Ports of Athens

If you are traveling to the Greek Islands by ferry, your crossing will probably start at one of three ports of Athens: Piraeus, Rafina, or Lavrio.
Discover mor info about the ports of Athens:
• All Ports • Piraeus Port • Rafina Port • Lavrion Port

In brief, Piraeus port is the closest to Athens center, while Rafina and Lavrio ports are closer to the International Airport of Athens.
Piraeus is the busiest port, serving ferries to most destinations, but some travelers prefer the more peaceful ports of Rafina which offer quicker routes to some islands (Mykonos, Andros, Tinos, Naxos), or Lavrio which offer exlusive routes to islands like Kea.
Book your ferry tickets with the specialists!

Athens Ports

Discover an illustrated map with the ports of Athens and information about how to get there from Athens' center and the International Airport.

Piraeus port

Piraeus Port

Piraeus (port code: GRPIR) is the largest passenger port in Greece, with a passenger traffic of almost 18 million people annually. Ferries from Piraeus offer connections to all islands of the Aegean, including the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the Saronic, the North Aegean islands and Crete.

It is located 12 km away from Athens city center and bears a great significance as a commercial and political center. In fact, the port of Piraeus dates back to Antiquity and was established around the 5th century BC, although it has been destroyed, abandoned and rebuilt more than once due to various wars.

These days it serves as a modern port, with a variety of renovated facilities and with many things to do in the area before your departure. Piraeus port congestion increases each summer during the tourist season.

• How to go to Piraeus port?

Piraeus is the largest port in Greece, with daily sailings to all Aegean Island groups - the Cyclades and Dodecanese complexes, Saronic islands, the North Aegean islands, and Crete. The port is a hub for the leading ferry companies operating in the Aegean including Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, Seajets, Minoan Lines, and more.
Several options are available to occupy your time while waiting for your connection, including the Archaeological Museum and the Bay of Zea, which hosts waterfront tavernas and an attractive marina that emits a relaxed aura.

From Athens center

By taxi: The drive to Piraeus port from the center of Athens by taxi takes 25 minutes and costs around 25 euros. You can also book a taxi online.

By metro: Two metro lines connect to Piraeus Port: the Green Line from Omonoia and Monastiraki and the Blue Line from Syntagma and Monastiraki. In Piraeus, the metro station lies right in front of the harbor. That is the only port in Athens that can be reached via the metro. The metro operates from 5:30 am to 12:20 am; however, on Fridays and Saturdays, it is open until 1:30 am. A typical metro route starting from Syntagma lasts for roughly 25 minutes. Every 10 minutes (maximum time), subways to Piraeus depart from all metro stations.
Tickets cost 1.20 euros.
Learn more about the metro network of Athens.

By bus: Several bus lines can take you to Piraeus port or to a location nearby. They are only available during the daytime.
- 040 from Syntagma to Korai Square (reach the port on foot in 10 minutes). You have to get off at the Filellinon stop.
- 049 from Omonoia to Korai Square. You need to stop at Terpsitheas.
Both bus stops are approximately a 10-minute walk from the closer gate (E9). Buses depart from Omonoia/Syntagma every 15 or 20 minutes.
- X80 Express (seasonal availability) from Syntagma, Acropolis Museum or Museum of Modern Art to OLP station or terminal.
- 826, 832, 833, 875 from Suburban and Electric Railways to Gate E9.
- 218 from Karaiskaki Square near Omonoia to Piraeus
In Greece, buses typically operate from 5 am to 11:30 pm, but bus 040 from Syntagma to Piraeus operates continuously (24 hours).
Tickets cost 1.20 euros and can be used more than once in all public means of transport, as long as you don't exceed the 90' time limit. Day passes are also available. Keep in mind that different prices apply when going to/leaving from the airport. Children under the age of 6 travel for free in all means of public transport.
Make sure to be aware of the gate your ferry departs from because the port of Piraeus is large and boasts numerous gates.

From Athens airport

By taxi: There are taxi queues outside all gates of the airport. A taxi ride from the airport to Piraeus port will take approximately 40-60 minutes, depending on the traffic. The taxi fare (indicative) from Athens airport to the port of Piraeus is 45 euros in the daytime and 64 euros at night (24:00-05:00). You can book your Athens airport transfer online.

