Piraeus Port: Gate Map, Which Island Leaves From Where, and How to Get There

Piraeus port map: which gate for which island

The gates are numbered E1 to E12 around the main harbour, starting on the west side and finishing at the cruise terminals in the south-east. The metro station sits at the top of the harbour, opposite gates E5 and E6, which is why the Cyclades and Saronic boats are an easy walk and the Crete and Dodecanese ones are not.

Cyclades gates E6 and E7: Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos

Most boats to Santorini, Paros, Naxos and Mykonos leave from E6 and E7. Blue Star's own map puts foot passengers at E6 and cars at E7, though both gates lead to the same stretch of quay. In July and August the companies add sailings, and some of the extras move to E4, E9 or E10. One trap catches people every summer: Blue Star Chios, which runs to Santorini on its way to Crete and Rhodes, leaves from E1, at the opposite end of the port from the other Santorini boats.

Crete and the Dodecanese: gates E1, E2 and E3

The big overnight ferries use the western quays. E1 is the Dodecanese gate, for Rhodes, Kos, Patmos and Kalymnos. E2 serves the North Aegean, Chios, Lesvos and Samos. E3 is Crete, the Heraklion and Chania boats that leave in the evening and dock at dawn, as described in our guide to the overnight crossing to Crete. These three gates are the farthest from the metro, so either take the free shuttle or allow a long walk with your bags.

Saronic islands: gate E8, and E9 for some fast boats

Boats to Aegina, Agistri, Poros, Hydra and Spetses use E8, a short walk east of the station. This is where the sources disagree most. Hellenic Seaways' own port map puts its Aero catamarans at E9, the next gate along, while other guides give E9 to the western Cyclades. If you are going to Hydra or Spetses on a fast boat, look at both E8 and E9.

Cruise terminals at E11 and E12

Cruise ships berth at the southern end, at terminal A (Miaoulis) behind E11 and terminals B (Themistocles) and C (Alkimos) behind E12. They are far from both the metro and the ferry gates. If you are going from a cruise ship to an island ferry, take a taxi round the port rather than trying to walk it.

The gate on your ticket is the one that counts. The companies move ships between gates during the season, and in spring 2026 both Blue Star and Hellenic Seaways published notices about temporary gate changes. If your ticket and a guide disagree, believe the ticket, then check the departure screens at the port.

Getting around Piraeus port: walking distances and the free shuttle bus

From E1 to E12 is about 5 km of quay, and walking the whole port end to end takes about an hour. In practice it breaks down like this. E6 and E7 are across the road from the station. E4, E5 and E8 are a few minutes on foot. E9 and E10 are a longer walk east along Akti Miaouli but still reasonable with a wheeled case. E1, E2 and E3 are the ones where people miss boats.

For those, the port authority runs a free shuttle bus for ferry passengers. It leaves from the main entrance near E5, opposite the station, and loops west along the quay to E1, E2 and E3. No timetable is published, but the stops have screens showing the wait. Count on 20 to 30 minutes extra between leaving the metro and reaching a western gate, shuttle included.

The station is linked to the port by a footbridge with lifts at both ends. It is sometimes closed for works. When it is, cross Akti Kalimassioti at street level at the traffic lights in front of the station: it takes a minute longer and leaves you in the same place, by E5 and E6.

Athens airport to Piraeus port: metro, X96 bus or taxi

Piraeus is on the far side of Athens from the airport, about 40 km away. There are four ways to cover it, and the right one depends mostly on the time of day.

Metro line 3 from the airport to Piraeus

The blue line runs from the airport straight through Syntagma and Monastiraki to Piraeus, with no change, in about an hour. Only one train in two goes all the way to the airport, so from the terminal you get a train about every 36 minutes. The airport ticket costs €9 (€16 return), and it is a separate ticket from the €1.20 one that covers the rest of the network. You can also tap a contactless bank card on the gates, in and out with the same card.

Get off at Piraeus, not at the end of the line. Since the line 3 extension opened in 2022, the trains show Dimotiko Theatro as their destination, one stop past Piraeus. Dimotiko Theatro is in the town, uphill from the port, and you would have to walk back. At Piraeus, follow the signs for the port and gate E6. The full picture of the terminal, the trains and the buses is on our Athens airport guide.

X96 bus from Athens airport to Piraeus

The X96 is the express bus from the airport to Piraeus, and the only public transport that runs all night. It costs €5.50, comes every 20 to 30 minutes and takes 75 to 90 minutes, longer in the evening rush, because it goes round by the coast road through Glyfada and Faliro. It finishes near the metro station and the port entrance. If your flight lands at midnight and your ferry leaves at 7:00, this is the bus.

Taxi from Athens airport to Piraeus: price and time

Expect roughly €50 to €70 on the meter, more between midnight and 5:00 when the night rate applies, and 45 minutes to an hour. Several guides quote a fixed €60 fare: there is no fixed fare to Piraeus, only to the city centre, so the meter runs. With three or four people and luggage it can still beat the metro, and it drops you at your gate, which matters at E1 to E3. A pre-booked transfer costs about the same and saves the queue at the rank.

Suburban train from the airport

The Proastiakos suburban railway also runs from the airport to Piraeus, in about 65 minutes for the same €9. It runs less often than the metro and stops at the same station area, so it is mainly useful if a train happens to be waiting when you get to the platform.

