Piraeus Port Transfers

Piraeus port transfers are private car, minivan and taxi rides that meet ferry and cruise passengers at the port of Piraeus and drive them to Athens Airport, a hotel in Athens or another port or town, or bring travellers to their ship. Bookable routes run between the port, the airport and central Athens hotels, and onward to the Peloponnese. Greece Tours lists the transfers that start in Greece.

This page covers where the driver meets you, each route, journey times, vehicles, booking, late ferries, the metro, bus and taxi options and the sightseeing stops on the way, with links to the rest of Athens. The transfers below are checked on GetYourGuide and Viator.

What are Piraeus port transfers?

Piraeus port transfers are pre-booked private rides by car, van or taxi that collect ferry and cruise passengers at the port of Piraeus and drive them door to door to a hotel, Athens Airport, another port or a coastal suburb of Athens.

The port of Piraeus is the chief port of Greece and the largest port in Europe for passenger traffic, with about 20 million passengers a year. It lies around 10 km southwest of the centre of Athens and 45 km from the airport, and Piraeus port transfers cover that distance by road. Our Piraeus port guide covers the harbour itself.

Each Piraeus port transfer is booked for one party, so the car is never shared with other passengers. The driver waits at the port, helps with the bags and drives straight to the address given at booking, whether that is a hotel door, an airport terminal or another quay on the coast of Attica.

Piraeus port transfers suit passengers with heavy luggage, groups who travel together and cruise guests who start or end a voyage at the port. They also serve travellers with reduced mobility, since the private transfer from the port to Athens International Airport on GetYourGuide is listed as wheelchair accessible, and they skip the taxi queue that forms at the port in high season.

Where do Piraeus port transfers meet ferry and cruise passengers?

Piraeus port transfers meet passengers at the numbered gate of their ship, from E1 to E12, or at the cruise terminal where the vessel docks. The driver waits at the arranged meeting point on arrival, holding a sign with the passenger’s name.

The Piraeus Port Authority divides the harbour into gates numbered E1 to E12 and links each gate with a group of destinations. The ferry ticket shows the departure gate, and the travel agent confirms it when the ticket does not, so passengers pass that gate number to the Piraeus port transfer company as the meeting point.

• E1: the Dodecanese
• E2: Crete, Chios, Mytilene, Ikaria and Samos
• E3: Crete
• E4, E6, E7 and E10: the Cyclades
• E5: the port authority bus terminal
• E8: the Argosaronic islands
• E9: the Cyclades and Kythira
• E11: Cruise Terminal A, Miaoulis
• E12: Cruise Terminal B, Themistokles, and Cruise Terminal C, Alkimos

Ferry passengers wait in the port authority’s passenger terminals at Akti Vasileiadi, Heation, Agios Dionysios and Akti Tzelepi, and Heation also has luggage lockers. A free bus runs inside the port, and a pedestrian bridge, digital information displays and electric signs guide passengers on foot.

Cruise passengers meet their Piraeus port transfer at the terminal of their ship: Terminal A, Miaoulis, sits at gate E11, while Terminal B, Themistokles, and Terminal C, Alkimos, share gate E12. A free shuttle bus carries passengers and crew between the ships and the terminals, and from there to the exits of the port.

Which Piraeus port transfers run to Athens Airport?

Piraeus port transfers to Athens International Airport are private one-way rides that start at a ferry quay, a cruise terminal or a hotel and end at the airport terminal, 45 km from the port, with a driver who helps with the bags.

On GetYourGuide, the private transfer from Piraeus port to Athens International Airport runs in an air-conditioned car with free wifi, and a second product links the port with both the city centre and the airport. Viator lists private Piraeus port transfers to the airport from the ferry port, from the cruise port and from hotels, so each starting point has its own product.

The airport is about 20 km east of the centre of Athens, between Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa, and the hills in between stretch the drive from the centre to 30 km by road. A Piraeus port transfer reaches the terminal on the Attiki Odos, the toll motorways that form the outer beltway of Greater Athens, or on Varis-Koropiou Avenue from the west.

Piraeus port transfers also run the other way, and GetYourGuide lists a one-way taxi transfer between Athens Airport and Piraeus port in either direction. Our page on Athens Airport to Piraeus covers that direction, and Athens airport transfers covers rides that start at the terminal.

