Ferries for Andros, Tinos and Mykonos load at Rafina, on the east coast of Attica, and Rafina port transfers bridge the gap between that quay and Athens Airport, a hotel in central Athens or the port of Piraeus, with the driver booked before the trip. The full set of private rides across the country sits on Greece Tours.
Below are the meeting point, every route, the ferries the drivers meet, journey times, vehicles, booking, late ships, the bus and taxi options and the tours that include the ride, with links to the Athens pages. Each transfer shown is checked on GetYourGuide and Viator.
What are Rafina port transfers?
Rafina port transfers collect ferry passengers at the port of Rafina, on the eastern coast of Attica, and drive them door to door to Athens Airport, a hotel in Athens, Piraeus or another address, in a car, minivan or taxi reserved in advance.
Rafina is the second port of Athens after Piraeus and the second busiest port in Attica, with about 2 million passengers a year. Rafina port transfers run both ways, from the ferry to the city and from a hotel or the airport to the ferry, and listed drop-offs also include Delphi, Nafplion, Corinth, Patras and Volos.
A private booking carries one party only, from a single traveller up to a group of 20 in a van or minibus. The driver meets the party on arrival, helps with the bags and speaks English, so Rafina port transfers suit families, groups and passengers with heavy luggage who step off a ferry at a busy quay.
In summer the port of Rafina gets very crowded with ferry departures and arrivals, and Rafina port transfers spare passengers the wait in line for a taxi. Listed transfers are sold as skip-the-line rides, with the driver booked and waiting before the passenger lands.
Where do Rafina port transfers meet ferry passengers?
Rafina port transfers meet ferry passengers at the quays of Rafina port, at the meeting point arranged at booking, where the driver stands with a name sign for the passenger. The ferry pier lies a short walk from the entrance of the port.
Rafina’s passenger port is a single large terminal: conventional ferries use 13 ramps and high-speed vessels use 2. The ferry positions are easy to reach on foot because the pier sits close to the port entrance, so passengers walk straight from the ship to the meeting point.
At the entrance of the port, passengers find 3 waiting spaces: 1 waiting room and 2 sheltered areas. Rafina port transfers work as a meet-and-greet service: the driver waits at the port before the ferry docks and holds up the name sign as passengers come ashore.
Rafina port transfers also work in the other direction, dropping departing passengers at the port for their ferry. The port sits close to the centre of the town of Rafina and is easy to reach by car, and in summer passengers are advised to arrive at least 1 hour before departure. Our Rafina port page covers the harbour itself.
Which Rafina port transfers run to Athens Airport?
Rafina port transfers to Athens Airport include private cars, vans and minibuses that collect passengers at the Rafina quays and drive them to Athens International Airport, which lies southwest of the port, and the same services meet arriving flights for the ride to the ferry.
Rafina port transfers listed for this route include a van and minibus service from the airport to the port for parties of 1 to 20, a private transfer that picks travellers up at the airport and drives them to Rafina port, and a private transfer for up to 8 people between the airport or the city and Rafina or Lavrio, in either direction.
Rafina port transfers from the airport follow the Attiki Odos, the toll motorway system that forms the outer beltway of Greater Athens, then turn onto Marathonos Avenue and run through the streets of Rafina to the port. The motorway does not reach the port itself: an extension to the ports of Rafina and Lavrio is under discussion but has not begun construction.
Athens International Airport, the largest in Greece for international flights, lies among the towns of Markopoulo, Koropi, Spata and Loutsa. Rafina port transfers bound for a departing flight end at the terminal, while rides that start at the terminal for other parts of Attica appear on our Athens airport transfers page.
Which Rafina port transfers run to central Athens?
Rafina port transfers to central Athens are private rides by van, minibus or car that collect passengers at the Rafina quays and drop them door to door at a hotel in the city centre, near the Acropolis or in districts such as Ampelokipoi.
The listed van and minibus transfer from Rafina port to the city takes parties of 1 to 20 and starts with a port pick-up. A matching service runs from Athens to the port, and for that outward ride Rafina port transfers collect passengers at their address, such as the hotel reception, where the driver waits for them.
Rafina port transfers reach the city on Marathonos Avenue, which continues into Athens as Mesogeion Avenue, or on the Attiki Odos motorway, which drivers leave at the Rafina exit on the way out to the port. Beyond the centre, the drop-off list from the port runs on to Kifissia, Agios Stefanos, Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni.
Which Rafina port transfers run to Piraeus?
Rafina port transfers to Piraeus are private port-to-port rides that carry passengers from the Rafina quays to the ferry harbour or the cruise port of Piraeus, the chief port of Greece, eight kilometres southwest of Athens city centre on the Saronic Gulf.
