Airport
Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport
IATA Code: ATHLocation: The airport is situated 20 miles (33km) south east of Athens city centre.
Time: GMT +2 (GMT +3 between last Sunday in April and last Sunday in October).
Contacts: Tel: +30 210 353 0000.
Transfer to the city: The easiest and quickest way to reach the city centre from the airport is on board Athens' new Metro. Metro Line 3 connects the airport with Syntagma Square and Monastiraki. The airport is also served by six public bus routes, which connect to destinations in the greater area of Athens and Piraeus, buses running frequently day and night. Athens International is connected to Athens Central Railway Station (Larissis Station) by the Suburban Rail line. Finally, there are plenty of taxis to be hired at the ranks in front of the airport terminals, fares charged on a per kilometre basis.
Taxis: A taxi to the centre of the Athens costs EUR15 to 25 and takes roughly half an hour to an hour depending on the traffic. There are plenty of taxis to be hired at the ranks in front of the airport terminals, and fares charged on a per kilometre basis. Either agree on the fare before departure or make sure the driver sets the meter uses the correct rate. A '2' will display before the meter between midnight and 6am and means you pay double the price. Avoid touts and unlicensed taxis. Private hotel shuttle companies also run from Athens International Airport.
Car rental: Avis, Hertz, National, Budget, Europcar and Sixt are all represented at the airport.
Facilities: The airport is well supplied with cafes, restaurants, bars and shops, including duty free. There are branches of two banks providing full services at the airport, and numerous ATMs and currency exchange bureaux are also available. Non-EU nationals can get VAT refunded at the EUROCHANGE currency exchange unit located at the Departures Level. Several travel agencies operate from the airport, and there is a Greek National Tourist Board information desk. Conference facilities are available and there is a business centre with Internet access, photocopier machines, faxes and secretarial services. A meeting room is also available. Disabled facilities are good; those with special needs should contact their airline in advance.
Parking: There is short and long-term parking available in the airport; short-term parking is on the arrivals level and costs EUR3.80 for the first hour (up to 20 minutes are free), while long-term parking is found across the access road in P3 and costs EUR50 for the first week and EUR5 per day after. Long-term parking is connected to the terminal by a free shuttle.
Departure tax: EUR12.15 (international), EUR8.51 (domestic). A security fee of EUR1.52 is also charged.
Website: www.aia.gr
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Athens
Athens exudes a unique charm, its lively character winning over tens of thousands of visitors every year. Street markets, vine-covered tavernas, souvenir stalls and ancient monuments are dotted among high-rise buildings in this capital city, which one out of four Greeks call home. For tourists the greatest advantage is that most attractions are accessible on foot in the central area around the landmark Acropolis.
Athens was named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, who according to mythology won the city as prize after a duel against Poseidon. The city can chart its history back thousands of years and is regarded as the cradle of western civilisation; the place where democracy was invented and philosophy, art and architecture were refined. After a classical golden age when it was home to Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the city declined in the Middle Ages, dwindling to nothing but a town with a few thousand residents gathered in the colourful area that is now known as the Plaka, until its rebirth as capital of an independent Greece in 1834.
Nowadays the city is busy and bustling. While the pollution, frantic gridlock and dingy buildings is of great contrast to the open beauty of Greece's coast and islands, Athens is truly the heartbeat of the country, and ancient wonders like the Acropolis, the Parthenon, and the Temples of Zeus and Hephaesus ensure that Athens will always have its attractions.
