About Athens
Athens Airport is also the sixth busiest airport in Europe and the first in the European Union.
The airport features an operational distance of 41km from Athens city centre and therefore enables passengers to move between the city and the airport without having to cross any roads. The Airport is situated on the northern fringes of Athens City, due north of the city centre, close to the capital’s international railway station.
In terms of passenger traffic, Athens International Airport is now the fastest expanding airport in Europe. The number of passengers arriving at the airport has increased by 37% since the beginning of 2009, reaching over 11.1 million passengers in 2021, accounting for 42% of all aviation traffic in Greece.
About Athens International Airport
The Athens International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Europe with a single point of entry in both directions. Operating at full capacity, the Airport consists of nine passenger terminals, with over 4.2 million people passing through each year and approximately 150,000 flights per year.
The Airport has an operational distance of 41 km from the city centre and a main hub status in Athens-Damascus and Athens-Lisbon. From the Athens International Airport, passengers can transfer to five international airports, four domestic airports and eleven international destinations in Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Athens International Airport is also the seventh busiest airport in Europe and the first in the European Union.
Athens International Airport has the largest transportation hub within the area, with over 60 destinations in Greece and hundreds of flights and departures per day.
Athens International Airport is a state-of-the-art, high-capacity airport with cutting-edge technology and infrastructure.
Athens International Airport features over 250 shops, a pharmacy, café and restaurants. At the airport, passengers can purchase tickets to many of the most popular destinations around the world, as well as purchase railway tickets to the Greek capital.
Where to go if you need to check-in and get a boarding pass
If you’re trying to get to Athens from anywhere in the world, the best place to check-in and get a boarding pass is the Blue Tab Terminal in Athens Airport.
Why is the Blue Tab Terminal best?
Check-in in the Blue Tab Terminal in Athens Airport is faster and easier than anywhere else. You only have to show your passport and boarding pass and you are given a window seat to pass the time before your flight.
Other things you need to know about Athens Airport
Why the Blue Tab Terminal is best
Although the Blue Tab Terminal in Athens Airport is the first one in Greece, it is still the fastest check-in option. The Blue Tab Terminal provides quick service and a quick turnaround time for check-in and boarding passes. The ticket desks, the check-in desk and the baggage carousels are all within easy reach for your gate and transport.
It is easier for you to get to the Blue Tab Terminal by taxi or by bus than by car. Athens Airport is served by three bus lines, and the Blue Tab Terminal is served by two bus routes. At times, there is a change in the transport system for the Blue Tab Terminal as the intercity buses from Athens to the Blue Tab Terminal usually go to the Airport’s International Terminal, although there is only one bus that goes directly to the Blue Tab Terminal.
It’s a good idea to acquire your boarding card, check in, and purchase a ticket at the Blue Tab Terminal because it’s the cheapest and fastest way to check in at Athens Airport. It will also save you the time and money of having to go to the Blue Tab Terminal every time you want to check in, buy a ticket or get a boarding pass for another destination.
The Blue Tab Terminal is much less busy than other areas of the airport. However, if you need to get to a specific area, you should arrive early.
Also read: 37 Best Things to Do in Athens, Greece
Getting to Athens Airport from Athens City
Check-in at the Blue Tab Terminal in Athens Airport is the quickest way to get to the airport. Two bus lines connect directly to the Blue Tab Terminal. The first bus route goes directly to the Blue Tab Terminal from Athens City Centre. However, when it is very busy, there is a change of the bus route as the bus goes to the International Terminal instead of the Blue Tab Terminal. It goes to the Blue Tab Terminal just in time for you to check-in and get a boarding pass.
However, the second bus route from Athens City Centre takes you to the Blue Tab Terminal, but only when the Blue Tab Terminal is very busy. The bus arrives at the Blue Tab Terminal and immediately departs. It doesn’t make any stops, only to drop passengers off at the Blue Tab Terminal. If the bus is very busy, there is only one bus that stops at the Blue Tab Terminal.
