How to Find Cheap Flights to Greece

The Short Answer

Fly in April, May, or November for the cheapest fares. Book 6-8 weeks ahead. Athens is your cheapest entry point. Look at connecting through European hubs like Istanbul, Rome, or Frankfurt. Round-trip fares under $500 from the East Coast are common outside of summer.

When to Fly for the Lowest Fares

Cheapest Months

April and May are consistently the cheapest months to fly to Greece from the United States. Fares average $100-250 less than summer pricing. Bonus: the weather is already warm, the wildflowers are insane, and you won't be fighting cruise ship crowds on Santorini.

Shoulder Season Sweet Spot

Late September through October is the other golden window. Summer crowds have thinned, the Aegean is still warm enough for swimming, and fares drop sharply once European school holidays end. Shoulder season fares from New York to Athens typically run $450-600 round-trip.

When to Avoid

June through August is peak season. Everyone wants Greece in summer, and airlines know it. Fares spike to $800-1,200+ from the US. If summer is your only option, book 3-4 months ahead and fly midweek. Also avoid Easter week, which is a major Greek holiday and drives prices up.

The Best Airports to Fly Into

Athens (ATH) - Cheapest and Most Connected

Athens Eleftherios Venizelos is far and away the cheapest airport to fly into from the US. It has the most nonstop options, including flights on Delta, United, and Emirates. Average round-trip fares from major US cities sit around $450-650 outside of summer. This is also your best jumping-off point for the islands.

Thessaloniki (SKG) - The Northern Alternative

Greece's second city is cheaper to explore once you're there, and fares through European connections can be competitive with Athens. If you're heading to Halkidiki, Meteora, or northern Greece, flying into Thessaloniki saves you a domestic connection. Flights within Greece between Athens and Thessaloniki run as low as $27 one-way.

Island Airports - Mykonos, Santorini, Crete

Mykonos (JMK) and Santorini (JTR) have seasonal direct flights from some European cities, but no nonstop options from the US. Your cheapest path is always to fly into Athens and connect domestically. Crete's Heraklion (HER) airport has more European connections and is worth checking for through-fares if your goal is the largest Greek island.

Airlines and Routes That Save You Money

Nonstop from the US

Only a handful of airlines fly nonstop from the US to Greece:

• Delta - New York JFK to Athens, seasonal (typically May-October)
• United - Newark to Athens, seasonal, with fares from around $615
• Emirates - New York JFK to Athens via Dubai (technically a connection, but excellent service and competitive pricing)

Best Connecting Routes

The real deals are often on connecting itineraries:

• Turkish Airlines - Through Istanbul. Consistently among the cheapest options to Athens and Thessaloniki. Their service is excellent even in economy
• TAP Air Portugal - Through Lisbon. TAP runs aggressive sales to Athens and fares dip below $400 round-trip during promotions
• Air France/KLM - Through Paris or Amsterdam. Reliable and often competitive on pricing
• Lufthansa Group - Through Frankfurt or Munich. Good for connecting to smaller Greek airports beyond Athens
• Aegean Airlines - Greece's flag carrier. Partners with Star Alliance carriers for connections. Once in Athens, Aegean's domestic network is the best for reaching the islands

European Budget Carriers for Island Hopping

Once you're in Europe, budget carriers open up cheap routes to Greek islands:

• Ryanair - Flies to Athens, Thessaloniki, and several island airports from cities across Europe
• Wizz Air - Competitive fares to Athens and Thessaloniki from Central and Eastern European cities
• Volotea - Excellent for inter-island flights within Greece at low prices

Search Strategy for the Best Deals

Use Google Flights Date Grid

Search for your origin to Athens, then use the date grid or calendar view to spot the cheapest departure and return combinations. The price difference between a Wednesday departure and a Saturday departure can be $150+.

Check Momondo

Momondo frequently surfaces fares that other search engines miss, particularly from Turkish Airlines and Aegean. Fares to Greece from the US have been found starting at $224 on Momondo.

Set Up Multiple Alerts

Set fare alerts on Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights). Greece error fares and flash sales pop up regularly, but they disappear fast. Having alerts on multiple platforms increases your chances of catching them.

Book on Sunday

Data suggests that Sunday is one of the cheapest days to book flights to Greece, with savings of 6-13% compared to booking on a Friday. It's not a massive difference, but every bit helps on a transatlantic fare.

Booking Timing

For off-season and shoulder season flights, 45-60 days before departure is the sweet spot. For peak summer, push that to 3-4 months. If you see a fare under $450 round-trip to Athens from the East Coast, grab it. Those prices don't last.

Island-Hopping Strategy

Here's how to do Greece's islands without destroying your budget:

• Fly into Athens, island-hop by ferry - Ferries are dramatically cheaper than flights between islands. Blue Star Ferries and SeaJets connect dozens of islands. Book ferry tickets on Ferryhopper.com
• Pick one island group - The Cyclades (Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros) and the Dodecanese (Rhodes, Kos) are separate clusters. Hopping between groups is expensive and time-consuming
• Consider Crete as a base - Crete is big enough for a full trip. Fly into Heraklion, explore for a week, and take a quick ferry to Santorini if you want the iconic views
• Fly one-way back from an island - Open-jaw itineraries (fly into Athens, fly home from Santorini or Mykonos via a European hub) can be the same price as a round-trip to Athens and save you the backtracking

Advanced Money-Saving Moves

• Open-jaw itineraries - Fly into Athens and out of Thessaloniki (or an island with European connections). Avoid backtracking and potentially save money
• Position to a gateway city - Cheap domestic fares to New York or Washington DC plus a budget transatlantic fare can beat a direct itinerary from smaller US airports
• Use Turkish Airlines miles - Transfer Citi ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles. Award flights to Greece through Istanbul are excellent value
• Book domestic Greek flights on Aegean - Aegean's island flights are cheapest booked 3-4 weeks ahead. Their website shows prices in euros, which sometimes works in your favor
• Avoid Mykonos and Santorini in July-August - Not just for pricing, but these islands are genuinely overcrowded. Naxos, Milos, and Paros offer similar beauty at half the cost of getting there

What to Watch Out For

Greece requires the ETIAS travel authorization for US citizens, similar to other Schengen countries. It's quick and cheap to get, but don't forget it.

Also, be careful with connecting times at European hubs. If you're connecting through Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, Ataturk's replacement airport (IST) is enormous. Allow at least 90 minutes for connections. At Athens itself, the airport is modern and efficient, but immigration lines can be long during peak summer arrivals.

One more thing: ferry schedules between Greek islands are seasonal. Many routes only run from April through October. If you're planning an off-season island trip, check ferry availability before booking your flights.

Getting Around Greece Cheaply Once You Arrive

Athens' metro connects the airport to the city center in about 40 minutes for around 9 euros. From Athens, your two main options for reaching the islands are domestic flights and ferries.

Aegean Airlines and Sky Express operate domestic flights to most major islands. Booked 3-4 weeks ahead, one-way fares run $30-80 to popular destinations like Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete. Same-week bookings can be double that.

Ferries are cheaper and more scenic. Blue Star Ferries runs the most routes, with tickets from Piraeus (Athens' port) to Santorini costing around 40-60 euros for a deck seat. The trip takes 5-8 hours depending on the vessel. High-speed ferries cut the time roughly in half but cost more. Book ferry tickets on Ferryhopper.com or DirectFerries.com for the best comparison of routes, times, and prices.