Which Piraeus port transfers run to hotels in central Athens?

Piraeus port transfers to central Athens carry ferry and cruise passengers from the port to the door of their hotel, around 10 km to the northeast, with drop-offs around Syntagma Square, Monastiraki Square, the Acropolis and the old quarter of Plaka.

GetYourGuide lists Piraeus port transfers to hotels in the centre of Athens as private transfers, van transfers and taxi transfers, and the transfer between Piraeus port, the city centre and the airport runs from door to door. Viator adds private arrival transfers from Piraeus port and from the cruise port to hotels across Athens.

One road route to the centre follows Poseidonos Avenue, the coastal road from Piraeus, to the Bay of Faliro and then turns onto Andrea Syngrou Avenue, the major road that links the bay with the city centre through Palaio Faliro, Kallithea and Nea Smyrni. That avenue is home to hotels too, so a Piraeus port transfer reaches them before the old centre.

Drop-off points in the centre include the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum and Syntagma Square, the central square of Athens, along with Plaka, the old neighbourhood on the northeast slope of the Acropolis between Syntagma and Monastiraki squares. On departure day, Piraeus port transfers run in reverse, from the hotel to the ferry gate or the cruise terminal.

Which Piraeus port transfers serve cruise passengers?

Piraeus port transfers serve cruise passengers at the three cruise terminals, A, B and C, with private rides to Athens Airport or a hotel in Athens when a voyage ends in Piraeus, and rides from the airport or hotel to the ship when it begins.

Piraeus is the home port for about a third of its cruise sailings, so those passengers board or leave the ship at the port and need a Piraeus port transfer to a flight or a hotel. Transfer firms plan each ride around the cruise schedule that the passenger sends.

GetYourGuide lists Piraeus port transfers built for cruise guests: an economy transfer from the cruise port to Athens hotels, a van and minibus transfer from Athens hotels to the cruise port, and transfers between the cruise port and the airport in both directions. Viator adds a private transfer from the cruise port to Athens city hotels.

Terminal A is the main terminal, within walking distance of the centre of Piraeus, Terminal B handles mega cruise ships, and Terminal C is the smallest; an open parking area with 240 slots for coaches lies nearby. Guests whose ship calls at Piraeus for the day and who want to see the city book an Athens shore excursion instead of a Piraeus port transfer.

Which Piraeus port transfers run to Rafina and Lavrio ports?

Piraeus port transfers run to Rafina and Lavrio, the other ports close to Athens, for passengers who land at Piraeus and sail on from the east coast of Attica. Rafina lies 25 km east of the city centre, and Lavrio about 60 km southeast.

Rafina is a port town on the Aegean coast of eastern Attica, east of Mount Pentelicus, and acts as the second port of Athens after Piraeus, with ferries to southern Euboea and the Cyclades. A Piraeus port transfer to Rafina links a ship that docked on the Saronic Gulf with a sailing from the opposite side of Attica, and our Rafina port guide details the harbour.

Lavrio is a town in southeastern Attica, and the EO89 road runs through it. It lies at the southern tip of the Athens Riviera, the coast that begins at Piraeus, so a Piraeus port transfer to Lavrio runs from one end of the Riviera to the other. Travellers who want to see the town plan a Lavrio day trip from Athens.

Ferryhopper books port transfers in Athens to and from Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio, and Tours of Athens runs transfers between the main ports of the mainland, Lavrion among them. These Piraeus port transfers suit island hoppers who land on one ferry and leave on another from a different port of Attica.

Which Piraeus port transfers run to the Athens Riviera?

Piraeus port transfers run south along the coast to the Athens Riviera, with drop-offs at hotels, marinas and beaches in Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza, on Poseidonos Avenue, the main coastal road that connects the southern suburbs with the port of Piraeus.

The Athens Riviera is the coastal area of the southern suburbs of Athens, about 16 km from downtown. Poseidonos Avenue, also known as Paraliaki, runs from New Faliro in Piraeus to Glyfada and beyond, and turns into the EO91 road after Glyfada, so a Piraeus port transfer to the Riviera follows one coast road south.

