How long should it take to get through customs in Athens?
 

we are headed to the Greek islands in early June. My family of nine will arrive at 9:15 AM. We want to book a flight that day from Athens to Santorini. How much time should I allow for customs and other issues? I am assuming that all airlines leave from the same airport, is that correct?

Customs is basically a non-issue. Are you arriving in Athens non-stop from the States or are you connecting through somewhere else in Europe?? You will go though Immigration the first time you enter Schengen. Immigration is what can take time. You will go through Customs in Athens, but whether or not you go through Immigration there depends on your exact itinerary.

I am assuming that the Santorini flight will not be on the same ticket and/or codeshare?

In general, it depends on how many international flights arrive around the same time as your flight. No one can really say because so many factors can depend on how fast it goes, but generally, figure on this process taking 20-30 minutes, not to mention deplaning. I prefer to have at least 90 minutes between flights.

But how you are traveling will impact this. For instance, will you have checked luggage? If so, you will need to figure having to go to baggage claim, rechecking baggage (if applicable) and security into your layover. If checked luggage, double your time for layover just in case. That is if it is not on same ticket as your originating flight.

Edit: thanks to janisj for mentioing possible other layovers on Europe, which could change the passport control situation.

We arrived in late June, non-stop from the US, and getting through immigration was a breeze as well as getting luggage. Of course, that will depend on how many planes are arriving at the same time. We got in at 10am. Our plane was full.

There are two terminals at Athens airport but they are close (walking distance). Are you coming from within the Schengen zone? If so, no immigration and therefore faster.

We've flown into Athens four times in the last two years. The domestic and within Schengen flights were quick (but one of our flights was delayed departing by 3 hours and thus very late arrival). The long haul flights from the Middle East and Asia faced long queues at immigration (big planes and multiple arrivals). I didn't time the wait but probably more than an hour (we don't have EU passports).

More importantly than transfer time can be a late arrival. If you can book on a single ticket (home to Santorini), I believe you have greater protection in the event of a problem.

Coming from Australia, the prospect of hanging around an airport and boarding yet another flight is not enticing and we'd probably take the ferry.

Have you already booked your flight to Athens? If not, book your flight from the US to Santorini, not Athens. This way, it is all on one ticket, so if your flight from the US is late and you miss the connection to Santorini, they just put you on the next flight. If it's on separate tickets and you miss the flight, you will have to buy a new, probably expensive, ticket.

In my experience the biggest unknown is how long it will take for your luggage to arrive at baggage claim.
it could be there after you pass tgrough inmigration, or it may take 30 or more minutes after arrival to show up.

I considered booking on through to Santorini; but those flights were so much longer. We arrive at 9:10 AM and if we carry on that should relieve one hold up. I thought about allowing two hours, would that be sufficient. The other option is to book a ferry; back, that seems to take much longer.

You still haven't said if you are flying non-stop into ATH or are you connecting though another city??

We are flying directly into Athens.

If your plane lands at ATH on time, 2 hours is more than enough time to take care of business and catch your next flight out.

Even on a single ticket, with nine passengers and in June, if you miss your connection, with the best will in the world, the airline wouldn't be able to guarantee getting you all on the next available flight. I would, in your shoes, allow a cushion of time. Athens is an easy airport to navigate but you cannot be sure of an on time arrival and speedy baggage collection. Don't forget to check on board baggage allowances for your flight to Santorini, which I understand may be less than in some other regions, such as the USA. Having to check (or pay for) excess carry on baggage could slow things down.

I assume that when you say 'We are flying directly into Athens.' you mean that you're not flying directly from a Schengen country, but from somewhere else. Not that it really matters except to avoid immigration.

You will have to go through security again for the domestic flight. Things may have improved in recent years, but my experience is that mornings are the busiest at security when domestic flights to all over the mainland and islands are leaving around the same time. I would allow three hours between flights, and check in online if your flight to Santorini is with Aegean or Sky Express. Aegean has a drop off point for baggage if you have checked in online. That saves joining the line with passengers who haven’t checked in.

That doesn’t make sense to me as it is exactly what you are seeking to do, except instead of on a single ticket (and thus protected in case of delay) you will be doing it on separate tickets and need to buffer extra time for the layover, baggage claim, security, etc in Athens.


Home - ATH , ATH - Santorini is your itinerary regardless of whether on one ticket or two.

What am I missing?

Generally flights with a connection have the shortest connection times and you are covered and put on the next available flight with seats to your destination if you miss your connection. If you’re flying into Greece from outside the Schengen you will go through immigration. Customs not an issue. You then will have to walk to the domestic terminal which takes 10-15 minutes if my memory serves me, then go through security. I would recommend 3 hours to be safe.

For all the reasons named above, I wouldn't plan on anything under 3 hours. Your risk tolerance might be different than mine.

Thanks for all of the info. I’m going to allow at least 3 hours in Athens. Would it be better to go by ferry? Do you have to book them ahead of time? I know they take a lot longer, but that might be preferable to hanging around the airport after a long flight.

To me, three hours is not "hanging out in an airport," especially once all the logistics are settled, you may end up with only 90 minutes of "hanging" time.

No matter how you slice this, it is going to be waiting for your arrival and logistics around that.

You could take a ferry, but then you need to logistics to get to port, wait for the ferry, sit on the ferry for 5 hours... Edit: This is bases upon my own research over ferry time. Maybe a fast ferry is available (heard bad things about those, YMMV), but regardless, this is still time spent mostly....hanging out somewhere.

Or be at an airport for 3 or so hours, sit on the plane for 60 or so minutes (or however long the flight is).

The time spent will roughly be the same, give or take. This is what J62 was eluding to above, I think. Flight times will include hours in airport for layover as the total journey time. So, yes, it is longer. This is going to be a long journey no matter HOW you travel.

I guess I do not understand your trepidation. Perhaps you can elaborate?

From my perspective, trying to get to the ferry terminal, waiting there, getting onto the ferry quickly when it does arrive, sitting on a ferry for hours on end, and then getting off quickly would be torture after a long flight. YMMV.

I don’t like long ferry trips or rides on highspeed ferries. Highspeeds are a little faster, but still have to slow down and stop at every port it calls at on the itinerary. They have cramped seating and you are lucky to have a seat near a window.

My favourite Greek ferries are the Blue Stars, which are modern conventional vessels, actually newer than many of the highspeeds in the Greek fleet. They have a choice of seating and restaurants, and allow you to walk around to stretch your legs and go up to the open deck for fresh air and views. It’s fun to go back to the stern and watch the activity when the ferry is unloading passengers and vehicles when it stops at Paros and Naxos (assuming you take Blue Star from Piraeus to Santorini).

I would quite happily take Blue Star Delos from Piraeus to Paros (4hrs) or Naxos (5hrs), but not to Santorini, about 7.5 hrs. The trouble is, Blue Star Delos leaves daily at 07:25, and it takes maybe 1 to 1.5 hrs to reach Piraeus from the airport. There are a couple of highspeeds that leave Piraeus around 09:00, and nothing after that until mid-afternoon.

So if you can’t make it for the early morning ferries it would be quicker the stay at the airport and take a 60 minute flight.