Athens International Airport to Glyfada

You can smell it before you see it — that mix of salt, suncream and fresh espresso that means you've swapped the terminal for the Athens Riviera. Glyfada is where I spend most of my summer: a glossy little town of beach clubs, yacht-filled marinas and designer windows, strung along the coast southwest of the airport. It's the upscale hub of the Riviera, and the good news is you're only about 25 km from the arrivals hall, roughly 35 minutes on a clear road. The better news is that getting here can itself be half the fun, if you pick the right ride.

Why I always root for the X96

Let me make the case for the bus first, because it's my not-so-secret favourite. The OASA Airport Express X96 runs 24/7 — genuinely round the clock, so a 3am landing is no drama — with departures every 15 to 30 minutes from the stops right outside arrivals. It's a flat €5.50, and here's the part I love: instead of barrelling down some featureless motorway, the X96 swings onto the coastal road and threads through Vari and Voula before dropping into Glyfada on its way to Piraeus. That means the sea is on your right for a good chunk of the trip, and you get a slow, cinematic reveal of the Riviera through the window.

Allow about 45 minutes all in — a touch longer than a car, because it's making stops and hugging the coast rather than cutting straight across. That's the trade. If you're travelling light, not in a hurry, and happy to walk the last stretch to your door (it's not a door-to-door service), the X96 is unbeatable value and, frankly, the most romantic way to arrive.

When you'd rather someone else did the driving

Some arrivals call for zero effort — you've been flying half the day, you've got a suitcase the size of a small fridge, and the last thing you want is to hunt for a bus stop. That's when I book a private transfer. Outfits like Welcome Pickups and Kiwitaxi have a driver meet you in arrivals, and they'll run you straight to your Riviera hotel, door to door, in around 35 minutes. It's a fixed price — roughly €45 to €65 — agreed before you fly, so there are no meter surprises and no fumbling for coins. Pre-booked and available 24/7, it's the civilised choice for families, late flights, or anyone who just wants to melt into the back seat and watch the coast slide by.

Hopping in a taxi on the spot

No booking, no plan? Walk to the taxi rank at Arrivals Exit 3 and grab one on demand, day or night. The ride to Glyfada is about the same 35 minutes, and expect roughly €35 to €50. One thing worth knowing, and I mean this genuinely: Glyfada sits outside the airport's fixed flat-fare ring, so the meter is running rather than a set price. It's not a scam, it's just how the zones work — but do yourself a favour and confirm the fare with the driver before you set off. A quick chat at the rank saves any awkwardness at the other end.

The case for your own set of wheels

Here's the thing about the Riviera: Glyfada is brilliant, but it really opens onto a whole coastline of temptations — the marinas, the beach clubs, the thermal lake down at Vouliagmeni, the little coves further south. If you fancy chasing all of that on your own schedule, hire a car. The big desks — Hertz, Avis, Sixt — are right there in arrivals, and rates run somewhere around €30 to €60 per day. The drive itself is the quickest of the lot, about 30 minutes, and having a car parked outside your hotel means spontaneous sunset dinners three towns over and lazy mornings deciding which beach wins today.

Just bear in mind that Glyfada in high summer is a busy, glamorous place, and parking near the marina can test your patience. If you're planning to spend most of your trip lounging on one stretch of sand and wandering the shops on foot, a car can be more hassle than help — that's the X96 or a transfer's moment to shine.

So which one's for you?

My honest take: land relaxed and travelling light, take the X96 and enjoy the coastal show for €5.50. Arrive tired, loaded up, or with the family in tow, pre-book a transfer and let the driver handle it. Want to roam the whole Riviera, grab a hire car. And if you're standing at arrivals with a plane still ringing in your ears and no plan at all, the taxi rank at Exit 3 will always sort you out — just agree the fare first. Whichever you choose, the sea's waiting. See you at the beach.