ATLAirport Guide

Atlanta airport to Athens, Georgia: bus, rental car or shuttle

Greyhound's page lists a drop-off at ATL's Domestic Terminal and a fastest Athens trip of 1 hr 25 min. What ATL lists for rental cars, vans and car service.

The vaulted canopy over the ground transportation kerb at Atlanta airport at night, with the terminal front beyond.
Ground transportation canopy at Atlanta airport

Greyhound lists an Atlanta Airport stop on its Atlanta to Athens route. The route page gives the fastest trip as 1 hour 25 minutes. Fares start at $15.48 in its FAQ and $15.98 in its summary box. If you’d rather drive, the Rental Car Center is one SkyTrain ride from the Domestic Terminal, but neither ATL nor the bus pages publish a driving time to Athens.

Greyhound at the North lower level

ATL’s ground transportation page puts the Greyhound pickup on the North lower level, near Door LN1. Greyhound’s route page words the stop as a drop-off, on the lower-level North Terminal (Domestic) roadway next to the North Parking area, at 6000 N Terminal Dr. ATL lists Greyhound reservations at 1-800-231-2222.

Detail What the bus pages say
Athens stop Athens Transit Center (UGA), 775 E Broad St. The bus boards on Hickory Street next to the transit center.
Daily trips 4
Fare FlixBus’s page says fares change with demand, time of day and how far ahead you book.
Tickets Show the QR code from your confirmation email or the Greyhound app. You don’t print anything.
Bags Greyhound’s page: one carry-on (16x12x7 in, up to 25 lbs) and one checked bag at no extra cost. FlixBus’s page: a carry-on up to 7 kg and a checked bag up to 20 kg.
On board Greyhound’s page lists free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms, then adds “Onboard services are subject to availability.” FlixBus’s page says “Most of our buses have onboard Wifi.”
Mobility In its answer on reduced mobility, Greyhound’s page lists wheelchair lifts and spaces for mobility devices and recommends booking in advance.

Greyhound’s page puts the first Atlanta departure at 3:30 a.m. and the last at 8:35 p.m. It doesn’t say which stop those times belong to, and it doesn’t say which of the daily trips use the airport. Pick your trip in the booking tool and check the pickup stop on the ticket.

Landing on an international flight? ATL’s FAQ says a free shuttle at the Arrivals level of the International Terminal goes to the Domestic Terminal, and our International Terminal shuttle page has the stop on the Domestic Terminal side.

If the trip you want doesn’t board at the airport, Greyhound’s route page also lists two other Atlanta boarding points: the Atlanta Bus Station at 232 Forsyth St and the Atlanta Downtown (Civic Center) stop at 435 W Peachtree St NW. Our MARTA page has the airport station and the ride into the city.

Renting a car at the airport

ATL says the Rental Car Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From the Domestic Terminal, walk out of the west end under the covered walkway, take the escalator up and ride the SkyTrain. From the International Terminal, ATL’s ground transportation page lists a free shuttle to the Rental Car Center about every 15 minutes, picked up on the Arrivals level between doors A1 and A2. Our Rental Car Center guide has the companies, the International Terminal shuttle and the driving routes to the center.

ATL’s ground transportation page says the center houses 12 rental car brands, while ATL’s airport directory lists 13 companies there. The first page of the rental table on that ground transportation page, headed “Rentals” and “Phone Number”, lists these seven:

Brand Phone Number on ATL’s ground transportation page
Alamo (404) 530-2800
Avis (404) 763-6333
Budget (404) 530-3000
Dollar (866) 434-2226
Enterprise (404) 763-5220
Fox Rent a Car (770)-455-5515
Ace Rent a Car (866)-551-8267

Ask the company whether it takes a one-way rental and has an Athens branch before you book, because ATL’s page lists neither, and its directions end at the center. For any other brand, ask the company for its phone number. The bus pages put the route at 73 miles in their summary box and 74 miles in their FAQ.

Vans, car services and taxis

ATL’s regional shared-ride shuttles serve “areas outside of the five metro Atlanta counties and states bordering Georgia.” Some depart every 30 minutes to an hour and others run only with a reservation, so ATL recommends booking ahead. At the Domestic Terminal they pick up on Aisle B of the Ground Transportation Center, and the page puts Groome’s regional vans at stalls B9 and B10. At the International Terminal, where ATL calls the service limited, it puts the vans outside the arrivals level to the right of door A3.

The provider table on ATL’s ground transportation page, headed “Outside Georgia Shared-Ride Shuttles Providers List”, lists Groome for Auburn, Birmingham and Chattanooga. The page also points to a list of locations the regional shuttles serve (“For a list of locations, click here”). The shuttles serve “areas outside of the five metro Atlanta counties”, so look for Athens on that list.

A limousine or car service is the other choice. ATL says more than 200 companies provide limousine service to and from the airport “as well as to areas surrounding the Airport.” The page doesn’t name Athens, so ask a company whether it drives that far. ATL says all limousine service must be arranged in advance and that only permitted companies can pick up at the airport. At the Domestic Terminal, the page has your driver meet you inside near the atrium or curbside. It names the South lower level in one paragraph and the North or South lower level in another. At the International Terminal, the driver meets you inside at the Arrivals level or outside on the Arrival outer curb. Ask the company which level and door when you reserve.

ATL prints no fare to Athens for taxis or rideshare, and its taxi flat fares cover only Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead. Our taxi guide and Uber and Lyft guide have the pickup spots.

Sources