Getting there · Greek Islands, Greece
Ports, ferry companies, airlines and how to plan an island hop.
Updated October 2026
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love the Greek islands.
The back story
Ports, operators, conventional ferries versus fast boats, booking and what to do when the wind blows.
Gateway to the Aegean
Greece’s biggest port, with ferries to the Cyclades, Crete, the Dodecanese, the North Aegean and the Saronic islands.
Compare routes in one place
An Athens-founded website and app that compares ferry timetables and fares across operators.
Our in-depth guides.
The back story
Which islands have airports, when flying beats the ferry, and how to combine both.
The back story
Ports, operators, conventional ferries versus fast boats, booking and what to do when the wind blows.
Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio.
For Kea and Kythnos
A small port near Cape Sounion, the main gateway to Kea and Kythnos and some other island routes.
Gateway to the Aegean
Greece’s biggest port, with ferries to the Cyclades, Crete, the Dodecanese, the North Aegean and the Saronic islands.
Quickest to Tinos and Mykonos
A smaller port on the east coast of Attica, about 20 minutes from the airport, with ferries and fast boats to Andros, Tinos and Mykonos.
The airport and the airlines.
Greece’s main airline group
Domestic flights from Athens to many islands, including Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos, Syros, Crete, Rhodes and Corfu.
Where most island trips begin
Greece’s main airport, with connections to many island airports and to the ports of Piraeus and Rafina.
Island specialist
A Greek airline with flights from Athens to many islands in the Aegean and the Ionian.
Conventional ferries and fast boats.
Overnight to Chania
Overnight ferries from Piraeus to Souda, the port of Chania, in western Crete.
Big, steady conventional ferries
One of Greece’s largest ferry companies, with conventional ferries from Piraeus to the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and other islands.
From Rafina
Ferries and fast boats from Rafina to Andros, Tinos, Mykonos and other Cyclades.
Saronic and Aegean routes
Ferries and fast boats from Piraeus, including the Saronic islands of Aegina, Poros, Hydra and Spetses.
Overnight to Heraklion
Large overnight ferries between Piraeus and Heraklion, with cabins.
Booking and Athens.
Before and after the islands
Most island trips start and end in Athens: where to stay near the ports and the airport, and what to see.
Compare routes in one place
An Athens-founded website and app that compares ferry timetables and fares across operators.
