Airports & Flights

Greece has an exceptionally dense network of international airports — more than almost any other European country, thanks to the many islands. For German travelers, there are direct flights to dozens of destinations, especially in the summer season (April-October). Here are the main airports in detail:

✈️ Athens (ATH) — Eleftherios Venizelos — THE Hub

Greece's main airport and by far the most important hub. Excellent connections year-round: Direct flights from Munich (2:15h), Frankfurt (2:30h), Berlin (2:40h), Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart, Vienna, Zurich. Airlines: Lufthansa, Aegean Airlines (Star Alliance — collect miles!), Eurowings, Ryanair, easyJet, Condor, Wizz Air. Athens is the absolute hub for domestic flights — if you want to go to an island without a direct flight from Germany, you fly through Athens. From ATH there are connections to around 30 Greek islands and cities.

Transfer to the center: Metro Line 3 (blue) to Syntagma Square (10€, 40 min, every 30 min, 06:30-23:30). Express bus X95 to Syntagma (6€, 60 min, 24-hour service — also at night!). Taxi (38€ fixed price during the day, 54€ 00:00-05:00). The airport is located 33 km east in Spata — plan 60-90 minutes for the transfer.

✈️ Thessaloniki (SKG) — Makedonia

Second largest airport and gateway to northern Greece, Chalkidiki, and the Sporades. Direct flights from Munich (2h), Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Vienna. Aegean Airlines, Ryanair, Eurowings, Wizz Air. Perfect starting point for Meteora (3h drive or train), Olympus (1.5h), the three fingers of Chalkidiki (1h), and the Sporades islands. New, modern terminal since 2024.

Transfer: Bus 01X to the center (2€, 45 min, every 30 min). Taxi (20-25€, fixed price). The airport is located 15 km southeast.

✈️ Heraklion, Crete (HER) — Nikos Kazantzakis

Greece's second busiest airport and the main gateway to Crete. Seasonally (April-October) extremely well connected with direct flights from almost all major German cities: Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hanover. Airlines: Condor, Eurowings, Ryanair, TUI fly, Corendon, Smartwings. Located only 5 km from the city center of Heraklion — one of the closest airports to a city center in Greece.

Transfer: City bus No. 1 to the center (1.50€, 15 min). Taxi (15-20€). Info: A completely new airport (Kastelli) is being built about 40 km southeast of Heraklion and is expected to replace the old one from 2027/2028.

✈️ Rhodes (RHO) — Diagoras

Main Dodecanese airport with many charter and low-cost flights from Germany (April-October). Condor, Eurowings, Corendon, SunExpress, TUI fly. Located 16 km southwest of the old town. Bus (2.50€, 30 min) or taxi (25€).

✈️ Corfu (CFU) — Ioannis Kapodistrias

Gateway to the Ionian Islands and one of the most spectacular airports in Europe — the runway juts into the sea, and the approach leads directly over the old town. Seasonal direct flights from Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf. Eurowings, Condor, Ryanair, TUI fly. Located only 3 km from the city center.

✈️ Santorini (JTR) — Thira

Small airport with a short runway — only small to medium-sized aircraft can land. Seasonal direct flights from a few German cities (Munich, Düsseldorf — Eurowings, Condor), otherwise via Athens (Aegean Airlines, 45 min, from 50€ one-way). Extremely booked in high season — book 4-6 weeks in advance! Alternatively: Ferry from Piraeus (5-8h) — cheaper and more scenic.

✈️ Mykonos (JMK)

Similar to Santorini: small, seasonal, expensive. Direct flights from Munich and Frankfurt (Aegean, Condor). Alternatively Athens → Mykonos with Aegean (40 min, from 45€). Overloaded in midsummer.

✈️ Kos (KGS) — Hippocrates

Popular charter airport for family vacations on Kos and as a springboard for the surrounding Dodecanese islands (Nisyros, Kalymnos, Leros — by ferry). Condor, Eurowings, Corendon, SunExpress from Germany. Located 27 km west of the city.

✈️ Zakynthos (ZTH)

Seasonally well connected (Condor, Eurowings, TUI fly). Small airport, perfect for the Ionian Islands. 6 km from the city center.

Other airports with direct flights from DACH:

Chania/Crete (CHQ — the quieter Crete airport, for western Crete), Kalamata/Peloponnese (KLX — seasonal from some cities), Preveza-Aktion/Lefkada (PVK — gateway to Lefkada and mainland Epirus), Kefalonia (EFL), Karpathos (AOK), Samos (SMI), Skiathos (JSI — spectacular approach, "the Greek St. Maarten") — all seasonally accessible with charter flights.

Flight prices (guidelines from Germany, one-way)

Period	Mainland (Athens/Thessaloniki)	Islands (Direct)
Off-season (Nov–Apr)	40–80€	mostly unavailable
Shoulder (May, Sep–Oct)	60–120€	80–150€
High season (Jun–Aug)	100–200€	150–350€
Last Minute (Aug)	200–400€	300–500€+

Domestic flights

Aegean Airlines and its regional subsidiary Olympic Air connect Athens with around 30 islands and cities. Prices from 40€ one-way (booked early, off-season). Typical flight times to the islands: 30-55 minutes. SKY Express is a growing Greek airline offering direct flights between islands without detouring through Athens — e.g., Crete → Santorini, Crete → Rhodes, Rhodes → Kos, Thessaloniki → Crete. This can save a lot of time.