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| Home > City Guide - Athens - Getting There By Water | ||
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Getting There By Water Athens is served by the major port at Pireás (Piraeus), run by the Piraeus Port Organisation – OLP (tel: 210 422 6000). Facilities at the port include left-luggage, ATMs, banks, bureaux de change, bars, restaurants, taxis, car hire and numerous travel agencies selling ferry tickets – agencies can also arrange accommodation on the islands. Ferry services: Many visitors to Greece head straight from Athens International Airport to Piraeus, for a ferry to the Greek islands (website: www.greekislands.gr). From Piraeus, there are regular crossings to ports in the following areas of Greece: Dodecanese, Cyclades, Peloponnese, Saronic Gulf Islands, Crete, Samos, northeastern Aegean Islands and northern Greece. Schedules change frequently and services are reduced out of season. Travellers can obtain up-to-date information from the service provider or from the Athens News, which lists daily departure times. The local port police, limenarhío (tel: 108), are also a good source of information, although their English is limited. Tickets can be bought from the shipping lines’ offices located around the quaysides – the larger lines also have offices in the city centre. Three classes of ticket offer varying degrees of comfort and cabin bunks can also be booked. Most ships have limited restaurant facilities. During high season (March/April and August) it is wise for visitors to buy tickets in advance, as inter-island travel is very popular. Hydrofoils are a fast alternative to the ferries, although services are more expensive and drastically reduced in adverse weather conditions. The majority of hydrofoils from Piraeus are operated by Hellas Flying Dolphin (website: www.dolphins.gr). Reservations and tickets can be purchased at the main booking office at Akti Kondili in Piraeus, or from authorised agents in the city centre. There are also international services between Piraeus and Kusadasi and Izmir (Turkey), Limassol and Larnica (Cyprus), Port Said and Alexandria (Egypt), Venice (Italy) and Haifa (Israel), although services to Israel are currently suspended due to the situation there. Transport to the city: A metro line runs between the centre of Athens and the port of Piraeus terminus (journey time – approximately 25 minutes). There is also an express bus, Line E96, every 30 minutes from the airport to Piraeus. A taxi between the port and the centre of Athens will cost approximately €9. |
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