Kvnfla11 Posted June 18 #1 Share Posted June 18 Hi Everyone, I could use your help on recommendations on how to best get to Athens airport after our Getaway cruise ends on September 1st. We're due to arrive at 7:00am in Pireaus and we have a 12:30pm flight on Air France departing Athens Airport. I know it was cutting it close (I got out voted) but I would love to hear your advice on how to arrive fastest with my sanity intact. 1 - NCL transfer service 2 - WelcomePickups service 3 - General Taxi Facts: I'm ok with paying extra to arrive quickly (no need to suggest public transport options), that is my priority vs costs. We are 4 adults with the accompanying baggage. 4 boats are expected to debark on September 1st but the Getaway is the only large ship, the other 3 being 1000, 600 and 200 pax. My Questions: Which option have you been successful in getting to the airport quickest/smoothest within the time constraints I have? How does the NCL transfer service work? Am I waiting for the bus to fill up before they leave or does it operate on a scheduled time of departure I can count on? Do you use self-disembarkation with this service or do they call you via a specific process/time? What type of time frame could we expect as far as arrival at the airport? I know this is subject to conditions, but what average times have you been able to disembark the ship via self-disembark? If it docks at 7:00am, could I expect(hope) to be off the boat by 8:30am or 9:00am? Earlier? Later? If WelcomePickups is the option, would a 9:00am scheduled pickup be safe? That could mean we could arrive at the airport by 10:00 or 10:30 depending on traffic. Is that a reasonable timeline? Is WelcomePickups pickup easier/quicker/smoother than a taxi? Is taking a general taxi a nightmare with everyone leaving the pier at the same time? What is the Athens check-in process like for a Europe based international flight? Is that Schengen? Does that work different? I don't mean to be needy with the 100 questions (ok 15) but as you can tell I might be a little OCD. Thank you very much! -Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drew69 Posted June 18 #2 Share Posted June 18 You are not going to get 4 people and bags in a taxi. You have no control over when the NCL bus leaves. I would book a van with a car service, self-disembark carrying your own bags and have the car service meet you at 8. Should be about 40-60 minutes to the airport depending on traffic. time needed to checkin at the airport and get through security is dependent on crowds, # of agents working, and whether you are business class and get priority. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted June 18 #3 Share Posted June 18 2 hours ago, Kvnfla11 said: Hi Everyone, I could use your help on recommendations on how to best get to Athens airport after our Getaway cruise ends on September 1st. We're due to arrive at 7:00am in Pireaus and we have a 12:30pm flight on Air France departing Athens Airport. I know it was cutting it close (I got out voted) but I would love to hear your advice on how to arrive fastest with my sanity intact. 1 - NCL transfer service 2 - WelcomePickups service 3 - General Taxi Facts: I'm ok with paying extra to arrive quickly (no need to suggest public transport options), that is my priority vs costs. We are 4 adults with the accompanying baggage. 4 boats are expected to debark on September 1st but the Getaway is the only large ship, the other 3 being 1000, 600 and 200 pax. My Questions: Which option have you been successful in getting to the airport quickest/smoothest within the time constraints I have? How does the NCL transfer service work? Am I waiting for the bus to fill up before they leave or does it operate on a scheduled time of departure I can count on? Do you use self-disembarkation with this service or do they call you via a specific process/time? What type of time frame could we expect as far as arrival at the airport? I know this is subject to conditions, but what average times have you been able to disembark the ship via self-disembark? If it docks at 7:00am, could I expect(hope) to be off the boat by 8:30am or 9:00am? Earlier? Later? If WelcomePickups is the option, would a 9:00am scheduled pickup be safe? That could mean we could arrive at the airport by 10:00 or 10:30 depending on traffic. Is that a reasonable timeline? Is WelcomePickups pickup easier/quicker/smoother than a taxi? Is taking a general taxi a nightmare with everyone leaving the pier at the same time? What is the Athens check-in process like for a Europe based international flight? Is that Schengen? Does that work different? I don't mean to be needy with the 100 questions (ok 15) but as you can tell I might be a little OCD. Thank you very much! -Kevin You need to change your flight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted June 19 Author #4 Share Posted June 19 3 hours ago, drew69 said: You are not going to get 4 people and bags in a taxi. You