Flights from London to Athens

London to Athens flights arrive at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH), with direct departures from Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted.

British Airways and Aegean Airlines fly direct from Heathrow, and easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Sky Express and Wizz Air also fly the route direct.

Over the last few days, the cheapest London to Athens flight found on Opodo was £31. Fares change with your dates, so comparing a few days around your trip can find you a lower price.

Flights to Athens leave from four of London's airports:

• Heathrow: about 25km west of central London, reached by the Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line
• Gatwick: about 47km south, reached by the Gatwick Express from Victoria
• Stansted: north-east of London, reached by the Stansted Express from Liverpool Street
• Luton: north of London, reached by train to Luton Airport Parkway and the Luton DART

Coaches also run to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, often late into the night. London has two more airports, London City and Southend.

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos is the city's only airport for arrivals and departures. It opened in 2001, in time for the 2004 Olympic Games.

The airport has a main terminal and a satellite terminal, connected by an underground link.

Four main ways link the airport with Athens:

• Metro: Line 3 (Blue Line) runs from the airport station to the city centre, including Syntagma
• Suburban railway: the Proastiakos runs one or two trains an hour from the same station
• Express buses: four lines, X93, X95, X96 and X97, run between the airport and the city. The X95 serves Syntagma Square and the X96 the port of Piraeus
• Taxi or hire car: the option for late-night arrivals once the metro and trains stop

Regional buses also go directly to Kalyvia, Keratea, Lavrio, Markopoulo and Rafina, a port for ferries to the islands.

June to August brings the hot sunshine and outdoor events of an Athens summer. The sun can be harsh, so pack light clothes and plenty of sun cream, and drink plenty of water.

March and November suit culture trips. The weather is fairer than in winter, and you can explore the Acropolis Museum or the Museum of Illusions without the crowds.

December to February is the quietest season in Athens, with shorter queues at the main sites.

Athens mixes ancient sites, modern exhibitions and lively food markets, and one trip is rarely enough. Highlights for a first visit:

• Acropolis: the ancient citadel of the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike, much of it built under Pericles
• Anafiotika: a quiet quarter below the Acropolis with Cycladic houses, like a Greek island in the city centre
• Panathenaic Stadium: the marble stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games
• Monastery of Daphni: a Byzantine monastery west of the centre, famous for its golden mosaics
• National Library of Greece: a neoclassical landmark that forms a trilogy with the University and the Academy
• Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens: the city's main Orthodox church, beside a tiny Byzantine chapel

Guided bus and archaeology tours cover a lot of ground quickly if you are short of time.

For food, the Central Municipal Market, which locals call the Varvakeios Agora, sells everything from gyros to kolokythokeftedes, the courgette fritters of Greek tavernas.