By plane

Athens airport is a major hub in the Aegean, Balkan and East Mediterranean regions. American, Air Canada, Air Transat, Delta, Emirates, Norwegian Air Shuttle and United maintain non-stop flights from North America (some are only seasonal), while a large number of European carriers fly direct into Athens.

1 Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH IATA) (27 km (17 mi) east of the city centre near the suburb of Spáta (Σπάτα)). ATH opened in 2001 as part of the infrastructure improvements in preparation for the Olympics. It is now one of the more attractive and efficient major European airports, though some old Athenian hands say they miss the messy atmosphere of the old Hellenikon. The airport has the usual array of fast food restaurants, duty-free shops, lounges, and other airport services. Free Wi-Fi used to be time-limited, but now is free to use for unlimited time. There is a landside convenience store open 24 hours opposite the car rental counters. Luggage storage, run by Care4bag, can be found at the south end of the airport, landside, on the arrivals level. Storage time varies from 6 to 36 hours, no automatic lockers. Like many midsize airports, ATH is using remote hard stands and shuttle buses as an interim measure to expand capacity until it can justify building more permanent gates and jetways. However, the shuttle bus rides can lead to significant delays if your plane is parked at a remote hard stand and not at a jetway next to the terminal. (updated Dec 2025)

There is a tourist information office on the arrivals level which can provide information about Greek ferries.

There is also a small museum on the top floor with interesting history information about Athens, and a space for temporary exhibits.

flight by Eurowings. flight from Cologne/Bonn Airport to ATH from €29. (updated Sep 2025)

flight by Sky Express, commercial@skyexpress.com. flight from Düsseldorf Airport to ATH from €58. (updated Sep 2025)

By bus

KTEL regional coaches connect Athens to other cities in Greece. The fleet of buses has been upgraded, which makes the journey pleasant and safe. For some destinations one can also use the buses of the railroad company (OSE, see next section) that might be international, but can also be used for in-country transport. At times there are collaborations with companies from adjacent countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania, so it's advisable to ask on both the bus and the train companies about the available options.

There are two KTEL coach stations:

2 Liosion KTEL Station (Σταθμός Λιοσίων), Liosion Avenue (near Aghios Nikolaos station on the Green line), ☏ +30 2108317186. (updated Dec 2025)

3 Kifissos KTEL Station (Σταθμός Κηφισού), Kifissos Avenue. Bus routes X93 (Athens International Airport), 051 (Athens center), 052 (Elaionas Metro station), 420 (Piraeus port). (updated Dec 2025)

Construction on a single consolidated terminal is underway in Eleonas, expected to open in 2026.

From Albania

Several travel agencies offer bus service between Tirana and Athens, also stopping at several other cities in Albania.

Cost is usually €30 between Albania and Athens (same cost regardless of the city in Albania).

Albatrans, ☏ +355 42 259 204, info@albatrans.com.al. €30. (updated Dec 2025)

Top Lines, ☏ +30 2105203350-1. (updated Dec 2025)

Papadakis Bros S.A., ☏ +30 210 52 02 551-3. (updated Dec 2025)

Osumi Travel, ☏ +30 210 52 49 268. €30, or €25 between Gjirokaster and Athens. (updated Dec 2025)

Alvavel, ☏ +30 210 5222436. €30. (updated Dec 2025)

From Bulgaria

Flixbus. from Sofia to Athens (updated Sep 2025)

By road

The main approaches to Athens by road are by the A1 motorway (European route E75) from the north and the A8 motorway (European route E94) from the west.

By train

Hellenic Train, the national rail service, connects Athens to other cities in Greece. However, the national railroad system is limited compared to other European countries, in effect having only two lines. One goes south to the Peloponnese. The other goes to the north, connecting Athens with the second major city in Greece, Thessaloniki and Larissa, the capital city of Thessaly region. From there the line continues further to the north and all the way to the east, passing through many other cities of northern Greece and eventually reaching Istanbul.

4 Athens Central Railway Station (Larissa Station) (Larissa Station of the red line (line 2)). (updated Dec 2025)

There are two types of train; normal, slow, type of train equipped with beds, and the so-called new 'Intercity' type which is more expensive because of a 'quality supplement fee' that grows with distance. For example, travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki by the 'Intercity' type will save one hour at most, but the ticket will be almost twice the price. 'Intercity' tends to be more reliable, yet more 'bumpy' than the normal train.

As of 2024, the international trains which used to connect Athens with Belgrade and Sofia via Thessaloniki have been suspended.

By boat

5 Piraeus is the chief sea port of Athens. It is served by many ferries. Cruise ships also regularly visit, especially during warm months. Generally, pedestrian ferry users will be closer than cruise passengers to the Metro station providing access to central Athens; walking distances can vary considerably. Cruise passengers on larger ships usually reach the main cruise terminal by port shuttle bus; otherwise, it can be a non-trivial walk. Smaller ships (e.g., 1200 or fewer passengers) may dock near the terminal, an easy walk. From the terminal, pedestrians face a safe, level walk of over a mile to the Piraeus Metro station; taxis are readily available to go there, but are not cheap.

6 Lavrio 60 km (37 mi) south of city centre and 7 Rafina 25 km (16 mi) east of city centre act as alternative ports of Athens. They are served by KTEL regional buses.