Greece › Greek Ferries › Santorini to Athens (Piraeus)
By Santorini Dave
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Ferries at the Athinios Ferry Port in Santorini. All ferries to and from Santorini use this port. The ferry port is 20-minutes by bus or taxi from Fira (Santorini’s largest town). Tickets can purchased at the port but it’s much better to buy ferry tickets in advance.
Ferries from Santorini to Athens (Piraeus)
The Piraeus Ferry Port (30 minutes by metro or taxi from central Athens) is a 4.5 to 6-hour ferry ride from Santorini by the fastest highspeed ferries and catamarans, and 7 to 9 hours (or more) by the slower car ferries and overnight ferries. Most ferries from Santorini to Piraeus also stop in Naxos and Paros en route. Some ferries will stop in Ios, Mykonos, Foledandros, Milos, Sifnos, and Serifos. In high season (May to October) there will be 4 to 7 ferries per day to Athens. Ferries from Athens to Santorini have a similar frequency but usually run earlier in the day. In low season there will always be at least one ferry per day. There are multiple flights per day from Santorini to Athens year-round.
• How to buy ferry tickets: Ferryhopper.com
• Best seats: I recommend Business or VIP if available (nicer seats in a more relaxed setting)
• When to book tickets: 2 to 3 months in advance (any sooner and some ferry routes might not be released yet, any later and some ferries could be sold out)Example Santorini to Piraeus (Athens) Ferry Schedule
Santorini-Piraeus ferry schedules on ferryhopper.com.
Most ferries from Santorini to Athens will arrive in Piraeus at Gates E6, E7, or E8, directly across the street from the Piraeus train station. Piraeus is 30 minutes by train or taxi from central Athens.
Common Ferries from Santorini to Athens
The SeaJets Worldchampion Jet ferry. The fastest ferry from Santorini to Athens (Piraeus).
Regardless of ferry you take, I recommend Business Class or VIP seating for its increased space and more-relaxed, quieter vibe.
The SeaJets Champion Jet 2 ferry. Also very fast.
The Blue Star Patmos ferry. A good choice if you’re prone to seasickness.
The Blue Star Delos ferry. A good choice if you’re prone to seasickness.
The Blue Star Naxos ferry. A good choice if you’re prone to seasickness.
The Hellenic Seaways Ariadne ferry. Since Hellenic is owned by Blue Star this will often be listed as the Blue Star Ariadne.
The Anek F/B Prevelis ferry.
This is the Hellenic Highspeed 7 which is almost identical to the Minoan Lines Santorini Palace (which I don’t have a photo of).
The Zanteferries Dionisios Solomosis ferry. The slowest.
The SeaJets Superjet ferry. The worst for seasickness. This is a small ferry and can give a very rough ride in choppy seas. If you’re prone to seasickness choose a different ferry.
The SeaJets Sea Jet 2 ferry. This is also a small ferry and should be avoided if you’re sensitive to rough seas.
There is now a direct train from the Piraeus ferry port to Athens International Airport. The station is directly across the street from the E6 port entrance.
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