Early morning 5am flight to Santorini - hotel for half day in Athens

Option 2 ... and if you have a hotel anywhere near Syntagma Square, you don't have to spend €60 for an night rate taxi. The X95 bus leaves from upper RH corner of Syntagma (as you face the Palace from the lower side)... every 30 minutes all night. It takes just under an hour ... the times are on a sign by the kiosk. In the wee hours you pay ON the bus; it's I think €6 now.

Cheaper hotels just off the lower side of Syntagma include PAN and ARETHUSA ... they are not on booking.com but u could contact them direct ... at this stage of the game you might have to place a phone call direct, too late to e-mail, unless their websites show availability (TIP: when a hotel is full for your date & u email a query they don't bother to answer sometimes).
If you use this clever link - http://tinyurl.com/heq6edp -- it shows all the booking.com hotels available for June 12 that are in central area near acropolis (TIP: click any hotel & click on the google map and you'll see ALL available, w. prices beside each one) the cheapest ones I see that area walkable to the X95 bus are ACROPOLIS HOUSE @ $125 (I've stayed there and it was OK but for €75 in May) ... and someplace called Xenofontos Inn @ €89 nonrefundable ... never heard of it but looks good & certainly convenient.

The Avra Hotel in Rafina has a free shuttle to and from the airport and the earliest is at 3.00 in the morning. You have to book it in advance but it is reliable and the trip takes 30 minutes.

You can get to Rafina for lunch, swim on the town beach, have an early supper and be sure to be at the airport on time. Details here

http://www.hotelavra.gr/uploads/editorfiles/files/avra_hotel_shuttle_bus.pdf

Alan

Alan, assuming he doesn't want to do any sightseeing, that is a SUPER answer. I didn't know the AVRA had a shuttle that early -- I am bookmarking it with a STAR.

Janet

Yes, we flew in and then on to Thessaloniki a couple of weeks ago and used it both ways. It was very efficient and reliable.

I think you've mentioned the Peri in the past, which we also used once and liked. The advantage of the Avra is that Rafina isa bit more lively and has a wider choice of eating places.

Alan

Thank you Janet for the advice on X95, I was not aware run all night! Will check the Syntagma Square hotels, thanks for the link!
Alan, thanks for sharing the info on Avra! . I like the idea of being able to swim in the sea ....It is a great option, but I wonder( as I plan to do some sightseeing ) if getting from airport to the hotel, than to city and back might take extra time, compare to going straight to city center and back to airport at night... ? Is there a shuttle to Avra from the airport as well? How can I arrange it to pick me up?

Should I come to airport an hour before my flight for Santorini departure or earlier?

Irbis

No, if you want to sightsee then Janet’s is definitely the better option. Rafina is over an hour from Athens by bus.

An hour before flight time is enough for an internal flight.

Have you checked, or does anyone here know, whether the left luggage at the airport is open 24 hours a day? I’ve never used it myself.

Alan

Alan, it says on website 24hours and it is "automatic" meaning no attendant. That creates extra variable so I might change my original plan and take luggage with me to Santorini if I will run into the problems with storage. I was told it is a smal airplane and was advised agains taking a luggage due to problems with checking it in....http://www.care4bag.gr/baggage_storage.html
I might start a separate tread and ask this specific question

Hi Sati, thank you for clarifying! I was advised by my friends who traveled some time ago, that is why I descided to ask here. How was your experience with baggage storage facility?