MALEV (www.malev.com)

This is the route I have used most often over the years. You fly Dublin to Budapest - Budapest to Athens. The times are very good as the flight gets in at 3.50pm. This gives you enough time to get the boat over to Aegina and be there for the evening. Also there is only an hour between flights in Budapest and as the airport is very small, it only takes a couple of minutes to get from your arrival gate to your departure gate. The times going back are good (4.30pm) and mean you will get home to Dublin by 9.00pm.

CZECH AIRLINES (www.czechairlines.com)

Flight times are fairly similar to Malev and I have traveled with Czech Airlines. However, I have found Malev more efficient and usually cheaper.

There are many flights from London to Athens and the prices are often very reasonable. I rarely go through London, usually because of the flight times and I like the convenience of the smaller airports. However, it is worth checking them out for yourself.

If your flight does not originate in Dublin, obviously you would need to check out the best flights/times yourself.

FROM ATHENS TO AEGINA

When you have collected your luggage in Athens airport and exited into the main hall, turn right. You will see signs for taxis, buses etc. Go to the E96 bus stop (the bus will have Piraeus written on the front). Just beyond that is a little ticket box where you can get your tickets, which are approximately 3 euro, and the buses run every 20 minutes. Traffic can be very busy in Athens so it is best not to waste any time and get on the first bus you can. The journey will last between one hour and one and a half hours and you get off at the last stop. When you get off the bus, head towards the sea and make your way onto the port. Turn left and walk up until you see the ticket desks of Hellenic Seaways and purchase your ticket there. All departures are on the hour so you'll know if you are going to make a particular hydrofoil or not. There is a covered seating area where you can wait if you are early. If you want to take the ferry, you will see the ferryboats before the hydrofoil and they will be clearly marked if they are going to Aegina.

Alternatively you can take a taxi from the airport. This costs around 30/35 euro but make sure you have ascertained the general price before you get in. Ask the driver to bring you to the port of Piraeus and tell him you are traveling to Aegina, so he can drop you near the ticket desk.

I am hoping that a number of people will travel together on the same flight (from Dublin) and if you would like to join us, I will give you the details. This may be advantageous as firstly, I will bring you directly to Aegina and secondly, the group can start getting to know each other immediately.

Bus Service
There is a regular bus service to all of the villages in Aegina and fares are very reasonable. The bus terminal is in Aegina town and none of the journeys are more 40 minutes. The bus to/from Aegina town/Perdika passes very close to Karapanou House (just a couple of minutes walk away).

Hydrofoil Service
There is hourly service from Aegina to the port of Piraeus in Athens. This takes 40 minutes and costs approximately 11 euro each way (slightly cheaper if you book a return). You can then take the Metro (5 minutes walk from the port) and within 20-30 minutes you can visit most of the 'sights' in Athens. The Hydrofoil (the Flying Dolphin or just the "Flying" as the greeks themselves call it) also have routes to Poros, Hydra, Ermioni, Spetses and Porto Heli. See www.hellenicseaways.gr for more information.