Ferry from Santorini to Athens

Ferry from Santorini to Athens at a glance

Everything passengers ask about the ferry from Santorini to Athens in one place. Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets, Minoan Lines sail the route on high-speed (5 h) and conventional (7-8 h), with a crossing time of about 5 hours, 4-8 a day in summer. Boats leave from Athinios port and arrive at Piraeus. Haqqi Tours provides the ticket with or without a vehicle, and confirms the sailing, the seats and the cost through WhatsApp before you commit to anything.

• Route: Santorini to Athens (about 240 km by sea)
• Operator: Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets, Minoan Lines
• Crossing time: about 5 hours
• Vessels: high-speed (5 h) and conventional (7-8 h)
• Frequency: 4-8 a day in summer
• Departure port: Athinios port
• Arrival port: Piraeus
• Vehicles: cars and motorbikes carried on the car ferries
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation by WhatsApp, e-ticket by message

Best time to take the ferry from Santorini to Athens

April to June and September to October are ideal; July and August are very hot; winter is mild and quiet; the Attiki Odos motorway from the airport is quick outside rush hour. For the ferry itself, late spring and early autumn bring calm seas, full timetables and reasonable fares; July and August are the busiest and the most expensive, and the windiest weeks can cancel the fast boats. Winter schedules are thinner on many crossings, so we verify before you plan.

Ferry or flight from Santorini to Athens?

For most travellers on this route the ferry is the better way: it leaves from the port in Santorini and lands you in Athens itself, carries as much luggage as you can wheel and the car, and turns the journey into part of the holiday. A flight only wins when the crossing is long and time is short. Haqqi Tours can provide flights too, and says honestly which is better for your dates.

Return ferry from Athens to Santorini

Coming back? Say so on the form. A return ferry ticket from Athens to Santorini booked with the outbound is frequently cheaper than two separate bookings, and it keeps the whole trip on one WhatsApp thread with one point of contact.

How much does the ferry from Santorini to Athens cost?

Ferry prices from Santorini to Athens move with the season and the vessel: the same crossing can cost a fraction on the conventional ferry in April of what the high-speed boat costs on an August weekend. Rather than quote a figure that will be wrong next week, we look up the fare for the day you want to sail and send it on WhatsApp before you decide.

Let us know for two or three sailings and we send the cost of each - fast boat and slow boat, morning and afternoon - so you can see the difference before you book the Santorini to Athens ferry.

Cheapest ferry ticket from Santorini to Athens: how to pay less

The cheapest ferry ticket from Santorini to Athens is normally on the conventional ferry, booked early, on a weekday outside the peak weeks. These are the rules our booking desk applies:

• Price the crossing with and without the car - for two people a rental at the other end is sometimes cheaper
• Book the return with the outbound - open returns and round-trip fares are cheaper on many operators
• Ask about children's, student and resident fares, and about vehicle offers outside high season
• Choose the conventional ferry over the high-speed boat when time allows - it is cheaper, steadier and often more scenic
• Book early for July, August, Easter and holiday weekends, when sailings sell out and fares rise
• Travel on a weekday - Friday and Sunday sailings carry the highest fares

Send us the form with your dates and we tell you which sailing is the cheapest ferry from Santorini to Athens that day and how much a different day would save.

How to book ferry tickets from Santorini to Athens with Haqqi Tours

Here is how to book Santorini to Athens ferry tickets with Haqqi Tours: use the booking form on this page - date, one-way or return, passengers - and send it. Shortly afterwards we write to you in the WhatsApp chat with the sailings, the vessel type and the price. Once you confirm and payment is arranged in the same conversation, we issue the ticket and send the electronic ticket or boarding reference.

• Step 1 - fill in the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children
• Step 2 - we message you through WhatsApp with the sailings, vessels, seats or cabins and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the sailing you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the electronic ticket and send it; we stay in touch until you land in Athens

Because a person books it, we can line the Santorini to Athens ferry up with a flight or a train the same day, choose the sailing that leaves a safe margin, and warn you if the weather forecast makes the fast boat a risk.

Timetable and season of the Santorini to Athens ferry

Sailing times on the Santorini to Athens route depend on the shipping line and the month - as a rule 4-8 a day in summer. Morning departures are usually the calmest and the most reliable; the last sailing of the day is the one to avoid if you have an onward connection. We choose the sailing to fit your plan and tell you the check-in time at Athinios port.

For a connection at Athens - a flight, a train or another ferry - tell us and we choose a sailing with a comfortable margin.

Departure: Athinios port

Your crossing starts at Athinios port. Large ports have several gates and the boarding gate is announced on the boards and on the ticket; we send the gate and the check-in time with your confirmation. Local buses run from Fira to the villages and beaches but not from the airport or the port to hotels, and the roads are narrow and steep; nearly every visitor arrives by pre-booked car, and the desk also arranges the port transfer for ferry days.

• Keep the electronic ticket and the ID or passport used for booking together
• Luggage is carried free within the operator's limits; large bags go on the racks or the car deck
• Cafés, kiosks and waiting halls at Athinios port; some fast boats board only minutes before sailing
• Haqqi Tours arranges a private transfer from your hotel in Santorini to the port on request

Arrival: Piraeus

You step off at Piraeus, close to Plaka and Monastiraki under the Acropolis and Syntagma and Kolonaki. Metro Line 3 runs from the airport to Syntagma in about 40 minutes and the X95 bus follows; a hotel on Plaka's pedestrian lanes, a ferry at Piraeus with a departure time, or a Riviera hotel is simpler by car from the terminal. If you would rather not think about it, we book a driver to meet the ferry and take you to the door of your hotel.

Many passengers continue from Athens to another island or city. We provide those tickets too, so one WhatsApp conversation covers the whole itinerary.

On board the Santorini to Athens ferry: seats, cabins, cars and luggage

The ship makes the difference on this route: the conventional ferry has more space, open decks and a steadier ride; the high-speed boat has airline seating and gets you there faster. Both types on this route carry vehicles on some sailings; we tell you which. Children have their own fares, luggage travels free within limits, and pets are accepted on many ships in carriers or kennels.

• Pets accepted on many ships in carriers or kennels - let us know if one is travelling
• Seats: economy, airline-style, lounge and business on the fast boats; deck seats on the slow ferries
• Cabins with beds and showers on overnight sailings - two to four berths
• Café, bar or restaurant on most vessels; open decks on the conventional ferries

Things to do in Athens after the ferry

Piraeus is the port of Athens and the main gateway to the Aegean islands, linked to central Athens by metro in about half an hour. Arriving by sea puts you in the middle of it: the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Agora, Plaka's lanes and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion are all reachable from Piraeus. For the first meal, try souvlaki and gyros, moussaka and Greek salad with feta.

We offer tours and transfers in Athens as well as the ferry ticket - one conversation, one plan for the whole trip.

Why book your Santorini to Athens ferry ticket with Haqqi Tours

What we offer on the ferry from Santorini to Athens: live fares checked across every operator for your dates, fast boat and slow boat explained plainly, seats and cabins reserved, vehicles booked with the right dimensions, the e-ticket delivered by WhatsApp and a team that answers at any hour if the weather changes the plan. Send the form and let us take the ferry off your list.