The Crete to Athens ferry schedule is available at the bottom of the article.

Nothing is more romantic than approaching Crete by ferry. And if your budget is rather low, nothing is cheaper either! Ferries have become a very popular way to travel between the mainland and the islands, especially when you are looking to save some money. A deck seat on a ferry costs less than the airplane ticket between Athens and Crete.

Port of Piraeus

The Port of Piraeus (or Pireas*) serves Athens. It is large, hectic and confusing. Make sure you allow plenty of time to get from the airport or the hotel to the port. And also allow enough time to find the gate (it’s written on the ticket).

Ferries to Crete depart from Port Gate Ε2 and E3. The port gate E2 is served by the free bus within the port, while at the gate E3 you will also find a rest area and places to eat.

>>more information on Getting from Athens to Piraeus

Crete, Heraklio, Chania, Sitia, Kissimos or Rethymnon ?

When you look up ferries between two places (mainland to islands or between islands), you are actually looking for a way to travel by ferry between two ports. While for the majority of islands, you’ll find the port name exactly the same of the island’s name, it is not Crete’s case.

The island is served by the following ports:

• Heraklio (or Heraklion), port code HCR
• Chania , port code CHC
• Rethymnon (or Rethymno), port code RET
• Kissamos , port code KIS
• Sitia, port code SIT

To make it less confusing, Heraklio and Chania are served by the most ferries, so those two ports are the best choices for tourists. Price-wise, the tickets to Chania are cheaper than the tickets to Heraklio.

How long does it take to get from Athens to Crete?

The ferry journey between Athens (Piraeus, alt spelling Pireas) to Crete (Heraklio or Chania) takes between 6 hours, 30 minutes and 8 hours, depending on the type of ferry you are taking. If you travel between Athens and Rethymnon, the journey takes 12 hours and 3 minutes.

Is there a high speed ferry between Athens and Crete?

Yes, there’s a ferry which takes only 6 hours and 30 minutes to get from Athens to Crete.

How much does it cost to get from Athens to Crete by ferry?

The price depends on where you prefer to stay (deck seat, cabin, lounge) and the type of ferry you are taking, as well as the port you’ll be arriving in (although the differences are not significant). Also, you should consider that several ferry companies serve the route so there’s also a price difference between the same type of seat on ferries run by different companies.

Heraklio
On the ferry operated by Anek SuperFast, a single adult ticket starts at 36 eur.
On the ferry operated by Minoan, a single adult ticket starts at 42 eur.

Chania
On the ferry operated by Anek SuperFast, a single adult ticket starts at 48 eur.

Sitia
On the ferry operated by Aegeon Pelagos, a single adult ticket starts at 44 eur.

Kissamos
On the ferry operated by SeaJets, a single adult ticket starts at 23 eur.

How many ferries per day depart from Athens to Crete during the low season?

During the low season 2023 (Apr May, Sep-Oct ), there are the following connections between Athens and Crete:

To Heraklio

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Monday	9:00 AM	from Jun 5 to Sept 25
Tuesday, Friday, Sunday	9:00 AM	from May 26 to Oct 6
Thursday, Friday	9:00 AM	from Jun 1 to Sept 30

To Chania

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Tuesday	10:00 AM	till Oct 24
Friday	3:00 PM	from Apr 21 to Oct 27
Daily	9:00 PM	till Jun 25

To Kissamos

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Tuesday	10:00 AM	till Oct 24
Friday	3:00 PM	from Apr 21 to Oct 27

To Sitia

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Tuesday	7:30 PM	Apr 18 to May 2

How many ferries per day depart from Athens to Crete during the high season?

During the high season 2023 (Jun-Aug), there are the following connections between Athens and Crete:

To Heraklio

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Monday	9:00 AM	from Jun 5 to Sept 25
Tuesday, Friday, Sunday	9:00 AM	from May 26 to Oct 6
Thursday, Friday	9:00 AM	from Jun 1 to Sept 30
Wednesday	9:00 AM	On Aug 16
Saturday	9:00 AM	from Jul 29 to Aug 5
Tuesday	9:30 AM	from Aug 1 to Aug 8
Thursday, Sunday	9:30 AM	from Jun 13 to Aug 31
Saturday	9:30 AM	from Jun 29 to Aug 12
Daily	9:00 PM	till Oct 31

To Chania

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Tuesday	10:00 AM	till Oct 24
Friday	3:00 PM	from Apr 21 to Oct 27
Daily	9:00 PM	till Jun 25
Daily exept Saturday	10:00 PM/td>	from Jun 25 to Jun 30

To Kissamos

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Tuesday	10:00 AM	till Oct 24
Friday	3:00 PM	from Apr 21 to Oct 27

Are there any overnight journeys between Athens and Crete?

Yes, there’s a ferry departing at 9 p.m. daily both during the high and low season. There are departures to both Heraklio and Chania. Also, during the low season there’s a ferry departing at 9:30 pm to Heraklio, almost daily.

