Planning / Greek ferries and island hopping
Greek ferries and island hopping
How do Greek ferries work?
Most island routes from Athens leave from Piraeus. The fast boats are quicker and carry foot passengers; the conventional ferries are slower and carry cars. We crossed by sea in 2013, 2024 and 2025 and never logged a fare, so this page compares no prices.
Greek ferries come in two kinds. The fast boats — catamarans and hydrofoils — carry foot passengers and make the crossing in less time; the conventional ferries are larger and slower, and they carry vehicles as well as people. Most island routes from Athens leave from Piraeus.
Our record of them is three summers of crossings with no fare attached. In July 2013 we went from Piraeus to Poros on a fast boat. In July 2024 we flew to Paros and reached Tinos, for one evening, by sea — Tinos has no airport. In July 2025, after flying into Naxos, we went on by boat to Ios, and from Ios back to the mainland. No car went on any of those crossings. In July 2026 we flew to Kefalonia and back and took no ferry at all.
What the record cannot supply is a comparison. We never logged a fare, a crossing time or how far ahead a crossing was booked, so this page does not say which boat to take, when to book, or whether a car is worth bringing across. Piraeus to Poros is timetabled at about an hour on a fast boat and around two and a half on a conventional ferry; those are the timetable's figures, not timings of ours.
When a dated fare enters the record, it appears here and on what Greece costs.
Common questions
Piraeus for most destinations, including the Saronic islands and the Cyclades. Our July 2013 crossing to Poros left from Piraeus.
We cannot say from our own crossings: none of our bookings is in the record, with its date or how far ahead it was made. This page describes crossings we made, not when to book them.
Conventional ferries carry vehicles; whether a rental agreement allows it is up to the rental company. No car went on any of our crossings.