Air

Flying time to Athens is 3½ hours from London, 10½ hours from New York, 12 hours from Chicago, 16½ hours from Los Angeles, and 19 hours from Sydney.

In the days before COVID-19, Delta and other carriers operated a few nonstop flights from the Unitedt States to Athens, and Air Canada had some nonstop routes from Canada. Airlines may reinstate these nonstops as travel returns to normal, but most travelers from North America will need to connect in an airport in Europe to reach Athens and need to transfer in Athens to reach any other destination in Greece. Delta and Air Canada are among airlines that offer one-stop connections through European hubs to Athens. Most of the larger European airlines also offer code-share flights with U.S. partners. Some European budget carriers, including EasyJet and Ryanair, offer flights to a wide range of destinations throughout Greece. A large number of charter flights, especially from Northern Europe, fly directly to resort destinations in Greece during the high season.

Strikes, either for several hours or days, can be a sporadic problem in Greece, so it's always a good idea to keep your eyes on the local headlines while traveling. Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) posts real-time flight information on its website.

Flights Within Greece

When faced with a boat journey of six hours or more, a domestic flight can be a time-saving option. The frequency of flights varies according to the time of year (with an increase between Greek Easter and November), and it is essential to book well in advance for summer or for festivals and holidays, especially on three-day weekends. There is usually a fee to check bags; only hand luggage (with strictly enforced limits) is free.

Scheduled domestic air travel in Greece is provided by Aegean Airlines and its subsidiary Olympic Air (both of which operate out of Athens International Airport in Spata), Astra Airlines and Ellinair (which fly from Thessaloniki), and Sky Express (which has a network of flights around Greece). Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air have the largest route network around Greece, with flights to virtually every destination you might need, and the best connections through Athens. If you fly into Athens, you'll be able to transfer quite easily to a domestic flight.

Airports

Athens International Airport at Spata, 33 km (20 miles) southeast of the city center, is the country's main airport. Officially named Eleftherios Venizelos, after Greece's first prime minister, the airport is modern and quite user-friendly (there's also a very nice, albeit expensive, Sofitel if you need to stay over). The main terminal building has two levels: upper for departures, ground level for arrivals. It's quite easy to switch from international to domestic flights or get to Greece's main harbor, Piraeus, about a one-hour bus or train ride south of the airport. Thessaloniki Makedonia Airport handles both international and domestic flights, too. So does the airport on Rhodes (in the Dodecanese islands). Heraklion and Chania, on Crete, and Corfu also handle international flights. Airports on many smaller islands (Santorini, Mykonos, Karpathos, Kos, Skiathos, and Paros among them) receive international charter flights during the busier summer months.

Airport Transfers

While both Athens and Thessaloniki are well-conected by public transportation, other places in Greece, especially the islands, are not, and the only way from the airport into town will be by taxi.