What is the best way to get to the Attalos from the aiport? On our way home our flight is at 8:50am what transportation would you suggest. Friends flight is at 6:00am what would you suggest for them? Thanks

Walk towards the Acropolis to the end of Athinas Street. Right there is the Monastiraki Metro Station. Metros to the airport start running at 05:30 AM. OR you and your friend can take a taxi for a lot of money OR walk up to Syntagma Square to the Airport Express Bus #95 station on Othonos Street, the street opposite the big hotels. Buses leave every 20-30 minutes, 24/7 3.2 Euro per passenger. Buy your ticket from the driver and validate it in the machine inside. That early in the day the trip will take about 45 minutes.

The first Metro from Monastiraki (the nearst Metro stop to the Attalos) to the airport leaves at 5.51 am. This train arrives at the airport at 6:35 am. (You can find the schedule at www.ametro.gr. ) It takes 5 - 10 minutes to walk from the airport metro station to the check-in desks. This means if you caught the first metro from Monastiraki, you would reach the international check-in desks at 6:45 am. For me, this would be plenty of time for a 8:50 am flight, but everyone has their own comfort level for airport arrival.

Your friends, however, will need to take a bus or a taxi. Part of the answer depends on whether they are the kind of people to stay up all night, or whether they are early risers. If their flight is at 6 am, and assuming a 2 hour before check-in arrival at the airport, they need to be at the airport no later than 4 am.

A taxi at that time of night takes about 20 minutes to get to the airport and costs about 30 Euros. Taking contingencies into account, they should leave their hotel no later than 3:30 am. Brotherleelove says the bus takes 45 minutes, plus it will take you at least 15 minutes to walk from the Attalos to the bus stop. Again taking continencies into account, if you take the bus you should leave the hotel no later than 2:45 or 3:00am.

So what does this all mean?? For me, it would mean if I were going to stay up all night partying, I would walk up to Syntagma and take the bus the airport. BUT, if I decided to try and get some sleep before the trip home, I would definitely call a taxi. No way would I want to wake up and get out of bed at 2:15 am and take a hike up the hill to Syntagma with my luggage that early in the morning. For me, way better to have the hotel call a taxi, so I can roll out of bed and wake up in the taxi on the way to the airport. Worth every cent of 30 Euors to me.

For your friends I think it would be more than 30 Euro at that time of the early morning, though. If I understand correctly the charge doubles between midnight and 6 AM. Plus there's a baggage handling fee if the driver has to carry your bags.

I last took the trip 2 months ago at EXACTLY that time of day and paid 30 Euros. I know of other people who say they have paid up to 40 Euros, but most people I've talked with pay around 30. You can ask your hotel to find out from the taxi service in advance how much it will be.