As the largest Greek island, there is a plethora of ways for getting to Crete by ferry, no matter where your trip begins from. The main ports of Crete, that operate ferry connections to Piraeus port of Athens but also to other islands and cities of the mainland of Greece, are the ports of Chania and Heraklion, both located in the northern part of the island. The ports of Rethymno, Sitia, and Kissamos are secondary, but also connect Crete with the mainland of Greece and other Greek islands. On the other hand, the airports of the island are the Heraklion Airport “N. Kazantzakis”, the Chania International Airport “Ioannis Daskalogiannis” and the smallest one, the regional Sitia Public Airport.  There are also other smaller ports that serve domestic ferry routes.

Ferryhopper.com is the ideal platform for you, if you want to organize a ferry trip to Crete, learn everything about the ferries schedule, compare ferry ticket prices and finally, book the tickets for your next trip to Crete.

Ferries from Piraeus port depart from gates E2 and E3 (Aghios Dionysos). You can reach these gates that are located on “Akti Ietionia”, by the free shuttle bus connecting gate E7 with the gates E3, E2 and E1. The bus runs approximately every 20 minutes, when there is a ferry departure from these gates. The shuttle bus stop is located inside gate E7, opposite to the Piraeus Metro station.

How to get a Ferry From Piraeus Port to Heraklion?

Heraklion is the main city of Crete. The port of Heraklion is the busiest of the island. Except for Piraeus, Heraklion is connected by ferry to Santorini, Paros, Ios, Mykonos, Naxos, Syros Karpathos, Kasos, Rhodes, and Halki island. The three main ferry companies that operate the Piraeus – Heraklion ferry route are the Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, and Blue Star Ferries, while the Aegeon Pelagos ferry company serves once per week the particular ferry route. In general, there are up to 16 ferry connecting routes per week during summer, a number that increases in July and August.

How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Heraklion?

The ferry connections are daily or overnight and usually, it takes from 7 to 11 hours to reach the island from Athens. The Minoan Lines service runs up to 11 times per week with a sailing duration of around 7 hours while the Anek Superfast service runs up to 7 times per week with a duration from 9 hr.

As for the ferry tickets, the adult fare is about €29.00 to €46.00 for the economy category. You have, additionally, the option of booking numbered seats which is a little bit more expensive,  plus the option of booking different types of a cabin that offer a more relaxing trip at a higher price.

Which ferry company is the cheapest to reach Heraklion from Athens?

Ferry ticket prices between the ferry companies vary from €29.00 to €46.00, thus there is not so important difference between the ferry companies’ price list. The cost differs depending on the category of travel and the extra cabin addition option. Generally, the Minoan Lines ferry tickets are a little bit more expensive.

All ferries have restaurants, bars, TVs in the lounges, so even if you are a solo traveler or backpack traveler and you cannot afford booking a cabin, you can get yourself comfortable on board and spend your time using the ferry facilities.

If you choose to travel overnight, we recommend you book a cabin for a more relaxing and comfortable trip, especially if you travel with kids. In this case, it is wise to book well in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises such as not finding available tickets.

Ferry from Athens to Heraklion Schedule

This is an indicative schedule of ferries getting to Heraklion from Piraeus Port during summer months.

Route

Depart – Arrive

Ferry Company

Piraeus – Heraklion

10:00 – 18:45

ANEK LINES or BLUE STAR FERRIES

Piraeus – Heraklion

11:00 – 18:45 (18:30)

MINOAN LINES

Piraeus – Heraklion

21:00 – 06:00

ANEK LINES or BLUE STAR FERRIES

Piraeus – Heraklion

21:00 (22:00) – 06:30

MINOAN LINES

On Fridays, there is an additional ferry crossing, operated by Aegeon Pelagos Ferries (18:00 – 10:20) and the trip duration is about 16 hours.

Ferry From Heraklion to Athens Schedule

This is an indicative schedule of ferries getting to Piraeus Port from Heraklion during summer months.

Route

Depart – Arrive

Ferry Company

Heraklion – Piraeus

10:00 – 18:00 

MINOAN LINES

Heraklion – Piraeus

20:30 – 07:15

MINOAN LINES

Heraklion – Piraeus

21:00 – 06:00

ANEK LINES or BLUE STAR FERRIES

On Sundays, there is an additional ferry crossing, operated by Aegeon Pelagos Ferries (19:45 – 11:55) and the trip duration is about 16 hours.
*Ferries schedule may change and even more ferry routes may be added during the high season.