Glyfada stretches from the foot of Mount Hymettus to the Saronic Gulf, has a modern marina and links with central Athens by Poseidonos and Vouliagmenis avenues. Vouliagmeni, 18 km south of the centre, has hotels, beaches and two marinas; its palm-lined main road, Athinas Avenue, runs parallel to the shore, with the luxury hotels of the Kavouri peninsulas on the sea side.

Varkiza lies 22 km south of the centre of Athens, just east of Vouliagmeni, and is linked with Poseidonos Avenue. The town has a widely known beach, and a Piraeus port transfer reaches it on the same coast road that serves Glyfada. Our guide to Athens Riviera beaches covers the shore in detail.

Which Piraeus port transfers run to the Peloponnese and central Greece?

Piraeus port transfers link the port with Corinth, Loutraki, Nafplio, Epidaurus, Patras, Olympia and Katakolo in the Peloponnese, and with the ports of Agios Konstantinos and Volos. Delphi in central Greece and Meteora in Thessaly are sold as full-day private trips from Athens.

On the Peloponnese side, Piraeus port transfers are sold as fixed private routes. Viator lists transfers from Nafplio, Tolo and Candia, from Corinth, Loutraki and Agioi Theodoroi, from Epidaurus, from Patras, Rio and Nafpaktos, and from Olympia, Katakolo and Pyrgos, each running to Athens, Piraeus or Athens Airport. Before booking, compare Nafplio transfers and, for the western harbour, Patras port transfers.

Piraeus port transfers can also join a multi-destination plan: one Athens operator schedules transfers to Nafplio, Loutraki, Katakolo, Killini, Patras, Agios Konstantinos, Volos and Lefkada around the cruise schedule you send. Delphi sits on the road from Livadeia to Amfissa, National Road 48, and Meteora rises between Kalabaka and Kastraki; for the second, compare Meteora transfers.

How long do Piraeus port transfers take?

Piraeus port transfers to the Peloponnese run from 1 hour 15 minutes for the Athens to Corinth drive to 2 hours for the private transfer to the Port of Patras, while Delphi and Meteora trips from Athens fill whole days of 9 to 14 hours.

Piraeus port transfers to Patras use the Olympia Odos, a 220 km closed motorway with a 130 km/h limit that cut the Athens to Patras transit to 1 hour 45 minutes. Patras lies 215 km west of Athens by road, and the motorway now runs on to Pyrgos, 94 km south-west of Patras, for Olympia and Katakolo pickups.

For Nafplio, the scheduled KTEL bus to Athens takes two hours to two hours and 20 minutes via Corinth and Argos. Ask for the quoted drive time when you book Piraeus port transfers to Nafplio, Tolo or Candia, and match it to your sailing.

Delphi and Meteora are timed as whole days. Delphi trips from Athens run 9 to 12 hours, and Meteora day trips run 14 hours, including a private day with a driver and a stop at Thermopylae. Plan a Piraeus port transfer to either place as a full-day booking rather than a one-way drop.

Which vehicles do Piraeus port transfers use?

Piraeus port transfers use saloon cars for 4 passengers with 4 pieces of luggage, Mercedes E-Class and S-Class cars, 7 to 8 seat Vito and V-Class minivans, 10 to 20 seat Sprinter minibuses and 35 to 55 seat coaches.

The fleet behind one Athens operator’s Piraeus port transfers is built on Mercedes models, from the E-Class and S-Class to the Sprinter and the coach. Its cars hold permission to enter the city centre, run fully air-conditioned and carry full insurance, and the firm belongs to the Athens-Piraeus Association of Tourism Automobilists under the Greek Ministry of Tourism.

Marketplace titles can name the vehicle: Viator sells a port-to-airport transfer in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon and a private minivan for up to 7 passengers on the Nafplio and Tolo run. A GetYourGuide van and minibus service takes groups of up to 20, and another listing promises an air-conditioned car and free Wi-Fi.

How do you book Piraeus port transfers?

You book Piraeus port transfers online ahead of arrival: choose the route and vehicle, add your ferry or cruise details, pay by card and keep the confirmation email, then expect the driver’s details and instructions in the days before the ride.

Each listing sets its own cut-off. Piraeus port transfers on GetYourGuide ask for 2, 3, 6 or 10 hours’ notice, and three Piraeus listings need 2 days. Free cancellation appears on each of them, and the Ferryhopper transfer service refunds rides cancelled up to 24 hours before the ride.