have no control over when the NCL bus leaves. I would book a van with a car service, self-disembark carrying your own bags and have the car service meet you at 8. Should be about 40-60 minutes to the airport depending on traffic. time needed to checkin at the airport and get through security is dependent on crowds, # of agents working, and whether you are business class and get priority. Thank you for your ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curmudgeon98 Posted June 19 #5 Share Posted June 19 I've only been in Piraeus a couple of times; I just can't remember whether there were typically large van taxis around or not. If it were me, I would pre-book a car service (for a larger vehicle) to meet you at 9am and do self-debark. If you are ahead of the crowds waiting for their luggage, you should be through customs/immigration fairly quickly. If you are 20 minutes late, just tip your driver a bit extra. In general, I'd say Greece is a little more formal about security than some places, but not extremely so. They are closer to various problem corners of the world, but the cruise passenger routine is pretty well worked out. Politeness is always appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare debenson0723 Posted June 19 #6 Share Posted June 19 5 hours ago, drew69 said: You are not going to get 4 people and bags in a taxi. You have no control over when the NCL bus leaves. I would book a van with a car service, self-disembark carrying your own bags and have the car service meet you at 8. Should be about 40-60 minutes to the airport depending on traffic. time needed to checkin at the airport and get through security is dependent on crowds, # of agents working, and whether you are business class and get priority. This is excellent advice. There were 6 of us, lots of luggage and our van met us around 8 (we did not self disembark). Some of the airlines have priority check in you can purchase and we all did (headed to Milan). Made it easily with time to spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare KeithJenner Posted June 19 #7 Share Posted June 19 8 hours ago, Kvnfla11 said: I know this is subject to conditions, but what average times have you been able to disembark the ship via self-disembark? If it docks at 7:00am, could I expect(hope) to be off the boat by 8:30am or 9:00am? Earlier? Later? If the stated arrival time is 7am then you will be able to get off the ship at about 7am using self disembark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redlock Posted June 19 #8 Share Posted June 19 I used welcome pickups in Athens to and from the Ship/Airport. Excellent service both ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocdb8r Posted June 19 #9 Share Posted June 19 Are you spending any time in Athens ahead of the cruise? Agree with the best suggestion being to book a van/transit service. I ask if you'll be in town before as in the past we have arranged this with someone who also served as our driver while in Athens (and as such, then we also get their direct mobile AND discuss our specific pick up needs right at the port when they drop us off there). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCJack Posted June 19 #10 Share Posted June 19 We are on your cruise. American airlines moved our flight home on the 10th from 5:00 pm to 11:00 am, so we decided to spend another night and leave the following day at 11:00 am. . If they had moved to 12:30 like yours I think I would have kept Sept 10 departure. I would think you can make that. Note that Uber was not allowed in Greece up until a while ago. Now Uber has a pickup spot at the airport. There are some special rules.... perhaps only official taxi's can use uber app but not private cars... I am not sure about this I am not an expert . However the advantage of using the Uber app for a taxi is the price is set and paid through the app, avoiding the haggling with the taxi driver. Our plan is to use uber app. Good luck, we are looking forward to the trip! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redlock Posted June 19 #11 Share Posted June 19 18 minutes ago, CCJack said: We are on your cruise. American airlines moved our flight home on the 10th from 5:00 pm to 11:00 am, so we decided to spend another night and leave the following day at 11:00 am. . If they had moved to 12:30 like yours I think I would have kept Sept 10 departure. I would think you can make that. Note that Uber was not allowed in Greece up until a while ago. Now Uber has a pickup spot at the airport. There are some special rules.... perhaps only official taxi's can use uber app but not private cars... I am not sure about this I am not an expert . However the advantage of using the Uber app for a taxi is the price is set and paid through the app, avoiding the haggling with the taxi driver. Our plan is to use uber app. Good luck, we are looking forward to the trip! Have a look at the Welcome pickups app. They give you the price up front also. The driver monitors the arrival ship/plane and in the case of the airport, he waits in the arrival hall with your name held up. Very curious drivers who also insist on helping with luggage. Great service. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCJack Posted June 19 #12 Share Posted June 19 1 minute ago, redlock said: Have a look at the Welcome pickups app. They give you the price up front also. The driver monitors the arrival ship/plane and in the case of the airport, he waits in the arrival hall with your name held up. Very curious drivers who also insist on helping with luggage. Great service. Good suggestion, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
