Greek ferries: routes, ports, prices and how to book

There is no national ferry company. Routes are run by private operators, often several on the same line, each with its own timetable and fares — which is why comparison sites exist and why the ticket office at the port rarely knows about the rival across the quay.

The big names. Attica Group owns Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and ANEK, the backbone of conventional sailings from Piraeus to the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and Crete. Seajets runs most of the high-speed catamarans in the Cyclades and to Crete. Minoan Lines sails overnight between Piraeus and Heraklion. Fast Ferries and Golden Star work out of Rafina. In the west, Levante crosses from Kyllini to Zakynthos and Kefalonia and Kerkyra Lines from Igoumenitsa to Corfu; ANETH shuttles to Thassos; Dodekanisos Seaways links Rhodes, Symi and Kos; Aegean Flying Dolphins serves the Sporades and the Saronic islands.

Conventional or high-speed. A conventional ferry is a big ship with decks, cafés, cabins on the long lines and a car garage. It is slower, cheaper and far steadier in wind. High-speed catamarans cut hours off a crossing — Piraeus to Santorini can take about 5 hours instead of 11 or more — but cost more, keep you in an assigned indoor seat, and are the first boats cancelled when the wind rises. If you are prone to seasickness, choose the big ship.

Seats and cabins. "Deck" (economy) gets you aboard with any free seat in the lounges; an allocated seat or an airline-style seat costs a little more; cabins matter only on overnight routes such as Piraeus–Heraklion. Cars travel on most conventional ferries and many large catamarans; car spaces are limited and sell out long before passenger places in July and August.

Piraeus is the big one: ships to every island group except the Ionian and the Sporades leave from here. It is also a sprawling port with numbered gates along a long waterfront — typically E1 for the Dodecanese, E2/E3 for Crete, E6/E7 for the Cyclades and E8/E9 for the Saronic islands, but gates change, so check the gate printed on your ticket and allow time to walk between them. From the airport the X96 express bus runs 24/7 to Piraeus in about 90 minutes for €5.50; from central Athens the metro is the easy option.

Rafina, on the east coast, is much closer to the airport — about 30 minutes by KTEL bus — and is the smart choice for the northern and central Cyclades: Andros, Tinos, Mykonos and, in summer, Naxos and Paros. Fast Ferries and Golden Star sail from here.

Lavrio, further south, serves Kea, Kythnos and some Cyclades and North Aegean lines. Useful mainly if your island is on its short list. Full detail, with island ports too, is on our ports guide.

Book online with the operator or through a comparison site; either way you get an e-ticket. On most lines that is all you need, but check whether your operator wants you to check in online — Blue Star opens web check-in from 48 hours to 2 hours before departure. Carry the e-ticket on your phone and the ID card or passport of every passenger; the name on the ticket must match.

Arrive early. As a rule of thumb, be at the port 30–60 minutes before departure on foot and at least an hour with a car, which is loaded first and by the crew's order. Ships in high season do not wait, and a late car is simply left on the quay.

When to book. Outside July and August, a few days ahead is usually fine for foot passengers. For cars, cabins and any sailing around 15 August (the Dormition, the peak of Greek domestic travel) and Orthodox Easter (2 May in 2027), book weeks ahead — those sailings sell out. For small, less-served islands such as Folegandros, book the only convenient boat as soon as your dates are fixed.

The meltemi is the strong, dry north wind of the Aegean summer. It typically blows from mid-May to mid-September, peaks in July and August, is strongest in the afternoon and hits the Cyclades hardest. The Ionian islands are largely sheltered from it.

When winds reach around Beaufort 8, the coast guard can ban sailings; high-speed craft are stopped earlier, at lower wind speeds. Bans are announced at short notice — there was one as recently as 31 July 2026 — and the operator moves you to the next available sailing or refunds you.

The practical answer is simple: never schedule a ferry for the day of your flight home. Get back to Athens, or to an island with an airport, at least one day before an international flight. On a multi-island trip in July or August, prefer conventional ships on exposed crossings and keep one flexible day in the plan.