Why fly from Athens?
Athens International (ATH) is modern, efficient, and surprisingly well-connected for budget travellers. Aegean Airlines (Star Alliance) dominates, but Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet have expanded aggressively. The result: competitive pricing on routes that used to be expensive.The airport is 33km east of the city centre. Metro Line 3 (blue) takes 40 minutes to Syntagma (€9, or €4.50 reduced). The X95 express bus runs 24/7 and costs €5.50. Taxis are fixed rate: €38 daytime, €54 nighttime.
Athens' killer advantage: Greek island hopping. Domestic flights to Santorini (45 min), Mykonos (40 min), Crete (50 min), and Rhodes (1h) are absurdly cheap with Aegean — from €25 one-way. Combine a weekend city break with an island day trip.
Best weekend routes from Athens
Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes — domestic flights from €25, under 1 hour
London, Paris, Rome, Berlin — Aegean and Ryanair compete on price
Istanbul (1h15), Tbilisi, Bucharest — unique routes from Athens' geographic position
Ryanair to Milan, Kraków, Budapest. Wizz Air to Vienna, Budapest, Abu Dhabi
When to fly from Athens
Summer (Jun–Aug): Greek islands peak. Book domestic flights 8+ weeks early. International outbound can be cheap — everyone's flying TO Greece, not away from it.
Autumn (Sep–Oct): Still warm, much cheaper. Island flights drop 40%. European city breaks from Athens hit their lowest prices.
Winter (Nov–Feb): European routes are cheapest. London weekends from €40 return. Islands are quiet but some routes reduce frequency.
Spring (Mar–May): Orthodox Easter inflates domestic routes briefly. Otherwise excellent value. May is perfect — warm everywhere, pre-tourist season.
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Airport insider tip
The Athens metro to the airport is €9 but drops to €4.50 with a reduced ticket (students, under-18). If you're staying multiple days, the 3-day tourist ticket (€22) includes the airport trip and unlimited metro/bus.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest destination from Athens?
It changes weekly. Use Weekendstop to see live prices from ATH — compare across all airlines and dates to find the best deal.
How do I get to Athens airport?
Check the details above for transport options to ATH. Public transport is usually the best value.
When are flights cheapest from Athens?
Generally September–November and January–February. Avoid school holidays and public holiday weekends. Tuesday and Wednesday departures are typically cheapest.
Does Weekendstop search all airlines from Athens?
Yes — we search every airline flying from ATH, including budget carriers and full-service airlines. Toggle 'Direct only' to filter, or leave it off to see connecting flights too.