Athens city centre to Piraeus: metro line 1, line 3 and taxi

From the centre the metro is the obvious choice. Line 1, the green one, runs from Omonia, Monastiraki and Thissio to Piraeus in about 20 minutes, with trains every 10 to 15 minutes. Line 3 does the same trip from Syntagma or Monastiraki in 20 to 30 minutes. Both terminate at the same station, opposite the gates. A standard ticket is €1.20 for 90 minutes, and a 24-hour ticket €4.10. Line 1 is an old, crowded commuter line, so keep your phone and wallet out of reach: it has a reputation for pickpockets. The Athens map shows the three lines and where the port sits.

A taxi from Syntagma takes 15 to 35 minutes depending on traffic and costs about €20 by day and €25 at night. It earns its fare before an early boat, when the first trains are thin, or when you are going to a far gate. The 040 bus from Syntagma and the 049 from Omonia also run to Piraeus, slowly, on the same €1.20 ticket.

Flight to ferry the same day: how much time to allow at Piraeus

Add up the steps and the margin gets thin quickly. Two common cases, worked through with the figures above.

Landing at 14:00, ferry at 17:00 from E7

Out of the terminal with bags by about 14:45 if your luggage comes through quickly. Metro at the next departure, up to 36 minutes of waiting, then an hour on the train: Piraeus around 16:00 to 16:20. Across the road to E7, at the gate by 16:30. It works, with little room for a late flight. A taxi buys you about half an hour. If the boat were at E1 instead, add the shuttle and the margin is gone: book a later sailing.

Night arrival, 7:00 ferry the next morning

The metro has stopped, so it is the X96 or a taxi. Or, better, a bed near the port: the X96 drops you within walking distance of the hotels listed below, and you walk to the gate at 6:00 rather than crossing Athens before dawn. For a first boat of the day, sleeping in Piraeus beats sleeping in Plaka.

How early to arrive at Piraeus port before your ferry

Be at the port an hour before departure on foot, and an hour and a half with a car, which has to queue and be loaded. Add 20 to 30 minutes for gates E1 to E3. Greek ferries close boarding before the departure time and they do leave on schedule, especially the big Blue Star and Minoan ships that run to tight connections.

Most tickets are now e-tickets with a QR code on your phone, scanned at the ramp, so you can go straight to the ship. If you need a paper ticket or have a problem with a booking, the companies have offices near the station and along the Cyclades gates. Departure screens and port authority information desks show the gate for every sailing on the day. Big bags usually go in racks on the car deck, which on Blue Star boats is free and unattended, so keep valuables with you. And strikes are called a few times a year, often around 1 May, with a day or two of notice.

In July and August, book ahead, especially with a car or a cabin. Deck seats rarely run out, but car spaces and cabins on the Crete overnights do, and a full boat means waiting for the next sailing, sometimes the next day.

Luggage storage at Piraeus port

There is no official left-luggage office at the port. There are some paid lockers in and around the metro station, but they are few and often full, so do not plan around them. The reliable option is one of the storage apps, which use shops and hotels around the station: Bounce, Stasher and LuggageHero all have drop-off points near the port, from about €3.50 to €8 per bag per day in October 2026. Book ahead in summer and check the opening hours, as some close in the evening. If you slept in Piraeus, your hotel will usually keep your bags for the day for free.

Where to eat and wait at Piraeus port

The passenger terminals by E1, E2, E3 and E8 have air-conditioned seating, Wi-Fi, snack bars and ticket desks, which is the place to wait in August. There are ATMs between E6 and E7, at E8 and at E3 and E4. For something better than a terminal sandwich, the streets behind the station have bakeries for a spanakopita and a coffee before an early boat: Bread Factory, facing the port, is the one travelers mention most. Paleo Wine Bar, in an old warehouse near the station, is a good place to spend an evening before a night ferry.

With three or four hours to spare, leave the port. Mikrolimano, the small round fishing harbour on the east side of Piraeus, is lined with fish tavernas on the water, ten minutes by taxi. Zea Marina next door has cafés along the yachts, and the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, with its bronze statue of Athena found in the town, is on the way.

Hotels near Piraeus port for an early ferry

Sleeping by the port turns a 7:00 boat into a ten-minute walk. Port Square Hotel faces the gates and the metro, as close as it gets. Gallery Central Piraeus Port is a few streets back, and Piraeus Port Hotel about ten minutes on foot. Phidias Piraeus is further out but says it runs a free shuttle to the port, the metro and the X96 stop. All of them are plain city hotels, priced for one night, not for a holiday.

Piraeus or Rafina: which Athens port is your ferry from?

Athens has two main ferry ports. Piraeus handles Crete, the Dodecanese, the North Aegean, the Saronic islands and most of the Cyclades. Rafina, on the east coast, is about 20 minutes from the airport and serves Mykonos, Tinos and Andros, often faster than Piraeus. The two are an hour apart, so check the port on your ticket before you check the gate. For Mykonos, our Athens to Mykonos ferry guide compares the two, and every other route from Athens is in the guide to Greek ferries.

Top photo: ferries on the quay at Piraeus, by Palickap, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.