Athens Airport to the Southern Riviera: transfers, taxi and the drive down
Around half an hour from the airport on a good run, and you never touch central Athens. You land, turn toward the coast, and the city falls away behind you.
Last checked June 2026.
The €40 airport flat fare does not reach this coast — a taxi here runs on the meter, not the flat rate.
Anavyssos sits on the southern Athenian Riviera, between Athens and the Temple of Poseidon. Saronida is just north; Lavrio and Cape Sounion lie to the south. From Athens International Airport it’s about 31–32 km: roughly 30–35 minutes by car on a free-flowing run. You drive away from Athens, not into it, so you skip the city traffic. Olive hills on one side, the Saronic Gulf on the other.
The fast way: leave the airport on Attiki Odos (the A6), follow signs for Markopoulo and Lavrio onto the Lavrio road (E94 / Leoforos Lavriou), then branch toward Saronida and Anavyssos. A small motorway toll on Attiki Odos is about €2.50 for a car as of 2026 (rates move a few cents each year). The coastal road through Saronida is prettier. Save it for a slow departure. On arrival it is slower, and in high summer it clogs when you just want to be there.
Drive times from the house
| Athens International Airport (ATH) → Anavyssos coast | ≈ 30–35 min · ~31–32 km |
| Athens Airport → Saronida (just north) | ≈ 28–31 min · ~28 km |
| Central Athens & the Acropolis | ≈ 50–55 min |
| Cape Sounion · Temple of Poseidon | ≈ 30 min · ~22 km |
| Lavrio port (island ferries) | ≈ 30 min |
| Nearest beach (EverEden) | ≈ 2 min |
How to arrive
A taxi on the meter, a pre-arranged private transfer, or a rental car collected on arrival. Public transport with luggage is a false economy.
Taxi: the €40 flat fare doesn’t reach here
The airport’s flat fare is around €40 in the day, roughly €55 overnight, as of 2026; confirm current rates before you travel. It covers only central Athens, out as far as Glyfada. This coast lies beyond that zone, so the taxi runs on the meter: usually around €30–45 depending on traffic and time of day. Don’t let a driver quote “forty” as though it carries you to Anavyssos. Agree the fare or ask for the meter before you leave the rank.
Private transfer
A driver waiting, a fixed price, nothing to think about after a long flight. Operator rates run roughly €40–60 one-way for a sedan, more for a minivan if you’re a group or carrying plenty of luggage. Confirm a fixed price when you book. Staying at Kleos? We arrange a fixed-price airport transfer as a booking add-on. Ask when you reserve.
Rental car
For a coastal stay, take a car. The beaches, the tavernas, Cape Sounion and Lavrio’s ferries sit along a spread-out coast, all short drives. Big-name desks (and most of the budget ones) are in the airport’s arrivals-level rental hall. Collect on the way out and you’re on the motorway in minutes. Some local firms will deliver a car to your accommodation in Saronida, Anavyssos or Sounio. Useful if you’d rather not drive straight off the plane. Fill up or charge near the airport or Markopoulo. Petrol stations and EV chargers thin out toward Sounion, especially after dark. A private driver for the odd outing works if you don’t want to drive yourself.
Public transport
There’s no direct airport bus to this stretch. You’d ride an airport express into Glyfada and change onto a coastal KTEL line (the Athens–Sounio service through Saronida and Anavyssos). Connections can take two or three and a half hours. Fine for a backpack, awkward with a suitcase. Save it for a day out, not your arrival.
Land, turn south, and the city is behind you. The coast does the rest.
Athens, when you want it
Central Athens and the Acropolis are about 50–55 minutes away. Close enough for a day among the ruins and the markets. Far enough that you sleep by the sea.
The short version
Ignore the €40 flat fare. Budget €30–45 by taxi or €40–60 for a booked transfer, and check current rates before you go. Take a car if you will leave the beach; skip the bus on arrival. Point the car away from Athens and you’re at the sea in half an hour. Last checked: June 2026. Fares and tolls drift, so confirm anything that matters before you travel.
Good to know
Does the €40 airport flat fare reach the southern Riviera (Anavyssos, Saronida)?
No. The official Athens airport taxi flat fare is around €40 in the day, roughly €55 overnight, as of 2026 (confirm current rates before you travel). It covers central Athens only, out as far as Glyfada to the southeast. Anavyssos and Saronida sit outside that zone, so the taxi runs on the meter: usually about €30–45 depending on traffic and time of day. Don’t accept “forty” as a door-to-door price for this coast. Agree the fare or ask for the meter before you set off.
How far is Anavyssos / the southern Athenian Riviera from Athens Airport?
Roughly 31–32 km, about 30–35 minutes by car on a free-flowing run, and you never pass through central Athens. You head away from the city, down toward the coast, so you skip the worst of the traffic. Saronida, just north along the same stretch, is a touch closer at about 28 km.
Do you need a car on the southern Athenian Riviera?
For a coastal stay, yes. The beaches, Cape Sounion, Lavrio’s ferries and the area’s tavernas are spread along the coast and public transport is sparse. Many visitors rent at the airport; some local firms will deliver a car to your accommodation in Saronida, Anavyssos or Sounio. A private driver for the odd trip works if you’d rather not drive.
How far is it from central Athens and the Acropolis?
About 50–55 minutes. Athens makes an easy day trip from the coast: close enough to visit, far enough that you sleep by the sea rather than in the traffic.
Can you reach this coast by public transport from the airport?
Not easily, and not with luggage. There’s no direct airport bus to this stretch: you’d take an airport express bus into Glyfada and change onto a coastal KTEL line (the Athens–Sounio service that runs through Saronida and Anavyssos). That can stretch to two or three-and-a-half hours by the time you’ve made the connections. Fine for a backpack on an onward day, awkward for an arrival. A car or a pre-arranged transfer is simpler.
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