Where can I buy tickets from?

You can buy tickets online right here, at most 2 months before the departure.

Another option is to have your travel agent book them for you, but they will need to contact a Greek travel agency. So an easier option is to contact a reliable Greek travel agency yourself and book your tickets via them.

If you have some time available between your arrival in Athens and the time you planned to take the ferry to Crete, you can buy the tickets directly in the port of Piraeus, at Port Gate Ε1. Unless you are traveling during the peak season or national holiday weekends, you shouldn’t worry about booking in advance, especially if you plan to use a deck seat.

Does everyone charge the same prices?

All the research points to the fact that the prices are exactly the same, whether you buy them online, via a travel agent or directly from the ticketing office in the port. If there are any differences, those shouldn’t be significant.

However, when you book online, service fees may apply based on the country you book from. And if you choose to get the tickets deliver via courier, you’ll pay the shipping fee (you can choose to pick them up in the port).

How about the ferries between Crete and Athens?

During the high season 2023, the following ferries run between Crete and Athens:

From Heraklio

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Monday, Thursday, Saturday	7:00 AM	from May 27 to Oct 7
Tuesday, Friday, Sunday	9:00 AM	from Jun 2 to Sept 29
Thursday	9:00 AM	from Jul 6 to Aug 24
Friday	9:00 AM	On Jul 7, on Jul 21
Saturday	9:00 AM	from Jul 29 to Aug 5
Sunday	9:00 AM	from Aug 13 to Aug 27
Tuesday	9:30 AM	from Aug 1 to Aug 8
Thursday, Sunday	9:30 AM	from Jul 13 to Aug 31
Saturday	9:30 AM	from Jul 29 to Aug 12
Daily	9:00 PM	till Oct 31

From Chania

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Thursday	8:15 AM	from May 4 to Oct 26
Daily	10:00 PM	till Jun 30

From Kissamos

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Thursday	8:15 AM	from May 4 to Oct 26

During the low season 2023, the following ferries are available between Crete and Athens:

From Heraklio

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Monday, Thursday, Saturday	7:00 AM	from May 27 to Oct 7
Tuesday, Friday, Sunday	9:00 AM	from Jun 2 to Sept 29
Monday	2:30 PM	on May 1
Daily	9:00 PM	till Oct 31

From Chania

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Thursday	8:15 AM	from May 4 to Oct 26
Daily	10:00 PM	till Jun 30

From Kissamos

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Thursday	8:15 AM	from May 4 to Oct 26
Daily	10:00 PM	till Jun 30

From Sitia

Day of the week	Hour	Dates
Monday	10 AM	May 1
Thursday	3 PM	Apr 20 to May 4

Important note:

Sometimes the ferry schedules available online are not very accurate. It’s not the websites’ fault at all as the ferry companies submit their schedule to the Ministry of Merchant Marine weekly. Hence the ferry schedule might change from week to week. Your best bet is to check this link the day before departure (or the day of before) just to make sure things haven’t changed.

More information

Read more about
>> Ferries in Greece
>> Ferries from Athens: How to deal with the Port of Piraeus
>> Ferries from Athens to Aegina
>> Ferries from Athens to Mykonos
>> Ferries from Rafina to Mykonos
>> Ferries from Athens to Santorini
>> Ferries from Athens to Rhodes
>> Ferries from Athens to Hydra
>> Ferries from Athens to Patmos
>> Ferries from Athens to Karpathos
>> Ferries from Mykonos to Syros
>> Ferries from Santorini to Crete
>> Ferries from Santorini to Mykonos
>> Ferries from Santorini to Naxos
>> Ferries from Alonissos to Skopelos
>> Ferries from Corfu to Patras
>> Ferries from Rhodes to Kos
>> Ferries to and from Santorini
>> Ferries from Athens to Paros
>> Ferries from Mykonos to Crete
>> Ferries from Santorini to Karpathos
>> Ferries from Thessaloniki to Lesvos
>> Ferries to and from Mykonos
>> Ferries from Mykonos to Paros (and return)
>> Ferries from Crete to Gavdos
>> Ferries from Santorini to Rhodes
>> Ferries from Santorini to Paros
>> Ferries from Mykonos to Ios
>> Ferries from Mykonos to Tinos
>> Ferries from Thessaloniki to Rhodes
>> Ferries from Athens to Naxos
>> Ferries from Athens to Thessaloniki
>> Ferries from Santorini to Syros
>> Ferries from Kavala to Thassos
>> Ferries from Alonissos to Skiathos
>> Ferries from Athens to Lesvos (Lesbos)
>> Ferries from Thessaloniki to Kos
>> Ferries from Thessaloniki to Chios

Note:
* Pireas and Piraeus are exactly the same place, but you can find them spelled in both ways. All road signs though point to Pireas.
*The article was first published in 2009; latest schedule update was made as of April 2023.
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