Piraeus

Information about the Port of Piraeus

Piraeus is a natural port that has been operating since ancient times. The most important development works took place here in the late 18th century. The largest passenger port in Greece and one of the largest in Europe, is a historical connection point that serves 20 million passengers annually. The port has a significant strategic location: It connects the Greek mainland to the Aegean Islands and Crete and it also connects three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. As the busiest cargo port of Greece, it is connected to the Mediterranean, the Adriatic and the Black Sea, while as of 2021 it is connected to USA for freight transport.

The port of Piraeus has 10 departure and arrival gates to Greek destinations

The gates of the port of Piraeus

How to get to and from the port of Piraeus

It is advised to arrive at the port at least an hour early, as it is a big connecting point for many vehicles and passengers and traffic is almost always crazy. If you want to rent a car you can choose the Piraeus port as a pick-up or drop off point. It is important to know that there isn’t a public parking space in the area and the Municipality Police is very strict when giving parking tickets. You can go online and book a space in a private parking where, if you are an early booker, you will find many e-offers. Another way to move around is the flexible system of Public Transportation. You can get anywhere from the port of Piraeus by bus, railway, tram, trolleybus and suburban railway.
• There are 3 Metro Lines: The Green Line, also known as Line 1 has a starting and ending point at Piraeus. It is connected to the airport through the Blue Line. If you want to get to the airport, you get on the Green Line and get off at Monastiraki, the connection point of the Blue and Green Lines. The National Railway Station is on the Red Line, at Larissa Station stop. Take the Green Line from Piraeus and get off at Omonoia or Attiki, the connection stops for Red Line, and continue onto Larissa Station. The first train departure from Piraeus is at 05:00 and the last one at midnight.
• The X96 bus connects the Piraeus port to Athens International Airport and runs 24 hours a day.
• The tramway of Piraeus has 11 stops and currently runs from “Karaiskakis Stadium” to “Omiridou Skilitsi”. The stop close to the port of Piraeus is “Akti Poseidonos” and will soon be open to the public. Take the tram and within 30 minutes you can travel from the port to the beaches of South Attica.
• The suburban railway has many routes, with the most famous being Piraeus-Halkida. The journey lasts 2 hours and the train makes a stop in Athens. There is also a route from Piraeus to Athens International Airport. Services run hourly for both directions.
Feeling like using a taxi? You will find plenty of them, 24/7 and all year round at Piraeus.

Let's Ferry map about the port of Piraeus

What facilities you will find at the port?

Only passengers and vehicles that are going to embark or disembark are allowed within the area of the port. Here you will only find ticket kiosks where you can buy your last-minute pass to one of the boats. However, there are 4 passenger stations at the gates.

Akti Vasiliadi: Coffee shop, WC for the disabled, baby changing facilities, ticketing booths, air-conditioned waiting area.
Ietionas: Restaurant, coffee shop, luggage storage, air-conditioned waiting area.
Agios Dionysios: Coffee shop, WC for the disabled, air-conditioned waiting area.
Akti Tzelepi: Restaurant, coffee shop, luggage storage (Aristeidou str. 6, port of Piraeus), air-conditioned waiting area, baby toilet and changing facilities, tourists’ and passengers’ info office.

If you have some free time before boarding on a ferry and you have taken care of all the details of your trip, here are some ideas of what you can do around the port. There are many restaurants, fast-food shops, kiosks and mini markets that are open 24/7, souvenir shops, ATM, etc. As in all big ports, here too you will find plenty of accommodation options: Hotel rooms for all budgets as well as Airbnb rooms and apartments. So, there’s nothing to worry about if you happen to lose your ferry, you are in the third largest Greek city! If you like to walk, in 30 minutes you can get to Freatida, a glamorous neighbourhood with many sea-front shops and great views. You can otherwise take the metro and within 30 minutes get to the Acropolis and the historical area of Plaka.

All ferry routes from Piraeus

Here you will find all routes to and from Piraeus, as well as all ferry connections and ferry companies that serve these routes. It’s the best way to organize your trip!

How to travel by ferry from Piraeus to the Argosaronic Islands

All ferries from Piraeus to the Argosaronic islands depart from gate 8. You can travel to Aegina, Spetses, Hydra, Poros, Agistri, Ermioni and Porto Heli. The journey is short and you can choose to take a conventional boat where you can also transfer your vehicle, or travel with a flying dolphin. The companies operating to these destinations are Blue Star, Saronic Ferries and the ship of Agios Nektarios to Aegina.
There are many daily services to and from Argosaronic because it is close to the mainland. During summer, more routes are added.