complawyer Posted June 19 #13 Share Posted June 19 we stayed overnight at the marriott, there were 3 of us, and we had the concierge arrange a taxi for us the next morning, no problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
complawyer Posted June 19 #14 Share Posted June 19 actually, (and my wife does this whenever we travel abroad) you can google a shuttle service, and arrange transportation directly from the pier to the airport, and choose whichever type of vehicle you need. there are usually taxis available at the pier, and some are larger than others, so you can pick the one that best serves your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted June 21 Author #15 Share Posted June 21 On 6/18/2024 at 9:49 PM, curmudgeon98 said: I've only been in Piraeus a couple of times; I just can't remember whether there were typically large van taxis around or not. If it were me, I would pre-book a car service (for a larger vehicle) to meet you at 9am and do self-debark. If you are ahead of the crowds waiting for their luggage, you should be through customs/immigration fairly quickly. If you are 20 minutes late, just tip your driver a bit extra. In general, I'd say Greece is a little more formal about security than some places, but not extremely so. They are closer to various problem corners of the world, but the cruise passenger routine is pretty well worked out. Politeness is always appreciated. Thank you for your advice on the car servce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted June 21 Author #16 Share Posted June 21 On 6/19/2024 at 1:00 AM, KeithJenner said: If the stated arrival time is 7am then you will be able to get off the ship at about 7am using self disembark. We'll be following the self-disembark advice and scheduling a car service pickup at 8am. We're using welcome pickups when we arrive in Athens to take us to our hotel, we'll speak to that driver about possibly picking us up after the cruise if they're available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted June 21 Author #17 Share Posted June 21 On 6/19/2024 at 10:58 AM, ocdb8r said: Are you spending any time in Athens ahead of the cruise? Agree with the best suggestion being to book a van/transit service. I ask if you'll be in town before as in the past we have arranged this with someone who also served as our driver while in Athens (and as such, then we also get their direct mobile AND discuss our specific pick up needs right at the port when they drop us off there). Yes, we're arriving on the previous Thursday to spend a few days before getting onto the cruise Sunday morning. we'll try to speak to our driver during those days to pick us up after the cruise. Getting their direct number is great advice. Thank you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted June 21 Author #18 Share Posted June 21 On 6/19/2024 at 12:09 PM, complawyer said: actually, (and my wife does this whenever we travel abroad) you can google a shuttle service, and arrange transportation directly from the pier to the airport, and choose whichever type of vehicle you need. there are usually taxis available at the pier, and some are larger than others, so you can pick the one that best serves your needs. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted June 21 Author #19 Share Posted June 21 On 6/19/2024 at 11:37 AM, redlock said: Have a look at the Welcome pickups app. They give you the price up front also. The driver monitors the arrival ship/plane and in the case of the airport, he waits in the arrival hall with your name held up. Very curious drivers who also insist on helping with luggage. Great service. Thank you Redlock. We'll be using welcomepickups when we first arrive in Athens to take us from the airport to our hotel. We'll most likely use them for getting to the airport after the cruise as we can arrange the larger van. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victory2020 Posted June 21 #20 Share Posted June 21 On 6/18/2024 at 1:34 PM, Kvnfla11 said: Hi Everyone, I could use your help on recommendations on how to best get to Athens airport after our Getaway cruise ends on September 1st. We're due to arrive at 7:00am in Pireaus and we have a 12:30pm flight on Air France departing Athens Airport. I know it was cutting it close (I got out voted) but I would love to hear your advice on how to arrive fastest with my sanity intact. 