Athens is a strong home base for cheap flights from Athens across Europe and beyond, with a steady year round network and big seasonal boosts. It is the largest gateway in Greece, so you get frequency, choice, and flexible departure times that make short breaks and long adventures easy.
Athens International Airport is Greece’s busiest airport, about 20 kilometers east of the city via the Attiki Odos motorway, so getting from downtown to your gate is straightforward. In 2024 it ranked among Europe’s busiest, which translates into more competition on routes and more ways to tailor your trip, whether you are chasing last minute flights from Athens for a weekend or planning a complex multi stop journey.
You can jump on fast island hops, classic city breaks, or long haul routes from one place. Think quick nonstops to London and Paris for culture packed weekends, or an easy connection to Dubai for bigger trips further east. Facilities feel modern and efficient, with widely praised cleanliness and dining variety, and the overall vibe is organized even when summer crowds build.
The airport sits at the crossroads of domestic island networks and international links, so you can stitch together Greece’s beaches with big capitals in one itinerary. That flexibility is ideal for discovery stage travelers deciding between a few days in Athens, onward ferries, or direct flights to neighboring countries in southern and central Europe.
Travelers from Athens mix short hops, seasonal sun, and long haul journeys. Here are routes people book repeatedly, plus why they work so well from this hub.
Short haul city breaks lead the list. Nonstop flights from Athens to London take about 3 hours 45 minutes on multiple carriers, including options from low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air, and to Paris in roughly 3 hours 20 minutes, giving you plenty of daily departure times for weekend flights from Athens. These schedules are examples and subject to change.
Regional escapes are popular because flight times are short and frequencies are high. Athens to Istanbul is around 1 hour 20 minutes nonstop, while Athens to Larnaca averages about 1 hour 40 minutes, making both easy picks for quick getaways. Schedules and frequencies vary by season and are subject to change.
Continental connectors keep business and leisure traffic moving year round. Routes to Frankfurt, Munich, Rome, and Amsterdam typically see multiple daily options in high season, which helps with tight itineraries and same day meetings. Long haul highlights include nonstops from Athens to New York City at roughly 10 hours, plus seasonal links to Canada through Toronto and Montreal that ramp up in summer. For broader global trips, many travelers also route via hubs like Dubai to reach Asia and Oceania, with the mix of airlines and departure times shifting seasonally and subject to change.
You can time your booking to catch softer prices and still keep plans flexible. A few simple habits will help you spot value earlier.
Athens is highly seasonal. Peak months run June to August, when demand and prices tend to rise, while November to March usually brings more availability and lower average fares. The shoulder seasons in April, May, September, and October often deliver a sweet spot of milder crowds and good value, though all patterns are subject to change.
For most short haul trips, a booking window around four to six weeks out is a practical starting point. To avoid constant checking, use Set a Price Alert to track fare moves and get notified when prices shift, so you can book when you see a fare you like.
If your plans are open ended, try broad searches and flexible dates. Kiwi.com’s Nomad Search Tool can quickly assemble a multi city loop through several destinations and find a low cost order of stops based on your preferred stay lengths. To unlock even more combinations for cheap one way flights from Athens, explore Travel Hacks such as self transfer, hidden cities ticketing, and throwaway ticketing, always bearing in mind that availability and savings vary and are subject to change.
There is one main gateway for airlines flying from Athens, with clear ground transport and an easy terminal layout that keeps connections simple.
Athens International Airport carries the IATA code ATH and sits about 20 kilometers east of central Athens. By road, the Attiki Odos motorway links the center to the terminals in roughly 30 minutes depending on traffic, subject to change. Public transport options include the X95 bus running 24 hours between Syntagma Square and the airport in about 40 minutes, and the suburban railway Proastiakos for city and regional connections, with travel times and headways subject to change.
The airport has a Main Terminal for domestic and international departures and a Satellite Terminal primarily for international flights. The terminals are connected by a shuttle bus that typically operates every 20 minutes, subject to change. Facilities include lounges, duty free, dining, and free Wi Fi, plus family and accessibility services.
You will find a mix of budget and full service carriers. Low cost choices include Ryanair and Wizz Air for many European routes, while full service options include Turkish Airlines for regional and long range connections via Istanbul. Carrier mixes vary by season and are subject to change. On Kiwi.com you can also build self transfer itineraries that combine separate tickets across different airlines in one trip, which opens up routes that are not sold together by carriers. For extra reassurance on these combos, you can add the Kiwi.com Guarantee, which covers you if carrier changes stop your trip, and its Disruption Protection offers instant compensation in Kiwi.com Credit to rebook or help applying for a refund from the airline. Manage your bookings and boarding passes on the Kiwi.com App to keep everything in one place.