Originally Posted by
HiroshimaFlyer
Coming into Athens, my girlfriend and I have had a slight schedule change with a new arrival from IST at 12:00 and a departure for FCO at 15:25.
Assuming flights are on time, do we have time to get out of the airport, see the Parthenon / Acropolis and take a couple of snaps and get back to the airport with time to spare? How much of a horrible rush would this be?
(IST - ATH in economy, ATH - FCO in business. Not sure if this makes a difference)
Assuming, as you say, no delays, the simple answer is, unfortunately, no. Total travel time by train, return, would be around 2 hours (2x 40 min, plus time needed to change trains), plus waiting time for trains from/to the airport and tickets (Acropolis and train), plus walking ~750 m uphill and back, plus climbing up to the Parthenon and backdown... Absolutely impossible!
It could be done, marginally, by taxi (especially when arranging for the cab to wait for you at the Acropolis and bring you back to ATH), but the traffic in Athens would bring you very close to a heart attack/stroke worrying about making your next flight.
I'd wait for a next time with a visit to the Acropolis...