Piraeus and Rafina handle the bulk of the ferries that leave Athens, and Rafina port transfers join the two ports by road, with separate drop-offs listed for Piraeus itself and for the Piraeus cruise port. Rides that begin at Piraeus have their own page on Piraeus port transfers.
The ride crosses the Attica Basin from the eastern coast of Attica to the Saronic Gulf. Ferries from the central harbour of Piraeus run to Crete, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and the northern and eastern Aegean, so Rafina port transfers suit passengers who land at Rafina and sail on from Piraeus, or who board a cruise ship there.
Lavrio, the third port close to Athens, also sits on the drop-off list from Rafina, both as Lavrio and as the Lavrio Marina, so Rafina port transfers connect Rafina by road with both of the other ferry ports close to the capital.
Why do Rafina port transfers suit travellers flying into Athens?
Rafina port transfers suit travellers flying into Athens because Rafina lies close to Athens International Airport, closer than it lies to the centre of Athens, so a driver carries passengers straight from the airport to the ferry quay without crossing the city.
Both the airport and the port lie east of the centre of Athens. The airport stands about 20 km east of the centre, or 30 km by road because of the hills in between, and Rafina sits on the Aegean coast east of Mount Pentelicus, so Rafina port transfers from the airport stay on the eastern side of Attica.
For travellers bound for Andros, Tinos or Mykonos, Rafina is the easiest and fastest ferry port, so Rafina port transfers take them from the airport straight to the quay rather than into the city first. The same rides run back from the ferry to the airport for the flight home.
Piraeus, the other main ferry port, lies southwest of the city centre, on the far side of Athens from the airport, so a ferry from Piraeus means a ride across the city. For the islands that Rafina serves, Rafina port transfers save travellers that crossing and keep the trip from plane to ferry on one side of Attica.
Which ferries do Rafina port transfers meet?
Rafina port transfers meet the ferries from Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, which sail all year, the summer ferries from the central and southern Cyclades such as Milos and Santorini, the seasonal Crete route, summer sailings from Ikaria and Samos and the Marmari ferry from Evia.
Rafina lies closer to the northwestern Cyclades than the other ports of Athens. Andros is the Cyclades island furthest north, about 3 km north of Tinos, and ferries from Tinos carry passengers and cars on to Mykonos, Andros and Syros. Rafina port transfers meet the north Cyclades ferries after these crossing times:
- Rafina to Andros: one to two hours
- Rafina to Tinos: two to three hours
- Rafina to Mykonos: two and a half to four hours
- Rafina to Heraklion in Crete: about nine hours, on weekly summer crossings
The Crete route calls at central Cyclades islands such as Naxos or Santorini on the way. In all, Rafina has direct ferry links to 19 ports, among them Amorgos, Ios, Paros, Sifnos, Syros, Lemnos, Samothrace and Alexandroupolis, and Rafina port transfers serve passengers off any of these ferries. Our Rafina to Tinos ferry page covers that crossing in detail.
How long do Rafina port transfers take?
Rafina port transfers from Athens airport take 30 minutes to 1 hour, and rides from central Athens take 40 minutes to 1 hour, with traffic setting the final time. Van and minibus listings quote 45 minutes for both runs and for the return to the city.
A transfer service sold alongside ferry tickets times the airport run at 30 minutes and the city run at 40 minutes, while one private airport transfer is listed at 1 hour. Taxis need 20 to 40 minutes from the airport and about 1 hour from Omonia or Syntagma, depending on traffic, and that traffic sets the real time of Rafina port transfers.
Add a buffer when Rafina port transfers end at the ferry, whether you board the Rafina to Paros ferry or a shorter crossing. The private transfer that serves both Rafina and Lavrio is listed at 45 minutes from the airport or the city, and for the flight home the drive from the port to the airport averages 25 to 30 minutes, so allow extra time on top.
Which vehicles do Rafina port transfers use?
Rafina port transfers run in saloon cars for up to 4 passengers, minivans for up to 8 and minibuses for up to 14, while van and minibus listings take groups of up to 20 and private coaches carry larger parties on request.
The standard car on Rafina port transfers is a saloon priced for 4 passengers, and one airport firm sends a Mercedes-Benz at a flat rate with everything included. Groups move up to a minivan for 8 or a minibus for 14 passengers, and the same firm sends an offer for anything larger.
Van and minibus listings describe each vehicle as new, fully insured and maintained, and the private transfer serving Rafina and Lavrio sets child places for ages 9 and under. For large parties, one booking form for Rafina port transfers runs from 1 to 56 passengers.
How do you book Rafina port transfers?
