Posted by The port of Piraeus is the largest ferry port in the world. No other country on earth has as many islands with as many ferry connections as Greece. The majority of these ferries start or end at the port of Piraeus. This applies to most of the ships that connect the mainland with the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and the Saronic Islands. Some ferries to the northeast Aegean islands also depart from the port of Piraeus.
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Port of Piraeus: First orientation
The port of Piraeus is the large port of the Greek capital Athens. It is about six kilometers from the center of Athens. There is a subway between the port and the center. Buses run directly between the port and the airport. You can also get to the airport from the port of Piraeus by subway and S-Bahn with a change.
Tip: Hotels in Greece should be booked online. Prices are usually much cheaper and easier to compare. The best place to book is Booking.com.
The port area is fenced off, but there are many entrances that are open day and night. You can walk around freely within the port. These entrance gates are numbered – from E1 to E12. Gate E1 is in the northwest part of the port, E12 in the very south. The central buildings of the port of Piraeus (ticket sales, etc.) are between gates E7 and E8. A noisy, multi-lane road leads around the port area. On the other side of this street is the subway station (Metro) and next to it the suburban train station (Proastiakos). Fortunately, for a few years now, you have been able to cross this street using a modern pedestrian bridge with escalators. It is only about 200 meters between the central buildings of the port and the two local train stations. The buses from the airport stop right in the center of the port.
➔ To book ferries within Greece, we recommend the reputable website Ferryscanner.com
Current 2016: The pedestrian bridge is currently closed due to construction work. In our experience, this construction work could remain for years. So you have to cross the street again at one of the pedestrian traffic lights.
Overall, the area around the port of Athens in Piraeus has made an increasingly bad impression on us in recent years. People are often warned about pickpockets. Many Greeks say that Piraeus is the worst area in Greece. Traffic around the port of Piraeus is extremely chaotic, even for Athens. The many homeless people and the dirt show that Greece is in a serious crisis. Piraeus is also known throughout Greece for high unemployment, drug addiction and prostitution. On the Greek islands, the economic crisis is much less noticeable.
Map of Piraeus
View from the (former?) pedestrian bridge, on the left the wide streets around the harbor, on the right the street in the harbor
Port of Piraeus: Find the ferry
When buying a ticket, you should definitely ask where the ferry departs from. The harbor is roughly U-shaped and several kilometers long. Gates E1-E6 are on the left as you walk away from the sea, E8-E12 on the right. Most of the large ferries to the Cyclades and the Dodecanese depart from E1-E6. The ferries to the Saronic Islands mostly depart from E9 and E 10. You can walk to the ferries. Only the ferries at E1 and E2 are really far away. For this reason, there is a free bus from gate E5 to the harbor gates E1-E4. The ships at E1 and E2 in particular are not easy to find, as some are in a side basin of the port of Piraeus. This is not far from gate E2, but not that easy to find. It is best to tell the bus driver the name of the ship, which is always on the ticket. If you are in a hurry or you are leaving in the middle of the night: you can almost always find a free taxi in the port of Piraeus within a few minutes. In large parts of the port you can drive around in your own car and also park for a short time.
In recent years, many homeless people, especially illegal immigrants, have been spending the night in the port. They also occupy many public benches during the day. Piraeus is generally one of the most dangerous areas in Greece. Especially in the dark, you should consider taking a taxi to more remote parts of the port (such as gates E1 to E4). Taxis and the free port buses are almost always waiting directly at the arriving ferries.
➔ To book ferries within Greece, we recommend the reputable website Ferryscanner.com
Port of Piraeus: Hotels and accommodation
The hotels around the port are often overpriced or run down. But there are exceptions. One of our favorites is the Piraeus Dream Hotel, about 2-3 side streets behind the wide road around the harbor, only about 100 meters from the harbor.
Even closer to the harbor is the simple and inexpensive Ionion Hotel. If you leave the harbor at the correct, central exit, all you have to do is cross the wide street and walk 20 meters. At the Ionion Hotel, you shouldn’t expect any luxuries like an elevator. But the air conditioning and WiFi always worked well during our visits.
The highlight among the hotels in Piraeus that we know is the Phidias Piraeus. Very friendly staff, great decor, good atmosphere. Unfortunately, you have to walk a few hundred meters from the harbor across Piraeus, up a hill and back down again. The location near a marina with a large supermarket and restaurants is excellent for Piraeus, however. If you are staying two nights or more, the longer journey is definitely worth it. You can of course also take a taxi to this hotel.
If necessary, the travel agencies in the harbor can also arrange hotel rooms in the area. However, these rooms are often relatively expensive or located in dark side streets. It is much better to book a room in advance on Booking.com.
In Piraeus you see more and more dilapidated houses
Port of Piraeus: Buy tickets
Ferry tickets are available in almost every travel agency in Greece. However, most Greeks buy their tickets directly at the port. This has some advantages: If the ship or you are delayed, you can choose another ship at short notice. The disadvantage is of course that the ferry can be fully booked. However, this is rarely the case. It can happen for deck passengers, for example, in high season or at Easter. If you have a car with you or want a cabin, this can happen a little more often. I have always bought tickets at the port for years and have never had a problem with or without a car. However, we rarely travel in August.
Tickets are available in the central buildings behind the port gates E7 and E8, as I said, just 200 meters from the subway. There are about ten offices there that sell tickets. Almost all of them have all tickets for all ferries. Some of these offices have doormen who loudly offer tickets. I always go around the building and use the last office at the back. I have always received good information there. This office also offers free luggage storage if you buy your ticket there. There are no or very small price differences between the offices.
The ferries had fixed prices until a few years ago. In recent years, more and more companies have been offering discounts if you buy the tickets online some time in advance.
Gastronomy Piraeus Port (Athens)
Some of the cafes in the port of Piraeus are known for their rip-offs. A simple coffee often costs 3-4 euros. Food is also expensive and often of poor quality. Outside the port on the other side of the street it is a bit cheaper. The branch of the sandwich chain “Everest” is good here. As far as we know, the branch of Mac Donalds is unfortunately no longer in Piraeus at the port. The branch of the Greek burger chain Goody’s is not bad and has a good toilet and air conditioning. The heat and smog in Piraeus are often difficult to bear in summer.
There are some public toilets in the port of Piraeus. These are free. But you shouldn’t expect luxury here either.
Attractions in Piraeus:
In addition to the busy port, there are sights in Piraeus such as the charming Mikrolimano marina, traditional taverns and cafes as well as shopping opportunities. The proximity to the capital also makes Piraeus a popular tourist destination.
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