chocolate, biscuits and souvenirs.

But the prices in these stores "bite" a little. The most profitable purchase for Russians is a bottle of olive oil with a capacity of 750 milliliters. Its cost is 6.80 €, this oil is very useful and can be stored as a memory for a long time.

A 100-gram jar of sardines in oil sells for 2.4 euros. The same cost is 200 grams of half-smoked sausage in a package. For 2.8 € you can take 180 grams of Manouri cheese, and a kilogram of Dodoni Feta will cost 13.6 €. 170 grams of the famous sheep's cheese is sold for 3.6 euros, but this is the cheapest option, there are more expensive varieties. A 425-gram jar of olives will cost 2.2 €, and a 65-gram bag of olives will cost 1.75 euros. The cheapest package of a cake weighing 160 grams costs 1.2 €, the lowest price is a bag of Kinder Bueno, weighing 44 grams - 1 €.

The Athens airport has several pharmacies and many special areas where there is a wireless connection to the Internet. They sign like this: Wireless Internet Zone.

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