Ferry to Athens

You will find below all the needed information in order to organize your trip by ferry from/to Athens :
• Popular Routes • Book Online • Island-hopping • Day Trips • Travel Tips

In brief, Athens has three ports; Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrion. Piraeus is the largest port in Greece and connects the mainland with almost all islands located on the Aegean Sea.
Ferries from Athens reach the Cyclades, Crete, the Dodecanese, Saronic Islands, and the islands of the North Aegean.

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Athens is the largest city and capital of Greece. It has three ports: Piraeus Port (12 km from the city centre), Rafina Port (32 km from the city centre) and Lavrion Port (50 km from the city centre).
→ Read more about the ports of Athens

From these ports depart ferries that connect mainland Greece with the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.
Ferries to most destinations leave from Piraeus, however, there are routes that operate exclusively from Rafina and Lavrion. The majority of the non-seasonal routes (i.e. the routes that operate all year round) also depart from Piraeus.
During the tourist season, dozens of ships depart from the ports of Athens on a daily basis. Due to the increased passenger traffic, travelers should book their ferry tickets as early as possible.
Both conventional and high-speed ferries connect the Greek capital with the islands.

POPULAR ROUTES

Important note: Ferry schedules may vary every year. The itineraries for the summer season are announced by the companies and tickets are available from March. As soon as the schedules are officially announced they automatically appear on our booking engine and you will be able to proceed to your booking or check departure times and rates.

• Cyclades

Thousands of visitors setting off from Athens have an island of the Cyclades as their destination.
The vessels that operate routes to the Cyclades are both of the conventional and the high-speed type. Ferries that connect Athens with the Cyclades mainly belong to three companies: Blue Star and Seajets (Piraeus) and Golden Star (Rafina).
The frequency of routes and schedules increases during the high season. In the low season, crossings are more limited.
Most ferries from Athens depart from the port of Piraeus and connect the majority of the Cyclades with the capital of Greece. However, some destinations can only be reached from Rafina or Lavrion. Those include Andros, Kythnos, and Kea.
Highly Popular Destinations: Santorini | Mykonos | Paros | Naxos | Milos | Ios
Tranquil Destinations: Amorgos | Folegandros | Serifos | Sifnos | Kythnos | The Small Cyclades (Donoussa, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Koufonisia)

• Crete

The majestic Crete, the country's largest island, is connected with Athens daily via crossings conducted throughout the year. Extra itineraries are added in the high season.
Ferries from Athens reach Heraklion, Chania, and Siteia (Lassithi). Regardless of the destination, all ferries to Crete depart from the port of Piraeus.
Routes operated by conventional ferries are direct. On the other hand, some high-speed ferries also reach Heraklion, after stopping at some islands of the Cyclades first. Minoan Lines and Anek Superfast are the main companies that connect Athens with Crete.
More about: Heraklion | Chania | Lassithi

• Dodecanese

All islands of the Dodecanese are reachable via ferries from Athens (Piraeus).
Itineraries are available throughout the year and their frequency does not change significantly during summer.
Only conventional ferries travel to the Dodecanese Islands and the journey is quite long. Nonetheless, travelers can book a cabin and rest for as long as they want to.
Blue Star is the main company that operates the routes to the Dodecanese.
Famous Destinations: Rhodes and Kos
Serene Destinations: Astypalea | Patmos | Leros | Simi

• Saronic Islands

The Saronic Islands are highly loved, especially by the residents of Athens! That is because of their proximity to the city, which has established them as favorite getaway destinations for the people of the Greek capital.
Ferries from Athens to the Saronic Islands depart every day from the port of Piraeus. All crossings are short, yet the briefest journey is to Aegina (around an hour) and the longest is to Spetses (3 hours).
There are two main routes; the first stops at Aegina and Agistri, while the second includes Poros, Hydra, and Spetses.
Saronic Ferries, Alpha Lines, and Hellenic Seaways are the companies operating in the Argo-Saronic Gulf.
More about: Aegina | Hydra | Spetses | Poros | Agistri

• Northern Aegean Islands

Last but not least, ferries from Athens also reach some islands of the Northern Aegean. More specifically, Piraeus is connected with Chios, Samos, Ikaria, Lesvos, Lemnos, Fourni, Psara and Inousses year-round via conventional ferries.
Availability does not change significantly during the high season since the vessels reaching the island are large and can transfer hundreds of passengers and vehicles. At the same time, not that many people select them for summer (compared to the Cyclades or Crete, for example). Despite that, travelers are advised to book their tickets a month or two in advance anyway.
Routes to the Northern Aegean Islands are mainly operated by the Blue Star company.
More about : Chios | Samos | Ikaria | Lesvos | Lemnos | Fourni

You can find all the islands/ports connected to each of Athens' ports below. Note that these connections vary depending on the season and some are subject to change from year to year.

