How to travel from Athens to Istanbul

There are 2 travel options between Athens and Istanbul. You can take a bus or flight.

The cheapest way to travel between Athens and Istanbul is a flight with an average price of $58 (€50).

This is compared to other travel options from Athens to Istanbul:

Taking a flight costs $29 (€25) less than taking a bus, which average ticket prices of $87 (€75).

The fastest way from Athens to Istanbul is by flight with an average journey time of 1 h 25 min.

There are alternative travel options to Istanbul that take longer:

Bus takes 14 h 30 min on average.

You should expect to travel around 347 miles (560 km) between Athens and Istanbul.

The average frequency per day from Athens to Istanbul is:

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip from Athens to Istanbul as scheduled services by bus or flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Athens to Istanbul:

• Buses most often depart from Athens at Athens, Leoforou Kifisou - KTEL (Άθενς, Λεωφόρου Κηφισού - ΚΤΕΛ ΚΗΦΙΣΟΥ) and arrive in Istanbul at İstanbul, Havalimanı (Tayakadın Terminal Cad. No: 1).
• Flights from Athens to Istanbul most often leave from Athens International Airport and arrive in Istanbul Airport.

The following travel companies offer services from Athens to Istanbul:

• Travel with Arda Tur, Infobus or Eurolines Deutschland for buses to Istanbul. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for Arda Tur Athens to Istanbul tickets on Omio for $87 (€75).
• Travel with Pegasus Airlines, Aegean Airlines or Turkish Airlines for flights to Istanbul. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for Aegean Airlines Athens to Istanbul tickets on Omio for $58 (€50).

Yes, there are direct routes from Athens to Istanbul with the following travel companies:

• You'll find direct buses with Arda Tur.
• You can travel directly by plane with Pegasus Airlines, Aegean Airlines or Turkish Airlines.

Direct services to Istanbul tend to save you time and add more convenience as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking tickets for your route.