Best UK airports to Athens
London and regional hubs all have direct flights May–October. Winter reduces to 2–4 daily frequencies from LHR/LGW only.
| Departure airport | Lowest return seen | Typical return | Flight time | Live price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Stansted | £57trip starting in December | £131 | 3h 25m | Check price |
| Bristol | £65trip starting in December | £168 | 3h 36m | Check price |
| Manchester | £72trip starting in November | £139 | 3h 42m | Check price |
| London Gatwick | £77trip starting in November | £107 | 3h 23m | Check price |
| Edinburgh | £91trip starting in December | £180 | 3h 58m | Check price |
| London Luton | £118trip starting in December | £201 | 3h 27m | Check price |
| Birmingham | £121trip starting in December | £221 | 3h 36m | Check price |
| London Heathrow | £142trip starting in November | £162 | 3h 26m | Check price |
| Glasgow | £144trip starting in November | £237 | 4h 01m | Check price |
| Newcastle | £167trip starting in November | £298 | 3h 47m | Check price |
Return fares seen for each route, checked 12 Oct: the lowest seen and the typical fare, which is the middle of the lowest fares seen for each month. They are past observations, not live prices: use Check price for today's fare. London (all airports) combines every London airport (flight time shown from Heathrow). Flight time is an estimate from the great-circle distance at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent.
Aegean has the most legroom and full-service catering of any UK–Athens option — their economy cabin often beats BA's.
Airlines to Athens from the UK
Cheapest months to fly to Athens
Lowest return fare seen for a trip starting in each month, from London Heathrow, checked 12 Oct. These are past observations, not live prices: use the search box for today's fare. Green marks the cheapest third of the months shown, red the dearest third.
When to fly to Athens
From the fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct.
Athens airport to the city
Build your Athens trip
Athens flight FAQs
The lowest return fare we saw to Athens was £57, from London Stansted, for a trip starting in December (checked 12 Oct). The typical return from London Stansted is £131, the middle of the lowest fares seen for each of 12 months. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
From London Heathrow, the lowest return fare we saw was for a trip starting in November: £142, against £247 for September. That is the lowest fare seen for each of 12 months, checked 12 Oct. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
In the return fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct, the lowest to Athens was £57 from London Stansted, then Bristol £65, Manchester £72 and London Gatwick £77. By typical return, the middle of each airport's monthly lowest fares, the lowest was £107 from London Gatwick, then London Stansted £131 and Manchester £139. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
Estimated non-stop flight times to Athens: London Heathrow about 3h 26m (2,427 km); Manchester about 3h 42m (2,637 km); Birmingham about 3h 36m (2,557 km); Edinburgh about 3h 58m (2,848 km); Glasgow about 4h 01m (2,899 km); Bristol about 3h 36m (2,562 km). These are great-circle estimates at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent; airlines' scheduled times are usually a little longer.
In the week to 12 Oct we saw non-stop flights to Athens sold by Aegean Airlines from 4 UK airports, easyJet from 4 UK airports, Jet2 from 2 UK airports, Ryanair from 2 UK airports, British Airways from 1 UK airport, Sky Express from 1 UK airport, TUI Airways from 1 UK airport and Wizz Air from 1 UK airport. These are airlines seen on non-stop fares when we checked, not a timetable.
Direct flights take 3h 35m–3h 50m airport-to-airport. Manchester and Edinburgh add 20–30 minutes. Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) is 33km east — Metro Line 3 direct to Syntagma in 40 minutes, €9.
UK passport holders can visit Greece (Schengen Area) visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. ETIAS authorisation will apply once live — check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece. Passport must be valid for 3 months beyond departure.
Metro Line 3 (Blue) direct from airport to Syntagma in 40 minutes, €9. Suburban rail to Larissa station 38 minutes, €9. Taxi flat fare €40 (day) or €55 (midnight–5am). Uber not available — use Beat app instead.
Yes — Piraeus port is 30 minutes from central Athens by Metro Line 1. Ferries to Mykonos (2h 45m), Santorini (4h–8h), Crete (7h overnight) and Aegina (1h). Also domestic flights to islands from ATH. Spending 2–3 nights in Athens before ferrying onward is the classic Greek itinerary.