Athens Travel Answers

First of all, you're not taking an airplane so you don't have to be at the port by 6 ... 6:30 or 6:40 is fine, if you have your ticket in hand. Your biggest problem is you are staying at the Hilton ... presumably because you get a "deal" on travel points ... in that case, get the taxi on your savings. Otherwise, here is the MOST economical way (total €8) ---but it requires physical effort & ability to deal with stress • WALK to Syntagma Square and get a 4:15 X95 bus to Airport (€5) you will arrive 5:15 latest. • Cross Street to bus stop in front of Sofitel. Supposedly according to this web page -- toandfromtheairport.com/athe... -- the KTEL local Bus #2 to Rafina begins its first run @5:45 -- cost = €3. I think it takes bout 40 minutes. Here is the wikipedia info on bus & taxi from Airport to Rafina, I think its a bit more current this page: http://wikitravel.org/en/Rafina#b This source says there is a local bus at 4:50, 5:40 and 6:10 ... I think the last one is too "iffy". Less physical alternative = • take taxi to Airport at 4:30 -- it will arrive AFTER 5 a.m., and arrival time is what counts for getting the day flat rate vs. night flat rate... so it would be €35. Then take #2 bus as above -- total cost €38. In either of these cases, if the #2 bus (for any reason) fails to show up as scheduled, you could always get a taxi from Airport to Rafina.... the rate, on the meter, is about €20 - €25.

Yep - you have the answer. The only thing I can add is that if you RUN to the bus sgtop you might have a couple of minutes to gather your breath. Be safe and take the taxi - get the Hilton to arrange it for you as they have a set price with favoured companies for the trip.

Um.... after all that it would realistically be easier/quicker/cheaper for you to depart from Piraeus. The only reason for going to Rafina is to get a ferry to Andros and that's at 08:15. Others like Tinos, Mykonos, Paros are easier from Piraeus you then just take the Metro from the station nearest your hotel. Blue line Evangelismos change at Monastiraki to Green line to Piraeus. You won't get to Rafina in time using city buses it takes a while to Rafina. A possibility is the X95 to the airport and the Airport to Rafina bus. The X95 is 24/7. The Airport Rafina one does have services early morning but not that frequent so you would have to allow for that.

by the way you dont have to walk to Syntagma square for X95 bus to the airport, it stops right in front of Hilton hotel. in you case I would take this bus (there is one every 15') and then a taxi from the airport to Rafina

there is bus from Pedion tou Areos (Areo's Field) center Athens to Rafina. Pay only 10 euros a taxi (15 to 20 minutes way from Hilton)to the terminal of buses, and than just the ticket. Ask to your hotel, is not so hard as you have in mind !! have a nice stay in Greece.

Hi Even i am planning on getting to Rafina at 8 am to go to Mykonos. I have a ferry at 07 from Pyreuis, but i am debating on catching that or the one from Rafina as if i have to get to Pyreus at 7 am, i miss my breakfast at hilton. But i guess it will take more than 2 hrs to reach rafina and a lot of running time and expensive, so its better to catch via Pyreus?

Actually problem was solved very easily. Took taxi ordered by Hilton. Pad 35 euros for 35 minute ride. Got thEre quick due to minimal traffic. Nice driver at that and had great conversation with him about Athens. On way back came into Pireus port and took x95 at midnight to airport for early flight. That trip took an hour with one stop along the way to let off one passenger. Cost 5 euros per person. And this did not pass in front of Hilton towards the airport at all. Truthfully am not sure which part of Athens it went through but nowhere near Hilton. Thanks all for the advice

of course the bus from Pireaus dont pass from Hilton, because it is another line (bus X96), the bus we were talking about was X95 and departs from Syntagma square. by the way I took the direct bus to Rafina some days before from Athens city center at 5.30am and I was in Rafina in 6.25am, still got enough time to buy coffee and light snack before I catch my 7.10am boat