You can imagine Pireaus, the biggest port in Greece and one of the biggest in Europe, as the center and beginning of any ferry trip. Usually people visiting Greece fly to Athens first and from there take a bus to Pireaus. There they grab a ferry which takes them to all the best and most incredible islands of the Aegean Sea, such as Mykonos, Santorini, Crete etc. If your destination is an Ionian Island then you’ll have to grab a KTEL bus until Patra or Igoumenitsa where there’s another port with Ferries heading to the best Ionian Islands such as Corfu, Zakynthos, Lefkada etc.

Booking your ferry tickets is very easy and can be done online. The cost depends on the destination and is normally not affected by the period for which the ticket is bought.

First you’ll need to see which ferry companies service the destination island/port you’re interested in. Some of the biggest ones are Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways Ferries, Minoan Ferries and Superfast Ferries. Price also depends on the company and on how fast the ferry is. Some of them can take you to your destination much faster than others.

There are special ferries which are part of organized cruises. To get a ticket for one of these you’d have to book with an agency that organizes them and not the Ferry Company itself. These cruises are a great way to see a lot of Greek islands in a very short amount of time. For example, one of the most popular ones that only lasts a day goes through Hydra, Poros and Egina, three very beautiful islands in Greece. Usually the cruise allows its passenger to spend about 1 hour on each island and then move on to the next one. Lunch is included and passengers are returned to Piraeus before dinner. If your short on time it’s a great option.

Here are some estimates on how long it takes to reach some of the most popular Greek islands by ferry:

Piraeus – Santorini: 8 hours with the slow ferry and 5 with the fast one. Approximate ticket price: €40/70 respectively. Ferry companies that service this island: Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, SeaJets.
Piraeus – Mykonos: 5 hours with the slow ferry and 2 with the fast one. Approximate ticket price: €40/60 respectively. Ferry companies that service this island: Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, SeaJets.
Piraeus – Crete: 7 to 9 hours based on which port of Crete you’re heading to. Approximate ticket price: €40-50. Ferry companies that service this island: Superfast Ferries, Minoan Lines, Anek Lines.
Zakynthos
Patra/Igoumenitsa – Corfu: 6/2 hours respectively as Igoumenitsa is much closer and is the recommended port to take a ferry from to reach Corfu. Approximate ticket price: €10 from Igoumenitsa. Ferry companies that service this island: Corfu Ferries, Ionian Lines.

People love traveling by ferries because there’s something incredible about feeling the salty wind against your face as you take in the beautiful views of the Greek sea. We hope this information was helpful!