Ferries to and from Crete

"The journey is the thing". A superb way of enjoying the journey to Crete is to fly to Athens and take the ferry from Piraeus (Pireas) - the port serving Athens. [see our Athens guide]. The new Athens airport makes this a slightly slower process because it is further from the port, but it's worth the extra time for a still-romantic way to travel. A trip to Greece has long been associated with the idea of approaching the island of your dreams, early in the morning, standing on the deck of one of those famous ferries - an enthralling and gentle way to arrive at a promising destination. Thus, some suggestions to help you get the best out of your sea voyage.

Pireas* to Heraklion sailings take about 9 hours on standard ferries (ANEK Lines), 6 hours on the highspeed Knossos Palace and Festos Palace of the Minoan Lines fleet and 6 hours and 30 minutes on newcomer Superfast ferries.
These overnight ferries arrive at their destination between 5.30 and 6.30 in the morning (the 6-hour capable ferries make use of their speed only in the extra daytime sailings).
Pireas to Chania, the ANEK Lines overnight ferries take 9 hours and the Blue Star Ferries "Blue Horizon" does the journey in about 7 hours.
Pireas to Rethymno, was served by ANEK Lines overnight ferries - status pending for 2009.
*Pireas is also spelled "Piraeus", and is Athens' port [ see Pireas map]

Tickets can be bought in advance for all ferries from Paleologos Shipping Agency via their website www.ferries.gr
 

Accommodation On Board Ship

Deluxe cabins are a treat (spacious, well furnished with TV and refrigerator) - some double beds available on the Knossos or Festos (Phaestos) Palace.
First class cabins are a notch down in decor and space, but still provide a good compact hotel-room-on-the-water.

There are outside cabins with windows (much to be preferred) or inside cabins (cheaper). Available with 2, 3 or 4 beds. Travelling alone, you can pay about 50% extra to have the cabin to yourself. All cabins have a shower and toilet.

Large or heavy pieces of luggage can be stored in a luggage room on the car deck - ask as you board (it's a good idea, avoiding carrying all your luggage to the cabin). Even though porters take you and luggage to your cabin, you do have to haul it - often up steps, escalator if you are lucky - to the equivalent of the second or third floor of a building, before you reach the reception.

If you choose a more economical fare you can buy a simple ticket and sleep wherever you find it most comfortable - or talk and play cards, watch TV with fellow travellers. Viewing passing ships from the decks or the occasional distant lights from an island, is another pastime. There are pullman style seats available. A simple ticket allows you to use and enjoy most of the ship (sometimes a bar area or two are reserved for first and deluxe class passengers) - there is no such thing however, as "deck class", so you do not have to spend the night out on deck!
 

Food on the ships is satisfactory. There are both self service and full service restaurants - pricing in each is similar [Price category D - 7 to 10 euros and up].

Board Early

You can if you wish board the ship 4 to 5 hours before sailing and enjoy the experience (providing the ship is already in port and previous passengers have fully disembarked). In fact at Pireas this gives you a good opportunity to explore the area, perhaps have something to eat, visit churches and wander around the port with views of ferries and their signs to various destinations, their "clocks" displaying the departure time. 

These large ships carry passengers and all manner of vehicles and if you board close to departure there can be a rather crazed and unnerving rush of people, trucks, cars, motorcycles and all manner of moving items to battle with! 
It's a good idea - a very good idea, to board early.
 

Slumber and Relax in Your Cabin

If you feel you'd like to avoid being woken and turned out of your cabin at five or six o'clock the next morning (the ship may have "arrived" even earlier), speak to the most authoritative person at the reception desk, when you board, ask them if you can stay in the cabin a little later. If you are going straight to a hotel when you arrive, this makes sense, as they may not have your room available until later in the morning. The Knossos Palace people told us they are happy to let people hold onto their cabin as late as they'd like - do let us know if you find this is so.
{Suggestion: If arriving in Heraklion first head to Lion Square for Bhougatsa and coffee - if arriving in Chania head for the Venetian harbour. At Pireas (Athens port) there is a good cafe just inside the train/Metro station for snacks, light meals and coffee - see Pireas map}.
 

Favourite Vessels

On the route to and from Heraklion in Crete, the highspeed Knossos Palace and the Festos Palace ships (Minoan Lines) are the newer ferries. They include amongst their facilities a cinema, internet cafe as well as a swimming pool and music club. Interiors are reasonably comfortable. Cabins - of course especially the deluxe categories - are very pleasant indeed.
We have not yet travelled on the Knossos or Festos Palace, though we have had a guided tour and it looks glamorous and certainly gleaming in its newness.
The new Superfast XII ferry is also an interesting addition - we will try it!
Our favourite until now has been the Venizelos, not so often used now on the routes to Crete, but the very new Minoan ferries are hard to beat.

The other ships on the route of Pireas-Crete include Vitsentzos Kornaros, Ierapetra (LANE Lines), Elyros, Prevelis, Kriti II, Lissos, Lato (ANEK Lines) and, though not very new, still provide an excellent trip - possibly a more personal feel, as they are smaller and have a more classic design than the new high-speed ferries.
 

Weather and Ferries

IMPORTANT NOTE: The ferries sail when the weather is considered suitable and stable conditions are predicted. If the weather is bad, sailings will be cancelled (not often - but there are a few such days every year), and you should be accommodated on the next available sailing. ADVICE: Allow flexibility in your schedule when travelling by ferry as part of an ongoing journey. If delayed, see some of the sights of interest you may have missed!  The shipping companies are prone to changing which ships they use on any given route - so as always, call to check if you want to book on a particular ship.

Top of page     Pireas map
 

Ferry schedule - Ferries to and from Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno:
 

Pireas to Heraklion 

New Minoan Lines phone number 801-11-75000 is a local call from anywhere in Greece and can be used for all reservations. You may not be able to dial this number from abroad or a mobile phone, so we still list all the other numbers for your convenience.
 

Heraklion to Pireas

Top of page     Pireas map

Pireas to Chania (Souda port)

Chania (Souda port) to Pireas

Pireas to Rethymno

Route "in flux", once a week sailings on LANE Lines - "Cretan Lines" new Rethymno-based ferry company in formation. Will update when route is fixed.

Rethymno to Pireas

Route "in flux", once a week sailings on LANE Lines - "Cretan Lines" new Rethymno-based ferry company in formation. Will update when route is fixed.

Top of page     Pireas map

Ferry schedule - Ferries to and from East Crete (Agios Nikolaos & Sitia):
 

Ferries to and from South Crete:
 

Ferries to and from North-West Crete:
 

From Crete to Santorini & other Greek islands
 

See Heraklion to Santorini (and Ios, Paros, Naxos, Mykonos) - ferry schedules to Santorini & other islands, including sailing to Santorini in 2 hours with the "Hellenic Seaways" (formerly Hellas Flying Dolphins) Catamaran Flying Cat 4. Sailings only in summer months.

From Sitia to Santorini - see schedule.

You can also travel from Sitia to Rhodes (via Kasos, Karpathos, Diafani, Chalki) and to Milos - see schedule.
 

To/from Crete from/to Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus

We get a lot of questions about these!

Sorry, there are no ferries for there destinations - only cruises. For cruises contact Paleologos Shipping Agency www.ferries.gr (you can also book ferry tickets to all other ferries with them).

(Phones: see Calling Crete)

Click here for port information phone numbers.

NEW: See our new boat trips feature, starting with Gramvousa and Balos (from Kissamos port).
 

Disclaimer: We try to keep these schedules up to date for your convenience, but you should always call the ferry company to check sailing times.

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