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.
| UK airport | Flight time | Airlines | From |
| London Stansted (STN) | 3h 40m | Ryanair | £65 |
| London Luton (LTN) | 3h 40m | Wizz Air, easyJet | £79 |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | 3h 40m | easyJet, BA, Wizz | £99 |
| London Heathrow (LHR) | 3h 30m | Aegean, BA | £125 |
| Manchester (MAN) | 3h 55m | Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet | £109 |
| Edinburgh (EDI) | 4h 10m | Jet2, Aegean (summer) | £135 |
| Birmingham (BHX) | 3h 50m | Ryanair, Jet2 | £105 |
| Bristol (BRS) | 3h 55m | easyJet | £119 |
| Leeds/Bradford (LBA) | 4h 00m | Jet2 (summer) | £139 |
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 one-way fare from London. Summer peak runs May to September. Greek Orthodox Easter is a moveable feast.
🟢 Cheap (£65–£85) · 🟡 Average (£85–£115) · 🔴 Peak (£115+). Late May and early October are the sweet spots — still 22–28°C but half the summer price.
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London Stansted — Ryanair from £65 on sale, £99 typical. Luton (Wizz Air) is £79 shoulder season. Gatwick and Heathrow are £125+. Direct summer flights dominate; winter service drops to weekly frequencies on most regionals.
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.
November, January and February — fares from £65. Avoid July and August (40°C city heat, peak Greek-islands season), Easter week (Greek Orthodox Easter) and Athens Marathon (early November).
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.