Home › Travel Guides › Europe Travel Guide › Greece › Athens › Travel to Athens
Image gallery
Video gallery

The Acropolis, Athens

© 123rf.com / Craig Jakich

+200
Athens Local time

Weather in Athens
Occ Light Rain
7
°C
Greece

Travel to Athens

Flying to Athens

Airlines offering direct flights to Athens from the UK include British Airways, easyJet, Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines.

Flight times: 

From London - 3 hours 15 minutes; New York - 10 hours; Los Angeles - 18 hours 30 minutes; Toronto - 12 hours; Sydney - 22 hours.

Travel by road

Summary:

In Athens, traffic drives on the right and the minimum age for driving is 18 years. Speed limits are 120kph (70mph) on motorways, 110kph (60mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. It is illegal to carry spare petrol (benzina) in the vehicle. A national driving licence is acceptable for EU nationals but nationals of other countries may need an International Driving Permit. EU nationals in possession of a Green Card, which provides international third-party insurance, are permitted to import a foreign-registered car, caravan, motorcycle, boat or trailer for a maximum of six months (or up to 15 months for a fee). A Green Card is no longer a legal requirement in Greece for visits of less than three months; however, without it, insurance is limited to the minimum legal cover. Car registration documents must be carried at all times.

The Greek Automobile and Touring Club - ELPA (tel: 210 606 8800; www.elpa.gr) provides members of associated national automobile clubs with 24-hour assistance on main roads.

Emergency breakdown service:

ELPA (tel: 10400).

Routes:

The PATHE (Pátra, Athens and Thessaloníki) motorway runs from Pátra in the west via Athens to Thessaloníki and Tsoliades on the FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) border. To reach both Istanbul and Sofia, drivers must head north on the E75 to Thessaloníki. From there, Istanbul is east on the E90, crossing the border at Kipi, while Sofia lies northeast on the E79, crossing the border at Promahonas.

Driving times:

From Thessaloníki - 6 hours; from Sofia - 10 hours 45 minutes; from Istanbul - 16 hours.

Coaches:

There are two domestic long-distance bus terminals in Athens - terminal A, Kifissou 100, and terminal B, Liossion 260. Buses link Athens and all the main towns in Attica, northern Greece and the Peloponnese. Bus schedule information for the Attiki region is available (tel: 14505; www.ktel.org or www.ktelattikis.gr).

Hellenic Railways Organisation – OSE (tel: 1110; www.ose.gr), runs regular international bus services to Albania and Bulgaria, departing from Pelopónnisos train station (now defunct but still the point of departure for buses), Dheliyáni.

Travel by rail

Services:

The Greek railway service is run by Hellenic Railways Organisation - OSE (tel: 1110; www.ose.gr). Greek trains have first- and second-class accommodation and there are luxury sleeper trains on selected routes. However, the rail service is limited to the northern and eastern mainland and parts of the Peloponnese. Trains are cheaper than buses but generally much slower. Reservations are available for no extra charge and there is a 20% rebate on return fares. Touring cards, issued by OSE, entitle the holder to unlimited second-class travel at a reduced cost for 10, 20 or 30 days - there are further discounts for groups. All trains now depart from Larissis station, off Dheliyáni. Facilities at Larissis station are minimal, basically left luggage and a couple of bars.

Operators:

The domestic railway network is limited to the mainland and is generally slower than travel by road. Destinations include Patra (fastest journey time - 3 hours 20 minutes) and Kalamata (7 hours 10 minutes). International train services require changing at Thessaloníki (4 hours 15 minutes), from where the only direct services are to Bulgaria, FYROM (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

Travel Deals

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.