Airport terminal hall with natural light and travelers with luggage

🇬🇷 GREECE VERIFIED CARRIERSATH AIRPORT

Athens Airport (ATH) Transfers

Athens International Airport sits at Spata, about 20 km east of the city center in a straight line, and handled about 34 million passengers in 2025. Verified carriers quote per vehicle to the center, Piraeus, Sounio and the ferry ports, before you fly.

IATA Code

ATH

To Syntagma

34 km

To Piraeus

50 km

To Sounio

47 km

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34 km

By road to Syntagma

2001

Year the airport opened

34M

Passengers in 2025

€50

Daytime taxi fare to the center

Two terminal buildings, one Arrivals level, and the metro and the suburban railway beside the terminal. A car that collects you waits behind a barrier with ten free minutes, so the pickup is the part to agree in advance.

Terminal Pickup Information

The Arrivals level, the two places a pre-booked car may collect, and the rank at Exit 3.

Arrivals level

Main terminal, after passport control and reclaim

Meeting point

Your carrier confirms in the booking chat where the driver meets you and where the car waits

Metro and suburban railway

The station beside the terminal, over an elevated walkway

Taxis wait at Exit 3; Uber collects opposite Exit 4

Pre-booked cars

Two places the airport allows

Next to Short Term 1

The designated pick-up area for pre-booked vehicles

Arrivals Pick-up and Drop-off zone

Behind a barrier; 10 minutes free, then charged

The airport has a waiting area for pre-booked cars in its Retail Park

The barrier clock

Arrivals and Departures zones

After the free 10 minutes

€5 to 20 minutes, then €1 a minute, cash or card

60-minute limit

No vehicle may stay in the zone longer than an hour

Short Term 1 and 2 give everyone 20 minutes free

Pickup zone tariff

Pick-up zone, first 10 minFree, 2 entries a day

Pick-up zone, 10 to 20 min€5

Pick-up zone, after 20 min€1 per minute

Pick-up zone, longest stay60 min

Short Term 1 and 2, first 20 minFree

The airport's own figures, paid at the exit machine. A driver who waits 30 minutes in the zone pays €15.

Why the pickup is agreed in advance

The taxi rank owns Exit 3, Uber has its own point opposite Exit 4, and a pre-booked car may only collect next to Short Term 1 or inside the barrier zone, where the clock starts at the gate. So the meeting point is not improvised at the curb. Your carrier tells you in the booking chat where the driver meets you and where the car is waiting.

Pickup Time and Flight Monitoring

You choose the pickup time, so pick the moment you expect to walk out with your bags. Since 30 March 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System has been fully in use for non-EU travelers, US and UK passport holders included, and the airport warns of long waits at passport control. Give your carrier the flight number for flight monitoring; if your flight is late, the car waits for it. Running much later? Call or message your carrier to agree a new time.

Flight monitoring Meeting point in the chat Share flight number at booking

Popular Routes from Athens Airport

Corinth Canal

ATH Airport → the isthmus

~106 km

~1h 20min

Quote on request

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Nafplio

ATH Airport → the Peloponnese

~170 km

~2h 20min

Quote on request

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Delphi

ATH Airport → Mount Parnassus

~197 km

~3h 05min

Quote on request

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About Athens Airport

Spata, the flat fare, the metro, and the ports

Your driver meets you after reclaim, and within minutes the car is on the Attiki Odos. Athens International Airport, IATA code ATH, opened in 2001 and handled about 34 million passengers in 2025, up 6.7% on the year before. August was its busiest month, with 3,883,627 passengers.

Two buildings, one Arrivals level to know

The numbered exits are on the main terminal.

The main terminal handles every Schengen flight and some others; the satellite terminal is reached through an underground link with moving walkways. The Arrivals level of the main terminal is where the numbered exits are: taxis at Exit 3, Uber opposite Exit 4, the express buses between Exits 4 and 5. The metro and suburban station sits beside the terminal, over an elevated walkway.

Spata, not the city

The airport is about 20 km east of the center.