How to get from/to Heraklion Port by bus?

The ferry port of Heraklion is located near the city center, just next to the old port of Heraklion. The central bus station (A’ Bus station) serves the routes to: Chania, Rethymno, Agios Nikolaos, Ierapetra, Malia, Matala, Sitia, the coastline northeast of Heraklion, various destinations of Lassithi region and the eastern part of the prefecture of Heraklion. To see all the routes together with the time schedule, visit the official website of the KTEL bus services  company.  If you want to get from the city center of Heraklion to the port, you can use the Heraklion Urban buses network that serves the entire urban complex of Heraklion. There are about 10 bus lines that connect the port with various areas of the city as well as with the Heraklion Airport. The buses run approximately from 06:00 to 21:00.

How to get from/to Heraklion Port on a taxi?

Heraklion port is located in close proximity to the city center, so it is possible to get there on foot. However, if your hotel is on the other side of the city or far away, and you don’t want to use public transportation you can get a taxi. Taxis in Heraklion are inexpensive, the taxi drivers use the taximeter, thus, the taxi fare depends on the distance. The cost from Heraklion center to the port is approximately €10.00. You can find a taxi at taxi stands around the main touristic spots and squares.
Contact us if you wish to book a private transfer from your hotel to Heraklion Port.

How to get a Ferry From Piraeus Port to Chania?

Click here if you want to read about how to reach the Piraeus Port from Athens City Center or the Athens International Airport by metro, bus or taxi.
Chania lies on the north coast of the island, 145 km to the west of Heraklion. The Souda ferry and cargo port, that serves passengers to Chania, is located about 7 km east of Chania Town. The Athens – Chania ferry route is served by the three ferry companies that connect the whole island with the mainland of Greece by passenger- car ferries, Minoan Lines, Anek Lines, and Blue Star Ferries. Currently, there is no direct ferry connection from Chania to other islands and vice versa.

How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Chania?

The sailing duration from Athens to Chania is from 7 hours 30 minutes to 9 hours and all ferries sail overnight. The price is for one passenger approximately €39.00,  but the total cost may vary according to the additional travel options,  for example, booking of cabin or car transfer.

Ferry from Athens to Chania Schedule

This is an indicative schedule of ferries getting to Chania from Piraeus Port during summer months.

Route

Depart – Arrive

Ferry Company

Piraeus – Chania

20:30 – 04:30 

MINOAN LINES

Piraeus – Chania

21:00 – 06:00

ANEK LINES or BLUE STAR FERRIES

There is one more ferry crossing operated by Anek Lines (10:00 – 19:00) in high season. 

Ferry From Chania to Athens Schedule 

This is an indicative schedule of ferries getting to Piraeus Port from Chania during summer months.

Route

Depart – Arrive

Ferry Company

Chania – Piraeus

22:00 – 06:30

ANEK LINES or BLUE STAR FERRIES

Chania – Piraeus

23:59 – 07:15

MINOAN LINES

*Ferries schedule may change and even more ferry routes may be added during the high season.

How to get from/to Chania Port (Souda) by bus?

You can get to Souda port from Chania town by bus. The bus station is located in the centre of the city, on Kidonias Street. The buses run every 20 minutes starting from 06:00 in the morning until 23:15 at night. Moreover, the buses that connect Chania town with the major cities of the island make always a stop at Souda port. The ticket price for the bus ride from Chania town to Souda port is €1.70 if you buy it at ticket kiosks. Otherwise, if a ticket is bought inside the bus, the cost is €2.50.

How to get from/to Chania Port (Souda) on a taxi?

Another way to get to Souda port from the Chania town is on taxi. It is for sure, a faster way, especially if you are arriving by a cruise ship and have limited time in Chania. The taxi fare to Chania is about 10 to 12 euro.
Contact us if you wish to book a private transfer from your hotel to Chania Port.

If you don’t know which port is better to arrive at and you are between Chania and Heraklion, you can take into consideration to get from Athens to Chania and then return back or continue to another island from Heraklion. In this way, you have the chance to travel from the west to the east and explore a bigger part of the island.

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