The fixed taxi fare from ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ Airport to the centre of Athens is rising from 40 to 50 euros, and from 55 to 65 euros for night-time journeys, between 00:00 and 05:00. At the same time, the waiting charge is increasing from 15 to 20 euros per hour. The basic taxi meter rate remains unchanged. The new prices were agreed following consultations between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and industry representatives, and will come into force following the publication of the relevant decision in the Government Gazette.
For Artemida, the information is the opposite of what it is in Athens, and this is where you need to be careful: the fixed fare of 50 euros applies to the journey from the airport to central Athens. It is not a fare ‘to wherever the taxi goes from the airport’. Journeys from ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ to Artemida, Spata, Rafina or Porto Rafti are not covered by the flat-rate fare and are charged by the meter.
This has a direct practical implication. The distance from the terminus to Artemida is around ten kilometres — a journey of just a few minutes compared with the trip to the city centre. No fare anywhere near 50 euros corresponds to this journey. If, when you get in, the driver quotes a fixed price ‘because that’s how it is from the airport’, this is not the official fare. Ask for the meter to be switched on and ask for a receipt.
What you need to bear in mind regarding the taxi meter: Tariff 1 applies within the city limits from 05:00 to 00:00, and Tariff 2 applies at night, from 00:00 to 05:00, as well as outside the city limits. In addition to the meter charge, tolls (where applicable), the airport departure surcharge and the luggage charge are legally added. The driver is required to display the price list inside the vehicle. It is good practice to take a photograph of the vehicle’s registration number before boarding.
The increase in the waiting charge to 20 euros per hour is the second issue affecting local residents, and not just at the airport. It applies to any journey involving a stop – popping into a chemist’s, waiting outside a shop, or stopping at a service station. In real terms, a ten-minute wait now costs between approximately 2.5 and 3.3 euros.
For Artemida, which has the airport right next to it and no direct rail link, a taxi is not a tourist luxury but an everyday choice for anyone arriving on a night-time flight, when buses are infrequent. The announced fares do not affect this route; however, they do alter the pricing environment and increase the likelihood of verbal ‘deals’ being struck whilst queuing for a taxi.
If you believe you have been overcharged, you can lodge a complaint by providing the vehicle registration number and the time of the journey to the Consumer Helpline 1520 of the General Secretariat for Trade and Consumer Protection, as well as to the Transport and Communications Department of the Regional Unit of Eastern Attica. The receipt is the key piece of evidence required for the complaint to proceed — without it, the process becomes very difficult.
Source: SATA press release and media reports on the agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, September 2026. The new rates will not come into effect until they are published in the Government Gazette.