1 - NCL transfer service 2 - WelcomePickups service 3 - General Taxi Facts: I'm ok with paying extra to arrive quickly (no need to suggest public transport options), that is my priority vs costs. We are 4 adults with the accompanying baggage. 4 boats are expected to debark on September 1st but the Getaway is the only large ship, the other 3 being 1000, 600 and 200 pax. My Questions: Which option have you been successful in getting to the airport quickest/smoothest within the time constraints I have? How does the NCL transfer service work? Am I waiting for the bus to fill up before they leave or does it operate on a scheduled time of departure I can count on? Do you use self-disembarkation with this service or do they call you via a specific process/time? What type of time frame could we expect as far as arrival at the airport? I know this is subject to conditions, but what average times have you been able to disembark the ship via self-disembark? If it docks at 7:00am, could I expect(hope) to be off the boat by 8:30am or 9:00am? Earlier? Later? If WelcomePickups is the option, would a 9:00am scheduled pickup be safe? That could mean we could arrive at the airport by 10:00 or 10:30 depending on traffic. Is that a reasonable timeline? Is WelcomePickups pickup easier/quicker/smoother than a taxi? Is taking a general taxi a nightmare with everyone leaving the pier at the same time? What is the Athens check-in process like for a Europe based international flight? Is that Schengen? Does that work different? I don't mean to be needy with the 100 questions (ok 15) but as you can tell I might be a little OCD. Thank you very much! -Kevin I did an NCL transfer out of Southampton (1-5 - 2 hrs from LHR) for an 1150 am flight that they booked me on. I got a reservation on the first bus & made it with plenty of time through LHR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwingy Posted July 29 #21 Share Posted July 29 We are sailing next week with 10:30 am flight from Athens to Istanbul. It was the only option to get home to the West Coast and still make it back to work on Monday. We always do self-disembarkation and carry-on luggage. Pre-arranged a private transfer to make sure we are optimized for time. According to vesselfinder, Getaway arrived to Piraeus at 3:34 AM local time today, so hopefully they are on the same schedule next weekend and we can walk off the ship at 7 AM as posted. This is our >20th cruise, and worst case scenario we are ok to fly the day later if this plan does not work out, but it was worth a shot. I’ll report back on how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted July 29 #22 Share Posted July 29 11 hours ago, iwingy said: We are sailing next week with 10:30 am flight from Athens to Istanbul. It was the only option to get home to the West Coast and still make it back to work on Monday. We always do self-disembarkation and carry-on luggage. Pre-arranged a private transfer to make sure we are optimized for time. According to vesselfinder, Getaway arrived to Piraeus at 3:34 AM local time today, so hopefully they are on the same schedule next weekend and we can walk off the ship at 7 AM as posted. This is our >20th cruise, and worst case scenario we are ok to fly the day later if this plan does not work out, but it was worth a shot. I’ll report back on how it goes! Good luck. It’s about an hour from the port to the airport. I don’t think it is doable, but maybe you’ll be lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleBees45 Posted August 3 #23 Share Posted August 3 I used this company when I went on Jade last spring. https://www.premium-athens-transfer.com/ They were amazing, clean, and ontime! 12:30 flight is cutting it close! When I got to Athens, we arrived at 7am, but they didn't let anyone off until about 8, even for self-assist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvnfla11 Posted August 3 Author #24 Share Posted August 3 Thank you Applebees for the real world example of timing you experienced. If you did go to the airport after disembarking, do you remember how long it took to get to their after you were picked up?. I think we're cutting it close but should be ok if we can get off and into a car by 815-830. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Durden Posted August 3 #25 Share Posted August 3 I was on the Getaway that disembarked at Piraeus on June 25. The ship was scheduled to arrive by 5:30 AM, which it did, actually a little early, we were off the ship at about 7:15 (there was no security, other than a scanning of our cards). We met our driver and were at the airport by 8:15. Plenty of time to have a quick breakfast and get through security, we then had about an hour wait before we could board for our 10:40 flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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