The Greek islands are linked to each other and the mainland by a dense network of ferries. In summer there are very many sailings; in winter they are reduced, and some small islands have only a few boats a week.
Departure ports
| Port | Main destinations |
|---|---|
| Piraeus (Athens) | Cyclades, Crete, Dodecanese, North-East Aegean islands, Saronic islands |
| Rafina (east Athens) | Andros, Tinos, Mykonos and other Cyclades, Euboea; the closest port to Mykonos |
| Lavrio (south Attica) | Kea, Kythnos, western Cyclades, Lemnos, Agios Efstratios |
| Igoumenitsa | Corfu, Paxos |
| Kyllini (Peloponnese) | Zakynthos, Kefalonia |
| Patras | Kefalonia, Ithaca |
| Volos and Agios Konstantinos | Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos) |
| Kavala and Alexandroupoli | Thassos, Samothrace, Lemnos |
| Thessaloniki | Sporades and some Aegean islands in summer |
Indicative sailing times
| Route | Conventional ship | Fast ship |
|---|---|---|
| Piraeus-Aegina | 1 hour 15 | 40 minutes |
| Piraeus-Paros | 4-5 hours | 2.5-3 hours |
| Piraeus-Naxos | 5-6 hours | 3-4 hours |
| Piraeus-Santorini | 7-8 hours | 4.5-5 hours |
| Rafina-Mykonos | 4-5 hours | 2-2.5 hours |
| Piraeus-Heraklion or Chania (Crete) | 8-9 hours, overnight | 6-7 hours |
| Piraeus-Rhodes | 13-17 hours | not available |
| Kyllini-Zakynthos | about 1 hour | |
| Igoumenitsa-Corfu | about 1.5 hours | |
| Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos | 2-3 hours | about 2 hours |
Conventional and fast ships
- Conventional ships, large ferries such as those of Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines or Anek, are slower but cheaper, steady in rough seas and carry cars and motorbikes. They have open decks for enjoying the trip.
- Fast ships, catamarans and hydrofoils (Seajets, Golden Star, Aegean Speed Lines and others), halve journey times but cost more, are enclosed and suffer in heavy seas: they are the first to be cancelled in a strong meltemi.
Tickets
Buy tickets online from the companies or from the big booking sites, which compare all sailings, or from port agencies. Almost all tickets are now electronic: show them on your phone or print them. ID is required at boarding. As a guide, a deck ticket Piraeus-Santorini costs €40-90 depending on ship and season; a car can cost more than twice as much.
Island hopping
Island hopping is one of the best ways to discover Greece. Some tips:
- Choose islands in the same group: connections between the Cyclades and Dodecanese, or Cyclades and Ionian, are rare.
- "Hub" islands such as Paros, Naxos, Syros, Rhodes and Kos have frequent connections in all directions.
- Book the busiest August legs in advance and always leave a day's margin before your flight home.
- Subsidised "public service" lines (agones grammes) reach even the smallest islands, but with awkward times and few sailings.
- Check up-to-date timetables a few days ahead: they change often.
Sample Cyclades route
| Days | Islands |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Piraeus, then Syros or Paros |
| 4-6 | Naxos |
| 7-9 | Amorgos or the Small Cyclades |
| 10-12 | Santorini, then flight or ship to Athens |
See also the Greek islands and ferries from Italy.