Airline tickets from Chisinau to Athens

Chisinau to Athens flights: a direct flight in two hours

Chisinau and Athens are about 1,100 km apart in a straight line, and a direct flight takes roughly two hours. Both cities are in the same time zone, so you land at the time your watch shows. The cheapest Chisinau-Athens flights in our calendar currently start from €28 in November. Prices for the other months are in the table above and update automatically.

Which airlines fly from Chisinau to Athens

Direct Chisinau-Athens flights are operated by three airlines: Wizz Air, Aegean Airlines and SkyUp. Departure days depend on the season, so check the Chisinau-Athens flight schedule for your specific date in the search form. There are usually fewer flights in winter than in summer.

The main difference between the carriers isn't the plane but what's included in the ticket. Compare the total price including baggage, otherwise a cheap fare can easily end up costing more.

Airline	Type	What the basic fare includes	Best for
Wizz Air	Low-cost carrier	Only an under-seat bag of 40×30×20 cm. A cabin trolley and checked baggage are paid extras	Travellers flying light for a weekend
Aegean Airlines	Greece's national carrier	Hand luggage up to 8 kg (56×45×25 cm) already included in the Light fare, plus a snack and a drink on board. A 23 kg checked bag is included from the higher ComfortFlex fare	Travellers who want to take a carry-on suitcase without paying extra
SkyUp	Airline with several fare types	Included services depend on the fare you choose, check its description when booking	Travellers whose dates and departure times fit

If you're bringing home olive oil or wine, you'll need checked baggage: liquids in hand luggage are limited to 100 ml per container. Keep this in mind when buying your Chisinau-Athens plane tickets.

Do you need a visa and which passport to take

Moldovan citizens don't need a visa. With a biometric passport you can stay in Greece and other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. You can't fly with your national ID card (buletin), you need a passport.

Check the expiry date: your passport must be valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area and must have been issued within the last ten years.

The EES system now operates at the border. On your first entry, your fingerprints and photo will be taken, and passports are no longer stamped. The ETIAS travel authorisation has not launched yet: the EU will announce the date several months in advance, and once launched it will cost €20 and be valid for up to three years. Before you fly, check the official website travel-europe.europa.eu/etias, where all the information will be published.

Athens Airport: what to expect after landing

All flights from Chisinau arrive at Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" (code ATH). It is 33 km from the city centre, and getting into town takes between 40 minutes and an hour and a half, depending on the transport and traffic.

Flights from Moldova are non-Schengen, so you'll go through passport control right after leaving the plane. There's passport control on the way back too, so allow time for it. Metro and bus tickets are sold at machines with an English menu, and cards are accepted.

Two small things people ask about most: sockets in Greece are the same as in Moldova, so you don't need an adapter, and the single emergency number is 112.

How to get from the airport to central Athens and how much it costs

Transport	Where it takes you	Travel time	Price	When to choose it
Metro, Line 3 (blue)	Syntagma, Monastiraki, continuing to Piraeus	About 40 minutes to Syntagma	€9 one way, €16 return (valid for 30 days)	Day and evening, last trains around 23:30
Bus X95	Syntagma Square	50-70 minutes, longer in traffic	€5.50	The cheapest option, runs 24/7
Taxi	Historic centre (inside the "ring")	35-45 minutes	Flat fare: €40 from 05:00 to 00:00 and €55 from 00:00 to 05:00, luggage and tolls included	At night, with children or lots of luggage
3-day tourist ticket	All city transport plus a return trip to the airport	72 hours	€20	If you're staying in Athens for three days

The regular €1.20 city ticket isn't valid on the airport section, you need a separate airport ticket. There are no group discounts either: everyone pays €9 on the metro, so for a group of three or four a taxi costs almost the same and takes you right to the door.

The flat taxi fare only applies to the centre. Trips to the port of Piraeus and other districts are metered, so it's best to ask the driver about the price before getting in. And keep an eye on your bag: pickpockets operate on the airport metro line and on the X95 bus.

Currency and costs: how much money to take to Athens

Greece uses the euro, so exchange your lei while still in Chisinau, where the rate is usually clearer. Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Athens, but cash comes in handy at markets and small eateries. It's better to withdraw money from Greek bank ATMs: independent machines in tourist areas often charge their own fee.

What you spend on	Approximate price
Souvlaki or gyros in pita	€3-5, up to €7-8 near tourist sites
Freddo espresso (the iced coffee the whole city drinks)	€3-5
Dinner at a taverna	€15-25 per person
A metro, bus or tram ride	€1.20 for a 90-minute ticket
Acropolis entry	€30, entry time must be booked in advance
Climate fee at a 3★ hotel	€5 per room per night from April to October, €1.50 from November to March

The fee is charged per room, not per person, and is paid directly at the hotel. Four nights at a three-star hotel in November will add just €6 to your bill, while the same nights in July will add €20.

Unusual trips: dates worth booking Chisinau-Athens tickets for

Below are the dates when Athens looks different from an ordinary weekday. Check flight prices for these dates in the calendar above.

• 28 October 2026, Ohi Day. A national holiday with parades, and entry to the Acropolis is free on this day.
• 7-8 November 2026, Athens Marathon. Runners follow the historic route from the town of Marathon and finish at the marble Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. Registration is already closed, but you can watch the finish for free. Note that streets in the centre are closed on race day.
• First Sundays from November to March. The Acropolis and state museums are free to enter: 6 December 2026, 3 January, 7 February and 7 March 2027. You still need to book an entry slot, and the queues are longer on these days.
• 6-7 March 2027. A rare coincidence: on 6 March, Melina Mercouri remembrance day, the Acropolis is free, and 7 March happens to be the first Sunday of the month. Two days in a row without tickets.
• 15 March 2027, Clean Monday. The start of Lent, when Athenians head out with their families to Filopappou Hill opposite the Acropolis to fly kites. People eat lagana (Lenten bread), halva and seafood. It's a public holiday and most shops are closed, so buy your picnic food the day before.

Athens markets and what to bring back to Moldova

The Varvakios Central Market on Athinas Street is open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sunday. Come in the morning: the fish and meat sections are liveliest before noon. Next door, Evripidou Street is lined with shops selling spices, dried fruit and herbs.

Neighbourhood "laiki" street markets are held outdoors on different days of the week, one of the best known takes place on Saturdays on Kallidromiou Street. On Sundays there's a flea market in the Monastiraki area. Bring cash and your own bag, that's the norm at the laiki.

What's worth bringing home:

• mastic from the island of Chios: an aromatic resin produced only there, sold as liqueur, chewing gum and sweets;
• extra virgin olive oil from Kalamata or Crete and vacuum-packed Kalamata olives;
• mountain tea (sideritis) and dried oregano from Evripidou Street;
• Greek coffee along with a copper briki pot;
• loukoumi, Greek Turkish delight;
• ouzo or tsipouro, but within the customs allowance.

Under the rules of Moldova's Customs Service, air passengers may bring in personal goods worth up to €430 per person duty-free. Alcohol has a separate limit: 1 litre of spirits and 2 litres of still wine. Anything above that must be declared.

You can buy Chisinau-Athens plane tickets using the search form at the top of the page. If you have any questions about your booking, Zbor.md support is available 24/7 at +373 22 844 111.