Roadster

I am planning my trip to Greece in May and would like to book a flight from Athens to Mykonos the day my flight arrives from New York. Although I know it is making a long travel situation longer, I prefer to get where I am going in order to save time and money. My problem is that I am worried that I will not have enough time between flights. Our flight arrives at 9:30 AM from JFK and the flight to Mykonos on Aegean Airways leaves at 11:30AM for Mykonos. I am unfamiliar with the Athens airport and am not sure about international and domestic terminaIs, customs entry time, etc. Does anyone have any advice on this? I am aware of the later departure at 6:30PM, but would prefer to arrive on the island earlier in the day. Thanks for any input!

brotherleelove2004

ATH is a well-designed airport, small enough to easily navigate. 2 hours should give you ample time to make that flight as long as you arrive on time.

FYI-most flights deplane away from the terminals. Shuttle Buses meet the planes and bring the passengers to the baggage claim/immigration areas.

Heimdall

I agree — two hours is long enough. Both Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air have Web Check-in, (up to 48 hours in advance for Aegean, and 24 hours in advance for Olympic), and baggage drop-off points for passengers with preprinted boarding passes. Checking in online before you leave home will save you a little time when you get to Athens Airport.

Roadster

Thanks for the input. Until I get this issue resolved, I can't proceed with figuring out the rest of my plans! If I can start my 14 day trip this way, I can end it with 2 nights in Athens. (My departure is at 7:00 AM out of Athens) If I can't start it this way, it means I will probably start my trip with 2 nights in Athens, then out to 2 or 3 islands, then back to the mainland with my last night back in Athens due to flight leaving at 7:00 AM. I hate doing one nighters! I am sure I will be asking for more help from this forum when I start with the rest of my itinerary. My husband and I are in our early 50's and enjoy being on the water in any form. (We are normally sailing on our boat). We enjoy seeing cultural sights, walking, and hiking for excercise so we can eat and drink guilt free! While on vacation, our nights are spent watching sunsets, having cocktails and a nice dinner. Occasionally hitting a late night scene, but not often. Island hopping by ferry makes sense on this trip, because my husband does not want to have to drive. We normally rent a car on our travels, which is very easy for me, but not so much fun for him. We are thinking of Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos and possibly another low key island. Or we may opt to spend a few days on the Peloponnese peninsula. So many places we want to go, so little time! I need to get cracking!

Heimdall

Don't know what you mean by "until I get this issue resolved" — either you are comfortable with a 2 hr layover or not. I would be far less comfortable returning to Athens the day before a 7:00 am flight, because that leaves no buffer at all for delays due to weather or strikes. ;-)

Roadster

I think we are going to go for it and take our chances that all will be on time. And no, we would not be comfortable not being in Athens at least a day before our return flight. Therefore, this schedule leaves us time to stay 2 or 3 nights in Athens at the end of our trip. Thanks again for the input.

Heimdall

Yes, I think that's the right decision. Athens Airport has only one terminal, with arrivals on the ground floor and domestic departures up one level and at the other end. Once you get your bags it will take about 5 minutes to walk to the Aegean check-in desk, and about another 10 minutes to walk from there to the departure gate. Read the check-in options at http://en.aegeanair.com/travel-infor...ck-in-options/. Security is at the individual gates, and fairly quick.

Even if the JFK flight is a little late you should still have enough time to make the Mykonos flight. If you do miss it, there is a possibility of getting on the 6:30 pm flight. There are also ferries leaving Rafina for Mykonos in the afternoon, so the worst possible scenario is reaching the island late that night.

GVRGirl

If it helps you, Roadster, you will have plenty of time to change planes when you arrive in Athens. It won't take more than 20-25 minutes to clear customs and get your bags and then, if you check in online with Aegean before you leave the States, it is another 20 minutes to recheck your bags and get to the gate. It really is a very small airport.
You are correct that you really need to leave Athens for the end.

Roadster

Thanks GVRGirl. Now I am researching the islands and ferry schedules for the next legs. We want to visit Mykonos, Santorini, and Naxos for sure. Found a flight to Santorini at 12:45 PM from Athens. It looks like there is a frequent ferry route that hits Santorini, Naxos, Paros. Maybe it is better to fly to Santorini first instead of Mykonos and take a ferry from there to Naxos? Just started on this research, so I am not familiar with all routes, ferry lines, timetables, etc. I would like to be the most efficient with time when it's best to take a flight or ferry. Some of the travel times from the islands show arriving in Athens late evening which I would like to avoid if possible. Does anyone have a good plan for this? Thanks!

brotherleelove2004

If you're arriving on a non-stop flight from NY you will also have to go through Passport Control, so 20-25 minutes is a very low estimate of the time it will take, especially when baggage crews are slow. I've waited at the baggage carousel for 20 minutes sometimes before it even begins to move.

There will be a ferry from Mykonos to Naxos as well as one in the morning from Mykonos to Paros (40 minute ride) where you can catch another ferry to Naxos in about an hour after your arrival there. The trip from Paros to Naxos takes an hour. So it really doesn't matter which island you visit first.

Once ferry schedules are decided you will find them here: http://www.gtp.gr It's not necessary to pre-book these ferries for travel in May. Wait until you're there so you can see what's available to you in the moment. Booking agents are plentiful on the islands and the ticket prices don't change.

Roadster

We do carry-on, so baggage claim is not a problem. Thanks for the input!

Heimdall

With no baggage to check and a preprinted boarding pass, all you have to do is walk straight from passport control in arrivals to the departure gate. You will probably want to stop for a coffee on the way, as you will have plenty of time. ;-)

Going to Santorini first is also a good plan, and gives you that little extra layover. Saving Mykonos as your last island would work well, as it is closer to Athens than the other two, has about the same number of flights to Athens, and more ferries to Rafina and Piraeus.

Roadster

Thanks Heimdall. I now know I can do it either way (Mykonos first, Santorini last or vice versa), but it may make more sense to travel the farthest by plane (Santorini) and make our way back to Athens, especially if there are more ferry options.

Heimdall

That, indeed, would make sense!