Before paying, ask what Piraeus port transfers include. One licensed Athens operator’s price covers the vehicle, a licensed English-speaking driver, VAT, fuel, tolls, insurance and parking, but not gratuities or site entrance fees. Pay by credit card, and distrust booking emails from free webmail accounts.

What happens to Piraeus port transfers when a ferry is late?

For a delayed ferry, Piraeus port transfers rely on the arrival details you gave: send the ferry name and schedule, follow the boat on a live tracker that shows delays in real time, and contact the driver, whose details arrive before the ride.

Ferryhopper’s live tracking page shows arrivals, departures, delays and ferry positions in real time, so you can pass a new arrival time to the driver of your Piraeus port transfer. One Athens operator builds its transfer plan from the cruise schedule you send, and on the airport leg one transfer partner monitors flights for delays.

If a cruise ship cannot dock, one small-group shore excursion from Piraeus gives a full refund. If the booked car is missing, taxis line the quayside, a radio taxi or app can have a cab waiting, and the X96 bus runs to the airport day and night.

Are Piraeus port transfers better than the metro, the X96 bus or a taxi?

Piraeus port transfers win on door-to-door comfort, a flat pre-paid fare and a driver who helps with luggage, while the metro and the X96 bus cost less and a street taxi needs no booking but runs on the meter and the queue.

The metro is the rail rival to Piraeus port transfers. Piraeus station stands next to the port as the interchange of Line 1 and Line 3. Line 3 runs a direct train to the airport every 36 minutes in under an hour, and Line 1 meets Line 3 at Monastiraki for the run to Syntagma Square.

The X96 bus is the cheapest link between Piraeus and the airport. It runs day and night every 20 minutes and takes about 90 minutes in normal traffic, or up to 2 hours at rush hour, with tickets from kiosks or on board.

Yellow taxis line the port, yet in high season you can face a queue, the meter moves with traffic and time of day, and a driver can take on other passengers unless you ask to ride alone. A pre-paid Piraeus port transfer needs no meter and no cash; see our Athens taxi guide and our page on getting around Athens.

Can Piraeus port transfers include a sightseeing stop in Athens?

Yes, Piraeus port transfers can include a sightseeing stop: operators arrange a mini driving tour of the main sights or a short walking tour before the drop-off, and shore tours from the port cover the Acropolis and Plaka with port pickup.

Shore tours fold Piraeus port transfers into a half day of sightseeing. A 5-hour tour from Piraeus port includes prepaid Acropolis and Parthenon tickets, a panoramic drive, the Panathenaic Stadium and free time in Plaka, while a private 3-hour tour adds hotel or cruise ship transfers and stops at the changing of the guard and Hadrian’s Arch.

For a Piraeus port transfer that ends at the airport, one Athens driver service runs from 1 to 12 hours between the airport, hotels and the port. A hired driver covers transfers and waiting time but by Greek law cannot guide inside archaeological sites or museums, so add a licensed guide and plan the stop with our one day in Athens route.

Frequently Asked Questions

What luggage can you bring on a Piraeus port transfer?

A standard saloon booking covers 4 passengers with 4 pieces of luggage. Larger parties move up to a Vito or V-Class with 7 to 8 seats, or a Sprinter with 10 to 20 seats, and the driver meets you and helps with the bags.

Can you add child seats to the transfer from the port?

Yes. On the Ferryhopper transfer service, you request child seats when you make the booking and state the type of seat each child needs. Each seat carries an extra charge, so list every child at checkout and check the seats again when the driver’s details arrive before the ride.

Do Piraeus port transfers run at night?

Yes. A pre-booked Piraeus port transfer keeps the flat, pre-paid fare agreed at booking, and the transfer partner’s customer support answers day and night. Street taxis switch the meter to tariff 2, which covers night rides and trips outside the city, so a fixed fare spares late arrivals any meter surprises.

Can wheelchair users book Piraeus port transfers?

Yes. One Athens fleet runs an accessible vehicle with rear ramps and a side or back lift for 12 seated passengers, or 3 wheelchairs and 7 seated passengers. On GetYourGuide, a private Piraeus to Athens Airport transfer and a 3-hour private tour with cruise ship pickup are wheelchair accessible.