How to travel by ferry from Piraeus to Crete

The port of Piraeus is connected to Crete at Souda, the port of Chania and Heraklion. During summer it is also connected to Rethymnon and Sitia. The departing gates are E2 for passengers and E3 mainly for vehicles. E6 and E7 are for passengers and vehicles travelling to Rethymnon. The ferries for Chania and Heraklion leave Piraeus every night and arrive in Crete at about 6 -7 o’clock in the morning. There are many offers and options for the ticket fares as well as student discounts. Discover the 3+1 offer for booking a family cabin, where the 4th person travels for free, look for car transfer discounts as well as the Seasmiles discount loyalty scheme. The ferry companies that will take you to beautiful Crete are Minoan Lines and Anek Lines. In the summer there are more routes added during the day.

How to travel by ferry from Piraeus to the Cyclades

There is no way you can miss the departing gate for the Cycladic complex, especially during the the summer. It’s the most crowded one.
The ships Blue Star Delos - Blue Star Naxos travel to Paros - Naxos - Ios – Santorini and Syros – Amorgos – Iraklia – Schinoussa – Koufonissia – Donoussa – Anafi – Astypalea. The departure and arrival gates are E6 (for passengers only) and E7 (for passengers and vehicles).
The ship Blue Star Paros travels to Syros – Tinos – Mykonos and departs from gate E6 (for passengers only) and gate E7 (for passengers and vehicles).
The ship Blue Star Chios travels to Syros – Mykonos – Ikaria – Fourni – Samos – Chios – Mytilene – Limnos – Kavala or Thessaloniki and leaves from gate E7.
Seajets boats Seajet2, Champion Jet 1, Andros Jet and Super Jet depart from gate E9 to the Cyclades.

How to travel by ferry from Piraeus to the Dodecanese

If you are travelling to the Dodecanese, you will board Blue Star 2 or Blue Star Patmos from gates Ε1 and Ε2. Choose your disembarkation island: Astypalea, Kalymnos, Karpathos (Diafani and Karpathos), Kasos, Kastellorizo, Kos, Lipsi, Leros, Nisyros, Patmos, Rhodes, Symi, Tilos, Chalki, Pserimos, they are all covered from this route. Have in mind that in some of these islands the connection during the winter is more frequent, while in some the route runs 2-3 times a week.

How to travel by ferry from Piraeus to the North Aegean

Are you planning a trip to Chios-Mytilene or Psara-Oinousses? Go to gate E2 and travel with Diagoras or Nisos Samos. You can also use the departure gates E9 or E10. Piraeus is connected to Agios Efstratios, Ikaria (Agios Kirikos and Evdilos), Lesvos (Mytilene), Limnos, Oinousses, Samos (Karlovasi and Vathy), Fourni, Chios and Psara.

How can I book ferry tickets to and from Piraeus?

At Let’s Ferry you can discover routes, offers, all the latest news and ferry tickets to all destinations. Buy your ticket online today and check-in online to avoid waiting in long queues. It’s Greece’s main port, the one so many songs and books have been written about. It’s the largest passenger port in Europe and an important spot for Mediterranean cruise boats. Discover the busy harbour and its surrounding beauties with cheap ferry tickets to Piraeus with Let’s Ferry.

Best attractions

Piraeus is an urban centre carrying a long and fascinating history. Learn all about it by visiting the Hellenic Maritime Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the Electrical Railway Museum. Walk around the city and visit the Municipal Theatre, the Veakeio Theatre with its stunning views, the Municipal Library, and many more. Each one holds a secret story of the city. There are two caves in the area. The Cave of Paraskevas, also known as Siraggio, would host music concerts back in the 90s. The second one is the Cave of Aretousa in Kastella. The historical centre of Athens is only 10 km away from the port. Get the chance to visit some world-famous attractions like the Acropolis, the Roman Forum and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Best beaches

There is a fully organized beach in Kastella, called Votsalakia: Sunbeds, a café, a restaurant, a tennis court and an open-air cinema invite you for an all-day stay. Explore the long coastline in the south side of the region. Glyfada, Varkiza, Voula and Kavouri are some of the most known beaches in the area. You can also find several water sports facilities. Swimming at the healing waters of Lake Vouliagmeni is a unique revitalizing experience.

Best activities

Canoe at the canal of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. It’s a real gem attracting Athenians all year-round, where apart from cultural events you can go for a walk or a bike ride. Become a sea expert at the Piraeus Sailing Club in Akti Koumoundourou. Choose a diving school of the area and book some lessons or even get your diving certification. If there is plenty of free time try windsurf at the beach of Agios Kosmas, 12 km away from the port.