By metro: The metro connects the airport to the port with a direct line. The metro station is located right outside the airport. You board the blue line, the terminal of which lies right by the Piraeus harbor. The first metro train leaves the airport at 6:10 am, while the last at 23:34 pm. Itineraries from the airport depart every 36 minutes. The entire trip lasts around an hour. The ticket costs 9 euros (one-way).
When you arrive at Piraeus, be sure to locate the gate your ferry departs from, as the port’s area is quite wide.

By train: From the Athens Airport station (adjacent to the airport terminal) the Athens Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) operates a direct service between the Athens International Airport and Piraeus port. The journey takes 60 minutes and the ticket costs 9 euros (one-way).

By bus: The bus is the most affordable option. Bus X96 covers the route from Athens airport to Piraeus port directly. Buses operate 24 hours and the drive takes about 90 minutes. Itineraries depart every 40 minutes during the day and every 15-30 minutes from 22:30 pm to 05:00 am.
Ticket price: 5 euros. (can only be used once).

• Port gates

Piraeus is a big port and the distance between the gates is long; it can take 1 hour to go from one side of the port to the other!
For this reason, there is a shuttle bus inside the port that will allow you to reach some remote spots and it is free of charge for ferry passengers.
Its route: Railway Terminal - Ag. Dionissios 1: Hellenic Railway - Ag. Dionissios 2 - Ietion 1 - Ietion 2 - Dexamenes - Ministry of Mercantile Marine - Vassiliadis 1: Customs - Vassiliadis 2 - Terminal.
The port gates are listed below, although the gate where your ferry departs from will also be indicated on your ticket.

E1: Dodecanese
Ε2: Crete, Chios, Lesvos, Ikaria, Samos
Ε3: Crete, Kythira (Cars - entrance)
Ε4: Kythira (Cars - exit only)
Ε5: Shuttle bus terminal - Passenger entrance
Ε6: Cyclades, Rethymno - Pedestrian Bridge - Passenger entrance
Ε7: Cyclades, Rethymno
Ε8: Argo-Saronic Gulf islands
Ε9: Cyclades, Samos, Ikaria
Ε10: Cyclades, Samos, Ikaria (Cars - exit only)
E11: Cruise Terminal A "Miaoulis"
E 12: Cruise Terminal B "Themistocles"
Cruise boats: Terminal C "Alkimos"

• Map of Piraeus

Discover the map of the port of Piraeus. The ferry gates, the metro and bus stations, the walking distances and more.

• Facilities at Piraeus port

- Passenger terminals: There are 3 passenger terminals with air-conditioned waiting rooms, refreshment rooms and restrooms.
- Shuttle bus: Free shuttle bus connecting the different areas of the port.
- Parking: 130 parking spaces near Terminal 4 and Cruise Terminal B.
- Toilets: All the terminals have toilet facilities with additional toilets at Terminals 3,4 and 5.
- ATM: ATM near Terminal 4 and Terminal 9.
- Currency Exchange: Currency exchanges are available near Terminal 4.
- Luggage lockers: Luggage lockers are located at Terminal 2.
- Tourist information: The tourist information desk is situated at Terminal 4.
- Taxi ranks: Taxi ranks are located at every passenger terminal.

• Routes from Piraeus Port

There are sailings from Piraeus port to the following destinations:
- Crete: Heraklion, Chania, Rethymno, Sitia, Kissamos.
- Peloponnese: Kyhtira, Antikythira, Porto Heli.
- North Aegean: Chios, Lesvos (Mytilene), Psara, Ikaria (Evdilos, Agios Kirikos) Fournoi, Samos (Karlovasi, Vathi).
- Saronic: Aegina (Aegina town, Souvala, Agia Marina), Agistri (Skala, Myli), Poros, Hydra, Spetses, Ermioni, Methana.
- Dodecanese: Astypalea, Halki, Karpathos (Karpathos town, Diafani), Kalymnos, Kasos, Kastelorizo, Kos, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros, Patmos, Rhosdes, Symi, Tilos.
- Cyclades: Amorgos (Aigiali, Katapola), Anafi, Donousa, Folegandros, Ios, Iraklia, Kimolos, Koufonissi, Kythnos, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Schinoussa, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros, Santorini (Thira), Thirassia, Tinos.

