Find Cheap Flights from London to Athens from £19

Athens is an excellent destination for a city break or longer holiday, offering a unique blend of ancient history, vibrant neighbourhoods and Mediterranean cuisine. With direct flights from London taking around 3 hours and 30 minutes, it's easy to swap the UK capital for the Greek capital in just a few hours.

Greece is two hours ahead of the UK, giving you more time to make the most of your trip after you land. Whether you're exploring the Acropolis, relaxing on a rooftop terrace or discovering local markets, Athens has something for every traveller.

Want to get even more value from your trip? Book your flight and hotel together and save up to 40% compared to booking them separately, leaving you more to spend on your holiday.

Travellers leaving from London have plenty of options when it comes to airports. London boasts the busiest international travel network in the world with the city being responsible for over 60 per cent of the UK's total air traffic. The airports fly to over 400 international destinations, so getting to Athens isn't going to be a problem.

The most famous of London's six airports is Heathrow, which managed an incredible 80,000,000+ passengers in 2018, alone. The other five London-based international airports include:

• London City
• Gatwick
• Luton
• Stansted
• Southend.

You won't find yourself stranded in the process of getting to any London airport, that's for sure. In terms of public transport, bus, overground and underground tube lines are often the most efficient. If you're considering any of the above, the TfL Go app is a must-have, especially with changing timetables and last-minute delays or cancellations to watch out for.

Travelling by car, taxi or Uber is viable, but it can also be the most expensive option. As much as we love London, the traffic can be a nightmare to navigate, especially around rush hour. If you do choose to drive or be driven, be sure to plan in advance and give yourself plenty of time! Don't forget that coach lines also head to each of the airports - the TfL Go app can help you here, too. You might need to take a few transfers, but these services can run late into the night, and will likely be much cheaper than some of the alternatives.

Athens is definitely on the humble side with only one notable site for arrivals and departures. The Athens International Airport, or Eleftherios Venizelos, is still the largest airport in Greece, though. It originally opened in 2001, ready to be used for the 2004 Olympic games. As the 19th-busiest airport in Europe, Eleftherios Venizelos managed around 22.7 million travellers in 2022.

Athens International Airport contains two terminals that are connected by an underground link. In terms of what types of transportation can be found in Athens, travel to and from the site is managed by four main systems.

• Rentals or taxi services - Late-night arrivals stuck wondering how they'll get from the Athens airport to the city can either take this route or rest until other options restart morning operations.
• Metro and train network - The Proastiakos Suburban Railway runs between 6:00 AM and 11:33 PM. Current schedules have one or two trains leaving every hour, with later plans for an extension if demand increases.
• Bus travel - Four bus lines run between the airport and the city. Regional services can also take travellers directly to Kalyvia, Keratea, Lavrio, Markopoulo and Rafina.

Once you're in the city, there's no shortage of ways to get around. From buses to taxis, you’ll have various options depending on whether you're in a rush to get from A to B or just looking for a casual way to tour the city.

Athens International Airport is fully stocked with more than 50 places to spend your cash, alongside 14 different dining facilities and long lists of outlets for duty-free products and beauty, fashion and accessories. Highly ranked amongst international airport shopping centres, you’ll probably be facing temptation before you even enter the city.

Free Wi-Fi is available in the terminals alongside a powerful WiZ portal. This system grants quick access to news, flight information, TV, and navigation. In addition, 24-hour help systems can help with queries, lost property, and anything else travellers need.

Five-star hotel Sofitel is located right by the airport, so if you're the kind of traveller who likes to take it easy and break up a journey, a stay here is an option worth looking into.

Finally, Athens International Airport is fully equipped to cater to disabled passengers, on request, with its special assistance system.

The best time to fly to Athens is relative to each traveller: it depends on your budget, your needs, and your wants. If you're travelling on a budget to this renowned city, then we'd recommend that you plan your trip during the December to February period. This quieter time might mean you sacrifice your hopes of getting a tan out there but will provide the best opportunities for cheap flights and hotel deals. Plus, you won't have to deal with throngs of crowds and bustling queues at popular tourist sites - always a bonus.

If you're wanting to museum-hop and soak in the culture, we'd recommend March and November as the best times to book your Athens trip. Around these months, the weather is a little fairer and you can explore the Acropolis Museum or Museum of Illusions without having to contend with loads of other tourists. For an authentic Athens experience, including luscious weather and outdoor events, you're best booking to arrive between June and August. That said, the Athens sun can be harsh, so travellers over these months should take light clothes and plenty of sun cream. Oh, and remember to stay well-hydrated. Nobody wants to end up like Pheidippides!

With impressive architecture to ogle, contemporary exhibitions and the remnants of historic sites galore, planning how to spend one day in Athens is going to be a challenge. It doesn't matter how long you're planning to spend in Athens - you won't be short of places to see and things to do. In fact, you'll likely find that you simply can't hit all the spots on your bucket list during one trip, as there's so much to cram in.

Our main suggestions would be as follows:

You must visit the Acropolis. This is an ancient citadel that contains some of the most significant architectural ruins in the world, including the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. With much of the construction overseen by Pericles himself, this must-see sight in Athens will stick with you forever.

Views from the Parthenon hillside include the picturesque Anafiotika neighbourhood, an ancient hidden gem. With traditional Cycladic houses, its streets offer the tranquillity and aesthetics of a Greek island, right in the heart of the city. It’s the perfect place to stroll through after contemplating the magnificence of the hillside temples.

There are also majestic wonders such as the Panathenaic Stadium, the Monastery of Daphni, the National Library of Greece, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens and countless temples. If you’re on a time limit and need a whistle-stop tour of these attractions, Greece is thankfully well-known for a variety of guided tours. Bus and archaeology tours can cover a lot of ground quite quickly, especially when compared to the pace you'd be keeping if you went at it alone.

We also can't stress this enough: you've got to try as much as you can of the local cuisine. Food districts in Athens are spread far and wide, with first-class options in both international and domestic flavours. Seekers of authentic cuisine can consider the Central Municipal Athens Market, which the locals call the Varvakeios Agora. From gyros to kolokythokeftedes and other foods that you can more easily pronounce, the tastes here offer a little of everything.