Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport

after the Greek Statesman with the same name. The airport began operating in March 2001 and the main airport for Athens and the Attica region. It replaced the old Athens Elljinikon airport. It is a very busy airport serving more than 14 million passengers each year and is located 30kms from Athens city by car. The airport has two main terminals and has big expansion plans over six phases to increase its capacity for up to 50 million passengers per year. This expansion ambition is not surprising given that Athens has a third of the Greek population, two thirds of all cars in Greece and half the country’s industry.

More About Athens Airport

Airport Car Rental

There are a number of car rental providers operating from Athens airport; Some of these providers are the best known in the car rental industry, while others are local brands, bringing local experience. You will find Auto Union, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz,Alamo, Olympic Car Rentals, Sixt and Surprice rent a car operating there. Some of these providers have car rental pick up locations on site, while others provide you with better pricing, you will need to go by shuttle to pick up your car. When you do your car rental comparison with Car Booker, we will compare all these providers for you and you can get the best price. It is also very easy to see what type of pick up policy each company offers, so you know exactly what you are paying for before you get there.

Getting there & Away

For those of you travelling to Athens airport and not wishing to get a rental car, there are a number of other public transport options. You can travel by Metro for €8 one way downtown to Syntagma (40 mins) and Monastiraki stations (45 mins). Validate your ticket at the start of the journey or risk being fined up to €120. There is a railway to Larissis Station for €6 with a change at Ano Liossia, this is not as fast as the Metro. There are express buses to a number of city centre locations and the buses operate 24 hours a day, costing €5 and it can take from 45-90 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis cost between €30-50. For larger groups, minivans can also be booked in advance.

Nearby Attractions

Athens is said to be the home of modern western culture, set against a backdrop of the 12 hills, the most famous being the Acropolis, it is no surprise that Athens is steeped in history. The top destinations in and around Athens are the Acropolis, Archaeological Museum, Monastiraki, Hadrian’s Arch and Capre Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. There is also a nice selection of beaches such as Vouliagmeni, Varkiza sandy beaches, Agia Marina and Palea Fokea. Or for more beach choices that you could ever fit into a holiday, venture to the Greek islands of Agistri, Crete, Kefalonia, Milos, Mykonos, Paros, Rhodes, Santorini, Skiathos, Thassos and Zakynthos.