You can check all schedules on our Ferry Booking engine.
For information regarding arrivals and departures you can call the 24-hour telephone information service 14541.

Ferries to the Cyclades: E6, E7, E9 and E10
Ferries to Crete: Heraklion: E2, E3, Chania and Rethymo: E6, E7
Ferries to Dodecanese Islands: E1
Ferries to Argo-Saronic Gulf islands: E8
Ferries to North Aegean islands: E2, E9, E10

Depending on your destination, there may conventional and/or high-speed ferries available, which are provided by the following companies: Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, Saronic Ferries, Zante Ferries, ANES Ferries, Superfast Ferries, Seaspeed Ferries, Alphalines and Aegean Flying Dolphins.

• Contact info

Piraeus Port Address: 10 Akti Miaouli, Piraeus 185 38, Greece
Phone: +30 210 4550225 (Piraeus Port Authority: +30 210 4147800)
24-hour telephone information service: 14541 (landline cost: €0.92, mobile line €1.55 /call)
Website: www.olp.gr
Email: olp@apopsinet.gr
Piraeus tourist police: +30 210 4290664
Athens/Piraeus public transport info: +30 214 4146400

• What to do in the area

If you have some free time to spend in the area near Piraeus port, restaurants, bars and cafes can be found within a short distance.
Piraeus also offers several landmarks, places of interest and monuments worth visiting, including the Municipal Theater, the churches of Agia Triada, Agios Vasilios and Agios Nikolas, the Archeological and Maritime museums, the Municipal Gallery, the historic Castella neighborhood, the Ancient Walls, the yacht port Zea (Pasalimani), the picturesque harbor Mikrolimano or the commercial street Sotiros.
There are also two beaches in this area, Votsalakia and the Beach of Freatida. Swimming is not really recommended due to pollution, but you can spend some time sunbathing and enjoying the view.
If you have to spend the night there, there are several hotels, while tourist buses offer tours to all these landmarks and will keep you busy for many hours.

• Hotels

Some of the best hotels are Piraeus Premium Suites and Theoxenia. View a complete list of selected hotels.

Rafina port

Rafina (port code: GRRAF) is the second largest port in the region of Attica and it lies 32 km from Athens, serving approximately 2 million passengers per year.
Many popular destinations can be reached by high-speed or conventional ferries from there, including the Cyclades, a few Eastern Aegean islands and Crete.
Although it gets quite busy during the summer season, traffic is never as much as it is in the area of Piraeus port. Rafina has a much smaller size and less noise compared to Piraeus port and another reason many passengers choose to depart from there is that it is located relatively close to the airport. It is also located closer to the northern Cyclades than Piraeus port.
In addition to the passenger ferries, it is used as a fishing port as well.
The area around the port offers a few beaches and convenient tourist facilities, including family-owned seafood restaurants.
The first settlements in the area of Rafina date back to Prehistoric times and a few archeological monuments can still be found in the region.

• How to go to Rafina port?

Rafina port is situated close to Athens airport and it can also be reached from the city center. Taxis and cars are among the options, while Athens city center is also connected to the port via public bus. Alternatively, KTEL buses are available for your transfer from Athens city or Athens airport to the port of Rafina and they are the cheapest option after the public bus.

From the Athens center

By taxi: A taxi to Rafina port from the center of Athens takes 1 hour and 15 minutes and costs around 50 euros in the daytime and 65 euros at night (24:00-05:00). You can book your taxi online.

By bus: There is a public bus network (KTEL) that runs between Athens (outside the metro station "Nomismatokopio") and Rafina port. There is also a departure from the station at Pedion tou Areos, a few blocks away from Viktoria Metro Station (Green Line, Electric Railway).The journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes and tickets cost 2.40 euros (one-way). Trips are scheduled once per hour.
There is also the bus 134 (direction: Rafina), outside the metro station Doukissis Plakentias (Blue Line). The bus ride lasts about 1 hour. There is approximately one bus per hour from 05:15 (on Sundays 07:30) to 22:15. A single ticket costs €1.20.

By car: The port of Rafina can be reached by car via Marathonos Avenue or via Attiki Odos (Α6), direction: Markopoulo (E94 route), at Rafina Exit (16R).