By road Syntagma is about 34 km and 35 minutes in free flow, because the motorway goes round the hills between. The Attiki Odos toll motorway carries most of it; a car or a minivan under 15 seats pays €2.55 once, on entry, whatever the distance. Athens traffic is not in those free-flow figures.

The taxi fare went up

Since 18 September 2026, the flat fare is €50 by day and €65 at night.

The Government Gazette of that date set it, and the airport's own page quotes it: €50 from 05:00 to 24:00, €65 from 00:00 to 05:00, per taxi, every surcharge included, to or from the inner ring of the center. The €40 and €55 figures that circulate widely are the old fares. Outside the inner ring, to Piraeus, the coast or Rafina, the meter runs, with €4 added for the airport.

The metro, and its evenings

The metro is the right buy for some travelers.

Line 3 leaves from beside the terminal every 36 minutes, reaches Syntagma in 40 minutes and costs €9, and for one traveler with a backpack and a hotel near a station, we are not going to pretend anything beats it. The catch is the evening. Since 25 October 2026, Sunday to Thursday, rail works close part of the line: the last direct train from the airport to the center leaves at 21:10, and later trains stop at Doukissis Plakentias, where the X25 replacement bus runs to Katehaki and the metro resumes. STASY has published no end date.

Land at 20:40 on a Tuesday with two cases each, and the car booked before you fly is the answer.

Airport Facts

IATA / ICAOATH / LGAV

LocationSpata, 20 km east, straight line

Opened2001

Passengers 202534 million

TerminalsMain and satellite

Runways2, of 4,000 m and 3,800 m

Road to Syntagma34 km

Metro to Syntagma40 min, €9

Taxi to the center€50 day, €65 night

Piraeus, Rafina or Lavrio: three ferry ports

The port on your ticket decides the drive.

Many island trips start the same way: land at Spata, cross to a port, board a ferry. The table compares the road distance from the airport, free flow, with the public link.

Rafina: By road from ATH16 km, 30 min; Public link from the airportKTEL regional bus from the Arrivals level

Lavrio: By road from ATH39 km, 45 min; Public link from the airportKTEL bus to Markopoulo and a change; daytime only, sparse

Piraeus: By road from ATH50 km, 50 min; Public link from the airportMetro line 3, 61 min; suburban railway, about 65 min; X96 bus, about 90 min

Port	By road from ATH	Public link from the airport
Rafina	16 km, 30 min	KTEL regional bus from the Arrivals level
Lavrio	39 km, 45 min	KTEL bus to Markopoulo and a change; daytime only, sparse
Piraeus	50 km, 50 min	Metro line 3, 61 min; suburban railway, about 65 min; X96 bus, about 90 min

Read the first column against your sailing time. Rafina is about 35 km nearer than Piraeus, and only Piraeus has a train from the airport.

Piraeus and the cruise ships

Piraeus is the big one.

The port handled a record 1,863,397 cruise passengers in 2025 and about 17.3 million ferry passengers, through three cruise passenger stations and a separate ferry port, each with its own free shuttle bus. From the airport, Piraeus is about 50 km and 50 minutes by road in free flow, on the Attiki Odos and the A1. The taxi runs on the meter here, not the flat fare. On a turnaround day, with cruise cases for four, the car that drives to the terminal is the simple answer.

Into the center

The flat fare covers the inner ring of the center.

Inside it, a private transfer to the center earns its place when the meeting point has to be fixed, the party needs more than one taxi, or the hotel sits on a pedestrian street the driver has to walk you to.

South to Sounio

Nothing from the airport goes there but the road.

Sounio and the Temple of Poseidon are about 47 km and an hour from the terminal in free flow. The metro, the suburban railway and the express buses all head into Athens and Piraeus; the regional buses go to Rafina and Markopoulo. A car goes straight to the cape or to a hotel on that coast.

How Much Does an Athens Airport Transfer Cost?

Carriers quote per vehicle, for your flight, your party and your luggage.

