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Water Athens is served by the major port at Pireás (Piraeus) run by the Piraeus Port Organisation (OLP) (tel: (01) 452 0911; fax: (01) 413 5716; website: www.intrasoft.gr/arsactvt/port_piraeus_organization.htm). Ferry services: Many visitors to Greece head straight from Athens International Airport to Piraeus for a ferry to the Greek islands. From Piraeus there are regular sailings 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. Up-to-date information can be obtained from the service provider, or from the Athens News which lists daily departure times. The local port police limenarhío (tel: 108 or 143) 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; cabin bunks can also be booked. Most ships have limited restaurant facilities. During high season (March/April and August) it is wise 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 Flying Dolphins run by the Ceres Company. Reservations and tickets can be purchased at the main booking office at Piraeus (tel: (01) 428 0001), in the city (tel: (01) 324 4600) or from authorised agents. There are international services between Piraeus and Kusadasi and Izmir (Turkey); Limassol and Larnica (Cyprus); Haifa (Israel); Port Said and Alexandria (Egypt); and Venice (Italy). Transport to the city: A metro line runs between the centre of Athens and the port of Piraeus (the terminus); the journey takes about 25 minutes. There is also an express bus 19 every 30 minutes from the airport to Piraeus. A taxi between the port and either the centre of Athens or the airport will cost about Dr1000. A surcharge of Dr150 is charged for journeys to or from the port. |
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