- Ferries from the port of Piraeus go to: Aegina, Port - Aegina, Ag. Marina - Aegina, Souvala - Ag.Eystratios - Agistri, Port - Amorgos, Aegiali - Amorgos, Katapola - Anafi - Antikythira - Astypalea - Chalki - Chios, Port - Chios, Mesta - Crete, Chania - Crete, Heraklio - Crete, Kissamos - Crete, Sitia - Donoussa - Folegandros - Fourni - Hermioni - Hydra - Ikaria, Ag.Kirikos - Ikaria, Evdilos - Ios - Inousses - Iraklia - Kalymnos - Karpathos, Diafani - Karpathos, Port - Kasos - Kastelorizo - Kavala - Kimolos - Kos, Port - Koufonisia - Kythira - Kythnos - Leros - Lesvos (Mitilini) - Limnos - Lipsi - Methana - Milos - Mykonos - Naxos - Nisyros - Paros - Patmos - Poros - Porto Heli - Psara - Rhodes - Samos, Karlovassi - Samos, Vathi - Santorini (Thira) - Schinoussa - Serifos - Sifnos - Sikinos - Spetses - Symi, Port - Syros - Thessaloniki - Tilos - Tinos.

- Ferries from the port of Rafina go to: Amorgos, Katapola - Andros - Crete, Heraklio - Crete, Rethymno - Folegandros - Ios - Koufonissi - Mykonos - Naxos - Paros - Santorini (Thira) - Sifnos - Sikinos - Syros - Thirassia - Tinos.

- Ferries from the port of Lavrion go to: Ag.Eystratios - Andros - Folegandros - Ios - Kavala - Kea - Kimolos - Kythnos - Limnos - Milos - Mykonos - Naxos - Paros - Sikinos - Syros - Tinos.
 

BOOK YOUR FERRY TICKETS

Book your tickets with us! Want to know Who Greeka is? Greeka is the most popular website about Greece that organizes holidays for thousands of people every year.
Our ferry service is rated 4.6/5 stars. Read customer's reviews!
Important note: Schedules for summer routes of most companies are officially announced in March.

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WHY BOOK TICKETS WITH GREEKA

We don't only sell tickets from/to Athens! We offer a Premium service and follow-up your trip, informing you about delays and any schedule changes and also propose the best possible alternatives.
We ensure you that all online transactions are safe and made through a secure server. Our goal is to offer you the best travel experience in Greece.

ISLAND HOPPING OPTIONS

As the years pass, more and more travelers opt for island-hopping, i.e. visiting different islands during your holiday. Piraeus Port connects Athens with almost all islands situated in the Aegean Sea, and most islands are connected with one another during summer thanks to the plentiful extra itineraries that companies add to their timetables to serve vacationers!
Save yourself time and energy! Booking a package comes with a stay in lovely accommodations, transportation, and transfers from/to the ports and/or airports. In other words, you do not need to worry about a thing; we organize your trip, and you simply enjoy it!

Island-Hopping Packages from Athens

WHERE TO GO FOR A DAY TRIP

Organizing a day trip to other islands by ferry from Athens is very common. In particular, the Saronic Islands are the best places to go for a day-trip when in Athens!
You can book your own ferry tickets to go and spend the day in Aegina, Poros, Hydra, or Spetses, or you can book a day tour/trip!

• Aegina
• Poros
• Hydra
• Spetses
• Agistri

TRAVEL TIPS

Travel tips to organize your ferry trip from Athens:

• • If you are traveling to the Greek Islands for the first time, we strongly recommend preferring the ferry over the plane to reach your destination. The seascape of the Aegean Sea is fantastic and the feeling of traversing over its waters is a unique experience!
   
• • If you plan on traveling to any island during the high season (June to mid-September), we suggest booking your tickets at your earliest convenience. Two (2) months in advance is okay for most islands. In the case of highly popular summer destinations like Santorini or Mykonos, though, booking your tickets 3-4 months in advance may be even safer.
   
• • If you travel during the high season, you must arrive at the port at least one hour before departure. You may even be requested to be at the port 1.5-2 hours before, especially if you take your car/motorbike with you. For that reason, we recommend staying flexible on the day you will be traveling.
   
• • Keep in mind that Piraeus is a large port with several gates, the distances between which are quite long. The gate of departure will be written on your ticket.
  Refer to our Piraeus Port Map to track your gate of departure before reaching the port.
  • In contrast to Piraeus, Rafina Port and Lavrion Port are small and have no gates.