But if the Blue Tab Terminal is not very busy, it can take you much longer than just one hour to get to the Blue Tab Terminal. You need to be at the Blue Tab Terminal when it is very busy.
When it is very busy, there is a change of buses, with the first bus taking you straight to the Blue Tab Terminal, and the second bus taking you to the Blue Tab Terminal and then leaving.
The bus stops at the Blue Tab Terminal only when there is a large queue of passengers who are getting to their flights.
Other things to know about Athens Airport
Check-in at Athens Airport is very convenient. It is a much faster option than anywhere else.
If you’re trying to get to Athens from anywhere in the world, the best place to check-in and get a boarding pass is the Blue Tab Terminal in Athens Airport.
If you are not sure of the airport for your destination, check-in online at one of the travel booking websites.
Cape Town Airport, South Africa
Every time I fly from the United States to South Africa, I look for a beautiful place to hang out near the Cape Town Airport to take photos. This time was no different. After takeoff, I found an open spot and started snapping away. Unfortunately, at the time I noticed this city and skyway building, my battery was already running down because of the long trip. I was hoping I would be able to come back after the end of my Cape Town trip to see if my camera battery died and to find this spot again.
As you can see from the photographs in this page, Cape Town isn’t the only city with stunning skyways. Several other interesting city skylines can be found on my skyway posts. I hope this one gets you looking for more skyways to capture with your camera and view.
Every day, at least two different flights depart from this Cape Town Airport. This shows how busy and huge Cape Town is. Right away, you can see that this area is the center of the city. On the right of the photo, you can see City Hall, the capitol building for South Africa.
Since we weren’t flying out of this airport, I began wandering about the city for other spectacular sites to photograph. In Cape Town, I discovered a street where many people take to the air to photograph the city below. The street is called Regent Road and is in the neighborhood called Old Town. I believe this is one of the neighborhoods in Cape Town that is still being built up and developed. Although, this picture was taken in September 2021. Even though the colors of this area are faded in this photo, I still think the design is fantastic. There are two rows of stores on the street to the right of the photo. There is even a big flight of steps to get down to the sidewalk. The clouds were not very high in the sky at the time and I was hoping for a higher flight of stairs so the clouds could be above me. After taking some of my own pictures in the area, I turned around to look to see if I could find this cool street again. When I did, I got a view that I would have liked to take another picture to give the perspective to show you more of the city. There were no clouds left in the sky in this picture. You can see some of the top of Cape Town in the distance.
Cape Town City Hall and the Weather
Last but not least, I wanted to share the view from this beautiful city city hall. The skyway is probably one of the most beautiful bridges in Cape Town. When I took this photo, the sun was already setting on the horizon and the sun was just starting to go down in the sky. The weather was extremely beautiful at that moment. I hope you get to see this view as well.
How I Found Cape Town’s Skyways
I mentioned before that I drove a different road to take my picture in Cape Town. This road runs through Mitchell’s Pass, a small town in South Africa. Mitchell’s Pass is a very scenic road and a very nice drive through this part of South Africa. When you drive through this part of Cape Town, you can take a beautiful view of Table Mountain. However, the scenery around Cape Town was amazing. I would describe the drive to Cape Town through Mitchell’s Pass as a road that looks like it has the skyways built on top of it. I actually thought that the skyways actually are built on top of this road because of the cables.
After driving through Mitchell’s Pass, I ended up finding a flight of stairs that looks like it has skyways built on top of it. It is actually not very far from the city, so I went down to the steps. I got out of my car and started taking some pictures. I photographed the skyways, stairwells, and a flying bird. When I was looking through the camera to get the photos, I realized that the bird was taking a flight over the city. It was a nice way to finish up this post.
If you are a photographer and you want to see Cape Town’s skyways in all of their glory, then check out my skyways blog posts. You will find the one I just shared with you here. There are also skyways in other amazing cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Toronto. I hope you will love looking at all of the amazing views from skyways too. I know I do!