Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos"

Athens International Airport is a nicely run and functional airport. Several interesting notes: Unless you are arriving from a CONUS airport, you should anticipate using a mobile stairs and a bus to move from the plane to the terminal. This airport is generally very busy. This airport has dedicated smoking areas in an enclosed space inside the airport. The baggage claim process is generally very quick. It is about an hour drive from the airport to Syntagma Square.

A very smooth airport experience. The security, the boarding, the size of the airport all meets the criteria. Even this airport takes many tourists a year. It is not crowded and it is very easy to move around and find a place to sit and relax. With a large option of establishments to get food and drinks. The security process was extremely fast ans smooth. For context I had a flight a 10am at this airport and arrived with the bus service from Athens.

Athens International Airport’s passport control is severely mismanaged during early-morning departures. Wait times routinely reach 60–90 minutes, even for passengers arriving well in advance. On Sunday morning (7:30–9:30 AM) — when roughly 9,000 passengers depart on 60–80 flights — only 4 of 9 passport control booths were open for non-EU travelers in Terminal A. With more than half the counters closed, thousands of passengers were funneled through a bottleneck at one of the busiest hours of the day. The lack of visible authority or crowd control has led to growing tension and disorder, as some passengers skip the line while hundreds wait. Staff intervene inconsistently, fueling frustration and confusion. Those about to miss flights are pulled out at the last minute — a reactive and chaotic process that signals deep logistical and staffing failures.

This is a big and well-structured airport. It definitely gets very busy during the summer period so you need to be there at least 2 hours earlier than your flight departure time. Checkin and security lines could get very long! The staff is very polite and helpful across functions. There is a great variety of local and big chain delicious restaurants, cafes and pastry shops all over (airport-priced of course!). There are smoking lounges to accommodate the smokers. Big display screens with flight info in many spots ensure smooth nagivation. There are even many, clean resting areas with charging docks throughout the airport. Overall a pleasant experience!

Disgusting service. SHAME ON THE AIRPORT AND THE MANAGEMENT TEAM. My experience was this bad. Do not come to Greece from a non-EU country. Please. If you passed quickly, then you are the lucky one. Go buy a lottery ticket. Do not book a pickup service if you don’t come from EU countries. You will never estimate how long it will take. I came from Cairo and waited 2.5 hrs just to pass the passport control gate. Approximately 8 flights arrived at the similar time and only 6 gates were open. 2 gates were empty at this busy time. The new kiosks were left empty, saying that they are still doing tests. They couldn’t even handle the people who cut the line while so many people were complaining. They seemed like they literally had no idea and didn’t take it seriously. My luggage was clean before the flight(3rd pic). When I received mine it was scratched in black rubber, and stained in yellow like piss(4th and 5th). I bet their economy will suffer again if this is the first impression of their country. I’ve flied to approx 20 countries with 50+ flights and this is by far the worst airport in my life. Please do something. Please. Shameful

Athens International Airport is a bustling hub that connects travelers from around the world to the rich history and culture of Greece. With modern facilities and a wide range of services, it caters to millions of passengers each year. The airport's design reflects the beauty of its surroundings, featuring elements inspired by ancient Greek architecture. As visitors arrive, they are greeted by a vibrant atmosphere that sets the tone for their adventures in the historic city of Athens.

To make a long story short — I flew from Tirana, Albania to Athens, which took about an hour. However, once I arrived, I had to stand in line for more than two hours, and I’m sure those behind me waited even longer. I was transiting through Athens on my way to San Francisco via Istanbul, with a 17–18 hour layover. Hotels near the airport were extremely expensive — for example, the Mövenpick was around $545 per night. I decided instead to stay in the city, where a nice 4-star hotel cost about $150, but the taxi fare each way was €54. Honestly, making travel unnecessarily complicated seems to be a choice here. In comparison, when I was in Indonesia a few months ago, the process was much smoother — you fill out the entry card online, and that’s it. Quick, simple, and welcoming.

An okay airport, some of the staff are friendly and helpful. Duty free kind of sucks here, with prices way higher than any online store in most countries. Terminals are generally scattered around the airport, so it takes time to get to each. As a result, kiosks and help desks can be very difficult to find and staff indifferent. Travel to and from is good though.