The biggest and most important port of Greece is Piraeus, about 10 km the south of Athens centre. The history of this port is long, as this is where the Athenian fleet used to moor in the ancient times. Although in the centuries that followed the port of Piraeus fell in disuse, in the last decades it has managed to become the third busiest port in the world, as it carries about 20 million passengers a year. The port of Piraeus is used today only to carry passengers; the cargo vessels have been moved to the docks of Keratsini, a couple of km away.
Destinations from Piraeus
Piraeus usually covers the schedules to the most popular Greek islands, including the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, the Eastern Aegean islands and Crete.
Apart from the normal ferries, there are also catamarans, high speed boats and flying dolphins to the Saronic islands.
How to go to Piraeus
- From the centre of Athens
- By taxi: There are taxis going to Piraeus from all over Athens. The trip from Omonoia to Piraeus takes about 30 minutes, unless there is heavy traffic.
- By metro: The most frequent way to go to Piraeus is to take the electric train, which has many stops all over Attica. Piraeus is the last stop of the Metro Line 1 (the green line). Metro Line 1 is also linked to the other Metro Lines. There are trains to Piraeus usually every five minutes from all the green-line stations, while along Metro Line 1, there are links to the other Metro Lines. The trip by train from Kifisia to Piraeus takes about 1 hour, while from Omonoia to Piraeus about 30 minutes. The itineraries start from 5 in the morning till 12 in the midnight, while on Fridays and Saturdays itineraries are extended till 2 in the morning.
- By bus: Piraeus is well connected to Athens and the airport by buses. Bus 049 connects Omonoia square to the centre of Piraeus, while Bus 040 connects Syntagma square to Piraeus centre. To go to the port from Piraeus centre, you have to walk about 10-15 minutes. These buses run only until midnight.
- From the Athens International Airport
- By taxi: The distance from the Athens airport to the port of Piraeus is quite long, about 30 km. It takes about an hour to go from the airport to Piraeus by taxi.
- By metro: The metro system is the easiest and quickest way to go from the airport to Piraeus. You take Line 3 (the blue metro line) from the airport and then you change at Monastiraki station and take the green line. Trains from the airport start every half an hour and it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to go from the airport to the port. Metro itineraries stop at around midnight, so then you have to take the bus or a taxi. On Fridays and Saturdays, itineraries are extended till 2 o’clock in the morning. The train station of Piraeus is right on the port. From there, you have to find your gate, as vessels to different destinations leave from different gates. That is why you are advised to be at the port at least one hour before your ship leaves.
- By bus: Bus XX96 connects the Athens airport to the port of Piraeus. The trip takes about 1 hour and a half, if there is no heavy traffic. There are itineraries every twenty minutes in the daytime, while after midnight buses leave every forty minutes. The bus operates 24 hours.
Piraeus Port Authority phone numbers: 210 4511310-7, 210 4593000
