marrsbar

We are going to Greece in October. We need to get from the Athens airport to the Hilton in Athens, I think it is about 40 minutes away we get in around 2p. I have heard to try and avoid the taxi's, any suggestions on how to get to and from the airport? Our flight to Santorini is very early so when we return to the Athens Airport we will have to leave the Hilton around 4:00am.

brotherleelove2004

No problem, you're in luck. The Athens Airport Express Bus leaves the airport every 30 minutes all night long every day and one of the stops it makes is right at the Athens Hilton. Same return schedule.

The cost is 3.2 Euro each. Buy your ticket from the driver and validate it in the little machine inside the bus. There is ample baggage storage space in the bus. Catch the bus outside the main hall, you can't miss the bus stop.

emckeeve

Does this apply to any other hotels as well? Electra Palace? We will also have to leave the hotel around 4 AM to catch a flight to Zurich. We were planning on a taxi as I hate the thought of schlepping luggage in the metro.

brotherleelove2004

Emckeeve-
The Metro doesn't run that early anyway. The airport bus won't take you right to your hotel, but it's only a short walk from the the Airport Express Bus Stop at Syntagma Square (the end of the line) to the Electra Palace Hotel. The hotel is on Nikodimou Street. The bus stop is on Othonos Street, on the side of Syntagma opposite from the large hotels. Just walk DOWN to the corner from the bus stop to Fileninon Street, cross the intersection, turn left on Fileninon and walk to Nikodimou Street, turn right and walk the short distance to the hotel. For the return to the airport the bus will depart every 30 minutes at that time of morning. Because it's so early the trip will only take you about 40 minutes.

stanbr

We have had to make the airport run from the hotel several times, the last being this June. Although Athens taxi drivers are notorious for overcharging we have had very good luck with them for this part of the trip. The reason is because we have the hotel call for the taxi the night before. They make sure the driver speaks English. On this latest trip we were charged 40 euros. That's probably about $50 US.
I always ask myself how far would I get in a taxi for $50 at home. In fact you might well find that Athens taxis are not such a rip off after all.
Try to envision yourself hauling your luggage to a lonley bus stop at 4AM and praying the bus is really going to come. At least waiting for a taxi at the hotel gives you the option of having the front desk call and get you another one (which is actually what happened to us in June) Frankly I figure for the securety and peace of mind I will brave an Athens taxi driver at 4Am every time.

Just one more thing on Athens taxis. One has to realize that what you see on the meter is not what you will actually pay. They charge for every bag they touch. The road to the airport is a toll road and the driver has to pay that as well. That toll never appears on the meter. Lastly between 12am and 6am the rates are double. Again 40 Euros is not so bad.

brotherleelove2004

Although it's true you will have to handle your own bags from the hotel to the airport, the bus station at Syntagma is not as lonely or bleak as stanbr suggests. It's on a well-lit street, and even at that hour of the morning there will be other passengers and traffic. Try it coming into town from the airport at a more decent hour, and if you don't want to use it going back then you can arrange for a taxi to pick you up at your hotel.

And the bus DOES run every half hour, every day, all year long. So if you happen to miss one there's another coming along very soon.

emckeeve

We'll be coming off a cruise, hence just a one way trip to the airport after staying in Athens a couple of nights. Is the taxi fare really double before 6 AM?

doug_stallings

My suggestion for marrsbar would be to rethink the stay at the Hilton and stay instead at the Sofitel Athens Airport. You could still go into Athens, do some sightseeing, and have an early dinner, and then head right back to the airport that evening on the Metro, but you wouldn't have to get up so early for the airport the next morning since the Sofitel is right across the street. When I went in May, I did that after returning to Santorini and was able to get a room at the Sofitel through a travel agent even though the hotel's web site said it was booked solid. It's worth a try if you have a cancellable reservation at the Hilton, in my opinion.

brotherleelove2004

About the taxi fare: YES. But it sounds like since you'll be coming off a cruise you'll be laden with luggage, so it might be your best alternative anyway. Doug's suggestion for staying at the Airport Sofitel is a good one.

marrsbar

Thanks but we are staying for free at the Hilton so we are not able to change hotels.

brotherleelove2004

Then the Express Bus #95 is the perfect solution for you.

Eleni

Everyone is different, but I would never mess around with taking the bus at 4 am, especially with baggage. Stanbr is right about taking a taxi. If you have your hotel arrange it, you won't have a problem with the taxi. When we have an early morning flight like that, we always take a taxi and are never sorry.

teatravel

Below is the site of the Spiro taxi service we used in Nov. We normally travel light and take shuttle buses. But last Nov., we arrived after 18pm, it was dark and it could rain. We had 4 large pieces of luggage, we don't speak the language. Due to darkness, we couldn't tell much of the direction.

We arranged Spiro to pick us up. He speaks English and had the sign waiting for us upon our arrival. We agreed the fare in advance (€33). I printed the email that we exchanged. Everything went very well. He even waited for us to get cash from the ATM at the airport. And it rained!

You may send him an email and ask him how much he wants to charge you for his service.

http://www.athenstaxi.net/

cristine27

What time do you arrive? you can take the metro from the airport to Hilton. i think that the station "megaro mousikis" is very close or 'evaggelismos". But at 4 a.m. i would definitely take a taxi from the hotel to the airport.

brotherleelove2004

Another option to save money would be to take the bus to Syntagma Square then catch a taxi from Syntagma to the hotel. There will be plenty of them around Syntagma at that time of the morning. Walk down to Fileninon with your bags so your taxi doesn't have to drive around the block to get there.