There are 7 ways to get from Istanbul to Central Athens by train, plane, bus, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Metro to Istanbul, fly
best- Take the train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepetrain
- Fly from Istanbul (IST) to Athens International Airport (ATH)plane IST - ATH
5h 25m€66–191Bus
- Take the bus from Istanbul to Athensbus
15h€80–120Drive 1,056.8 km
- Drive from Istanbul to Central Athenscar 1,056.8 km
11h 41m€194–279Metro to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, fly
- Take the train from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gokcen Airporttrain
- Fly from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) to Athens International Airport (ATH)plane SAW - ATH
5h 45m€141–291Bus to Alexandroupoli Airport Dimokritos, fly
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Alexandroupoli Evros Bus Stationbus
- Fly from Alexandroupoli Airport Dimokritos (AXD) to Athens International Airport (ATH)plane AXD - ATH
8h 40m€103–209Bus, train
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Thessaloniki stationbus Arda-Tur
- Take the train from Thessaloniki to Athenstrain Ic
15h 39m€132–152Bus via Komotini
- Take the bus from Istanbul to Komotinibus
- Take the bus from Komotini to Athens, Leoforou Kifisou - KTELbus
17h 25m€95–105
Istanbul to Central Athens by bus
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Istanbul to Central Athens is to bus which costs €80 - €120 and takes 15h.
The fastest way to get from Istanbul to Central Athens is to Metro and fly which takes 5h 25m and costs €65 - €200.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Istanbul and arriving at Athens. Services depart once a week, and operate Thursday. The journey takes approximately 15h.
The distance between Istanbul and Central Athens is 627 km. The road distance is 1056.8 km.
The best way to get from Istanbul to Central Athens without a car is to bus which takes 15h and costs €80 - €120.
It takes approximately 5h 25m to get from Istanbul to Central Athens, including transfers.
Istanbul to Central Athens bus services, operated by Crazy Holidays, depart from Istanbul station.
Istanbul to Central Athens bus services, operated by Crazy Holidays, arrive at Athens station.
Yes, the driving distance between Istanbul to Central Athens is 1057 km. It takes approximately 11h 41m to drive from Istanbul to Central Athens.
There are 13456+ hotels available in Central Athens.
What companies run services between Istanbul, Turkey and Central Athens, Greece?
Crazy Holidays operates a bus from Istanbul to Athens once a week. Tickets cost €80–120 and the journey takes 15h.
- Website
- en.aegeanair.com
Flights from Istanbul to Athens International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–280
Flights from Istanbul to Athens International Airport via Heraklion
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €60–180
Flights from Istanbul to Athens International Airport via Santorini
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 45m
- When
- Thursday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- €60–180
Flights from Istanbul to Athens International Airport via Thessaloniki
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 45m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- €85–300
Flights from Alexandroupoli Airport Dimokritos to Athens International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 5m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- €35–150
- Phone
- +90 850 252 88 00
- [email protected]
- Website
- metro.istanbul
Train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepe
- Ave. Duration
- 16 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- €1
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
Train from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gokcen Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- €1
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
- Phone
- +30 2310241545
- [email protected]
- Website
- Crazy Holidays
Bus from Istanbul to Athens
- Ave. Duration
- 15h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- €80–120
- Website
- Crazy Holidays
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Alexandroupoli Evros Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 5h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- €45–60
- Website
- Crazy Holidays
Want to know more about travelling around Greece
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Getting around the Cyclades
Read the travel guide