It depends on four things, and every carrier on TransferBnB prices them into one quote per vehicle before you fly:

The vehicle. A sedan for two, an MPV or a minivan for a family or a cruise party, so nobody is split across two cars.
The party and the bags. Cruise cases, child seats and sports bags need a bigger trunk, so put them in the request.
The distance. From the 16 km run to Rafina to the 197 km drive to Delphi; the route cards above carry each drive.
The waiting. A late landing or a long queue at passport control keeps the driver waiting, so give the carrier your flight number and the quote can allow for it.

The taxi's €50 flat fare is the number to compare with for the center. Where published fares back a figure, the route card shows it as a from-price per vehicle; every other run is quoted by the carriers on request.

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Transport Options Compared

Every way out of Athens Airport, side by side.

Private transfer: Journey timeAbout 35 min to Syntagma, 50 to Piraeus, 1h to Sounio, in free flow; PriceQuote per vehicle before you fly; Door to doorYes; Where it endsYour door, the ship or the ferry; Best forFamilies, groups, cruise luggage, the ports and the coast

Taxi, flat fare: Journey timeThe same roads as a transfer; Price€50 05:00 to 24:00, €65 00:00 to 05:00, per taxi; Door to doorYes; Where it endsAn address inside the center's inner ring; Best forTwo travelers with light bags, a hotel in the center

Metro line 3: Journey time40 min to Syntagma, 61 min to Piraeus; every 36 min; Price€9 single, €16 return; Door to doorNo; Where it endsA station on the line; Best forOne or two travelers, light bags, a hotel near a station

X95 express bus: Journey timeAbout 60 min to Syntagma, 24 hours; Price€5.50 single; Door to doorNo; Where it endsSyntagma; Best forOne traveler into the center, at any hour

X96 express bus: Journey timeAbout 90 min to Piraeus, 24 hours; Price€5.50 single; Door to doorNo; Where it endsThe port of Piraeus; Best forA solo traveler with time before the ferry

Option	Journey Time	Price	Door to door	Where it ends	Best for
Private transfer	About 35 min to Syntagma, 50 to Piraeus, 1h to Sounio, in free flow	Quote per vehicle before you fly	Yes	Your door, the ship or the ferry	Families, groups, cruise luggage, the ports and the coast
Taxi, flat fare	The same roads as a transfer	€50 05:00 to 24:00, €65 00:00 to 05:00, per taxi	Yes	An address inside the center's inner ring	Two travelers with light bags, a hotel in the center
Metro line 3	40 min to Syntagma, 61 min to Piraeus; every 36 min	€9 single, €16 return	No	A station on the line	One or two travelers, light bags, a hotel near a station
X95 express bus	About 60 min to Syntagma, 24 hours	€5.50 single	No	Syntagma	One traveler into the center, at any hour
X96 express bus	About 90 min to Piraeus, 24 hours	€5.50 single	No	The port of Piraeus	A solo traveler with time before the ferry

Four X95 tickets come to €22. With cruise cases, a late flight or a port at the far end, the fare is not the whole cost.

Every public option ends at a stop or a station, and the flat fare covers only the inner ring; past it, the meter runs. A private transfer starts at the terminal and ends at the door, the ship or the ferry, for the whole party and its luggage in one vehicle.

Why Book Your Athens Airport Transfer with TransferBnB

A meeting point agreed before the barrier clock starts.

Meeting point agreed

The carrier tells you where the driver meets you and where the car waits, before you land.

Verified carriers

Every carrier is verified by TransferBnB before it can quote on your trip.

Quote before you fly

One price per vehicle for the whole party and its cases, to any address, port or hotel.

After the last direct metro

Sunday to Thursday the last direct train leaves at 21:10. With flight monitoring, if your flight is late, the car waits for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does my transfer driver meet me at Athens Airport?

On the Arrivals level of the main terminal, after passport control and baggage reclaim; your carrier confirms the exact spot and where the car waits in the booking chat. The airport lets pre-booked cars collect in two places only: the designated pick-up area next to Short Term 1 parking, and the barrier-controlled Pick-up and Drop-off zone at Arrivals, with a waiting area for them in the airport's Retail Park. Share your flight number when you book and set the pickup time for when you expect to walk out with your bags.

