ATHENS AIRPORT HOTELS – WHERE TO STAY IN TRANSIT IN ATHENS

For more information on each of these including our personal photos, see below

Stay at the Airport

There are a couple of good hotels that are very close to, or in one case at, the airport. These can be particularly convenient if you only need to stay very briefly and/or are meeting up with people on other flights who are joining you.

The downside, of course, is that if they are located in busy, commercial areas, the district views are pretty ordinary, with not much to see or do. The food in their restaurants is good but fairly standard hotel fare, and you won’t be able to enjoy a local family taverna without travelling.  

• The Holiday Inn Athens, Attica Ave is located on Attica Avenue Highway, the new rapidly developing business district of Athens and is a 10-minute drive to the airport. The hotel offers a free shuttle service every hour.
• The Sofitel Athens Airport is really the only hotel located AT Athens airport and is located directly across the road from the main terminal and adjacent to the Metro station. It is not a cheap option, but it is certainly convenient and has a swimming pool and a rooftop bar ( a good option if you are transiting through too).

Another option is to stay in a rural setting near the airport, which is actually surrounded by quite a few farms. This can be a nice way to enjoy a more personal experience than the other airport hotels, and a tranquil rural setting.

Varaba Country House is our pick, especially in the cooler months when the beachside options aren’t as appealing. It has 5 lovely suites (including a family room), beautiful gardens, and they can provide delicious home-cooked meals at an extra cost. They also have a pick-up service.

Our other suggestion is St Thomas B & B, also with a beautiful garden and a swimming pool. Very affordable too. 

Sofitel rooftop bar – Jennys restaurant

Sofitel Room

Sofitel Rooftop

other seaside suburbs near athens Airport

Stay at one of the seaside suburbs like Rafina, a charming seaside fishing village that also services some of the ferries to the Cyclades Islands such as Tinos and Mykonos, making it a great spot if you can co-ordinate those connections. The Avra Hotel is across from the beach and offers a free airport shuttle.

Also check out the beachside suburbs of Artemida, Porto Rafti and Vravrona. We especially like the charming Seasabelle Hotel near Artemida who have stylish beachfront rooms that can sleep up to 4, and at a very reasonable price point too.

Just 7 minutes south there is a big modern 5 star resort right on the beach at Vravrona Bay – only 15 minutes from the airport. This is a huge complex with several swimming pools, a day spa, a water sports centre and a poolside restaurant – great for families but certainly not quiet. It’s also very close to the Archaeological Site and Museum of Brauron (pictured below) which includes the Temple of Artemis and is rather extraordinary ( TIP* Eat at Taverna Artemis!).

Artemida Beach

Seasebelle Hotel and nearby Arhontikon Taverna

Rafina Port at Night

Athenian Riviera Hotels

Stay along the Athenian Riviera. Whilst not right near the airport it is actually closer than the city centre and a great place to spend a few days, especially if you are still desperate to grab some time at the beach before heading home.

The main suburbs to stay in are Glyfada, Voula/Vouliagmeni and Astir. It takes just 30 minutes to get to the Airport from Vouliagmeni which is about a  25 -30 Euro cab drive.

These suburbs are leafy and upmarket and are where many wealthy Greeks live. It’s also where many Athenians spend their weekends.

Glyfada —  An upscale residential area of Athens, Glyfada offers seaside living complete with trendy restaurants, bars, and many shops. It is also right near the new Ellinikon Experience Park which is a wonderful attraction that has been opened where the old Athens airport used to be.

If you’re a golfer then Glyfada also has the only golf course in Athens! There is a tram line in Glyfada with connections to Neos Kosmos metro station and Sygrou Fix Metro station (line 2), but note the tram is pretty slow going.

Check out Glyfada Riviera Hotel, Palmyra Beach Hotel and the spacious and very stylish new O2 Suites. Also Ace Hotel & Swim Club is a trendy new offering and the first of the Atelier Group hotels in Greece. This renovated ’70’s style retro apartment block has an expansive pool which can be accessed by non guests with day passes.

Voula and Vouliagmeni — Voula and Vouliagmeni both have nice beaches and swimming, and both are upscale residential areas with mostly domestic tourists. There is also a wonderful thermal lake here called Vouliagmeni Lake which is like a wellness sanctuary and leisure centre with an all-day restaurant and day spa.

 In Voula, luxury UAE brand One & Only has opened the new and very beautiful One & Only Aesthesis, while right next door luxury Greek operator Domes has dipped their first toe in the Athens market with the very unique 91 Athens Riviera resort, offering  28 opulent ‘glamping’ tents, a tennis club and the 2nd offshoot of famous Barbarossa restaurant from Naoussa, Paros.

We also love Divani Apollon Palace, especially for families, and The Margi is great for couples and singles. We’ve also had a great stay as a family at Vouliagmeni Suites who have family rooms and are right across from the beach and next door to the lake.

Not long ago I spent my last night before flying home at Athenian Riviera Hotel, which is very comfortable, has a pool, is a short walk to the beaches and the Lake, and is very affordable too given some of the most expensive hotels and beach clubs in Athens are close by.

Astir – at the very end of this stretch of Coastline is a small peninsula often referred to as Astir. This is where you will find the only Four Seasons Hotel in Greece, the Four Seasons Astir Palace.

Further reading: A Complete Guide to the Athenian Riviera 

GLYFADA

ASTIR

Vouliagmeni Beach

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