Yes, Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) (ATH) lets you smoke after security in indoor smoking lounges inside the boarding area, as well as at outdoor areas outside the terminal before security. This makes ATH one of the better Greek airports for smokers — you do not have to leave the secure zone for a cigarette.
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After Security (Airside)
ATH provides enclosed, air-conditioned smoking lounges in each airside area. Athens splits into three sealed boarding areas after passport control, so the lounge you can reach depends on the gate you are flying from:
- Extra-Schengen (A gates): a designated smoking lounge opposite gate A8. This covers passengers on flights outside the Schengen area — long-haul, UK, and other non-Schengen departures — and is the official smoking point for the A concourse.
- Intra-Schengen (B gates): the main smoking room sits between gates B12 and B13, a spacious sponsor-branded lounge (“Winston Lounge”) with air conditioning. A second designated smoking point serves the far end of the B concourse near gates B19–B21, handy just before baggage reclaim for arriving Schengen passengers.
- Satellite terminal (C-satellite): a smoking room near gate C34 in the satellite building, reached by the 300-metre underground link (with moving walkways) from the main terminal. The satellite handles extra jet-bridge stands for both Schengen and non-Schengen flights, so it is worth knowing this room exists if your gate is out there.
These are designated indoor rooms — Greek law bans general indoor smoking, so smoking is confined to these enclosed lounges and the open terminal itself stays smoke-free. The airport is explicit that the ventilated lounges are the only places to light up airside; exact gate placements can shift as the terminal is reconfigured, and a lounge is available in each of the three airside areas. All of them are free to use, with no ticket or membership required.
Smoking During an Athens Layover
Athens is one of the easiest airports in Europe for a smoke on a connection, because the lounges are airside. If you are transiting — for example between a Western Europe flight and a Middle East or long-haul departure — you do not have to exit and re-clear security to smoke. Head for the lounge that matches your onward gate: A8 for Extra-Schengen, B12–B13 for Intra-Schengen, or the C-satellite room. Passengers changing between Schengen and non-Schengen flights pass through passport control at ATH, so give yourself a few extra minutes if your smoke and your gate sit on opposite sides of that control point.
Before Security (Landside)
- Outdoor smoking areas on the departures level (Level 2) outside the main entrance, marked with ashtrays.
- Additional outdoor area on the arrivals level (Level 0) near the exit doors and taxi rank — easy access for arriving passengers.
- The open-air frontage between the terminal and the short-term parking is a popular spot, and a covered smoking booth stands outside the terminal for shelter in poor weather.
All landside areas are marked with ashtrays and bins.
Athens is the easiest Greek airport for smokers because of its indoor lounges; if you are flying on to the islands or the north, note that the smoking areas at Heraklion Airport (HER) and Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) are both outdoor-only before security, with no airside smoking.
For Greece airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our Greece smoking guide.