What is the taxi fare from Athens Airport to the city center in 2026?

€50 from 05:00 to 24:00 and €65 from 00:00 to 05:00, per taxi, every day, to or from the inner ring of the city center. Those fares were set by a ministerial decision published in the Government Gazette on 18 September 2026. The fare includes every surcharge, and day or night is decided by the time the taxi reaches your destination. Outside the inner ring, to Piraeus or the coast, the taxi runs on the meter. A private transfer is quoted per vehicle before you fly, for any address and any size of party.

How do I get from Athens Airport to the city center in 2026?

Four ways. Metro line 3 reaches Syntagma in 40 minutes for €9, with a train from the airport every 36 minutes. The X95 express bus runs 24 hours to Syntagma for €5.50 and takes about 60 minutes, depending on traffic. The taxi rank at Exit 3 charges the flat €50 by day and €65 at night. A private transfer is about 34 km and 35 minutes to Syntagma in free flow on the Attiki Odos, and it is the only one that takes a party of any size, with its luggage, to any address in one vehicle.

What time is the last metro from Athens Airport?

It depends on the day. On Friday and Saturday the last train from the airport leaves at 23:34. Since 25 October 2026, Sunday to Thursday, rail works close part of line 3 in the evening: the last direct train from the airport to the center leaves at 21:10, and later trains run only as far as Doukissis Plakentias, where the X25 replacement bus runs to Katehaki and the metro resumes. The X95 bus runs all night, and a private transfer comes with flight monitoring: if your flight is late, the car waits for it.

How do I get from Athens Airport to Piraeus for a cruise or a ferry?

By road it is about 50 km and 50 minutes in free flow to the cruise terminals. Metro line 3 runs from the airport to Piraeus station in 61 minutes (the last direct train leaves at 21:10 Sunday to Thursday while rail works last), the suburban railway in about 65 minutes, and the X96 express bus along the coast in about 90 minutes for €5.50. The port runs free shuttle buses around both the cruise port and the ferry port. A private transfer takes the party and its cases from the terminal at Spata to the ship or the ferry in one vehicle, timed to the departure.

Should I take the ferry from Piraeus or Rafina after landing at Athens Airport?

Take the port your ferry ticket names; the two are not interchangeable. Rafina is the near one, about 16 km and 30 minutes from the airport by road in free flow, with a KTEL regional bus from the Arrivals level. Piraeus is about 50 km and 50 minutes away on the other side of Athens, and its ferries reach most of the Aegean islands. A private transfer drives either run with the luggage loaded once.

Where is the taxi rank at Athens Airport, and does Uber work there?

Taxis wait at Exit 3 of the Arrivals level, 24 hours a day. Uber works at Athens Airport with licensed taxi drivers, and its pick-up point is opposite Exit 4 in the controlled pick-up zone; it charges the meter, except the flat fare to and from the city center. A taxi driver must give you a receipt. A private transfer is quoted per vehicle before you fly.

How long is passport control at Athens Airport for US and UK travelers in 2026?

No waiting time is published. Since 30 March 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System has been fully in use for non-EU travelers on a short stay, which includes US and UK passport holders, and the airport warns that passport control may involve long waiting times. Set your transfer pickup time with that queue in mind, and give your carrier the flight number for flight monitoring.

How do I get from Athens Airport to Sounio?

By car: about 47 km and an hour in free flow to the Temple of Poseidon. None of the airport's public transport goes there; the metro, the suburban railway and the express buses all head for Athens and Piraeus, and the regional buses for Rafina and Markopoulo. A private transfer drives from the terminal to the cape, or to a hotel on that coast, in one leg.

Is a private transfer from Athens Airport worth it over the flat-fare taxi?

For two people with light bags going to a hotel inside the center, the €50 daytime taxi is hard to beat. A private transfer pays off when the meeting point has to be fixed in advance, when the party or the luggage needs a larger vehicle, when you need child seats, or when you are going to Piraeus, Rafina, Sounio or the coast, where the taxi runs on the meter. Verified carriers on TransferBnB quote per vehicle before you fly.

What our customers say

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