You book Rafina port transfers online in advance: enter the route, date, pickup time and party size, pay, and keep the confirmation email. The driver’s details and instructions arrive in the days before the ride, and listings ask for 3 to 10 hours’ notice.
Booking forms for Rafina port transfers ask for the pickup date and time, the pickup and drop-off points, and the number of adults and children. Marketplaces sell the service under plain titles such as Rafina Port Private Transfer and Rafina Port Transfers.
One airport firm also books by email, phone or WhatsApp, takes last-minute requests and, for Rafina port transfers to the airport, uses your departure flight number to advise on the pickup time. The van and minibus runs need at least 10 hours’ notice, and the private ride to Rafina or Lavrio needs 3 hours.
What happens to Rafina port transfers when a ferry is late?
When a ferry is late, Rafina port transfers run on the arrival time you booked, so track the boat on a live ferry tracker and send the new time to your driver or to the transfer’s support team, which answers 24/7.
A live ferry tracker shows each ship’s position, its arrival and departure and any delay as it happens, so you can warn the driver of Rafina port transfers before the boat docks. The transfer service sold alongside ferry tickets also monitors flights for delays and lets you manage the trip in its mobile app.
A sailing ban can still come up to 1 hour before a ferry leaves, so a cancelled crossing can change the plan at short notice. Check the tracker again before the pickup time of Rafina port transfers to the quay, and read our tips for ferry travel in Greece before the trip.
How do Rafina port transfers compare with the bus and a taxi?
Rafina port transfers cost more than the KTEL Attikis bus but run door to door on a flat, pre-paid fee, while the bus keeps to a timetable and a street taxi means a queue at the rank and a metered fare.
The orange KTEL Attikis buses leave the airport from a stop opposite the Sofitel hotel, between exits 2 and 3, and reach a stop beside Rafina port in 30 to 40 minutes. They run every 30 to 60 minutes, the driver sells the tickets, and timetables shift constantly, so check the current one before you choose the bus over Rafina port transfers.
From central Athens, the bus is slower than Rafina port transfers: KTEL Attikis buses leave Pedion tou Areos every hour and take around 1.5 hours, so catch an earlier bus than your sailing suggests. City bus 314 from Doukissis Plakentias metro takes about 45 minutes, but its stop lies about 10 minutes by taxi from the port.
Airport taxis wait at the official rank outside exit 3 of the arrivals level, and the taximeter sets the fare by distance and travel time. Rafina port transfers fix the fee at booking instead and aim to match a regular taxi fare.
Which tours include Rafina port transfers?
Rafina port transfers pair with island day trips from Athens: a Mykonos day trip that includes ferry tickets and offers pickup, and a private Andros day trip by ferry with a local guide. Check each listing for its departure port before booking a separate transfer.
For one booking that covers the ride and the crossing, the Mykonos day trip from Athens lasts 1 day, includes the ferry tickets, offers pickup and runs in English and Spanish. It carries free cancellation and gives a full refund or a date change, subject to availability, if a sailing ban stops the ferry. Staying on the island? Pre-book Mykonos port transfers for the quay.
The private Andros day trip from Athens crosses by ferry with a local guide, takes groups of up to 7, runs in English and Greek and books 2 hours ahead. Plan the day with our Andros day trip from Athens, and see our Tinos day trip from Athens for a second island served from Rafina.
Longer island tours from Athens bundle transport too: a 2-day Santorini and Mykonos tour from Athens with transport and accommodation arranged, a 2-day Santorini trip with accommodation, and a 4-day island-hopping tour to Santorini, Naxos and Mykonos. Read each listing for the departure port before you add Rafina port transfers on top.
What do Rafina port transfers include?
Rafina port transfers include a meet and greet, help with luggage and a fixed price that covers the licensed driver and vehicle, taxes and tolls, waiting time and flight monitoring, while child seats come on request and marketplace listings carry free cancellation.
A standard car on Rafina port transfers carries 4 passengers with 4 pieces of luggage, or up to 4 medium cases with one airport firm. Another provider counts luggage, ski equipment and child seats among the extras in its fixed price, and the van and minibus listings promise a driver waiting at the airport, the port or the pickup point.
Child seats are requested at booking, where you state the type each child needs, and one service adds a charge for each seat. Cancellation is free on the marketplace listings for Rafina port transfers, and the service sold alongside ferry tickets refunds any ride cancelled up to 24 hours before pickup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Rafina port transfers include a sightseeing stop?
Yes. The transfer service sold alongside ferry tickets adds a mini tour of local landmarks on the way and shares tips about your destination. Another provider arranges private tours and hire by the hour on request, so a car and driver stay with you for the hours you book.
Can you book Rafina port transfers as a return trip?
Yes. One booking form offers a one-way ride or a return, with its own return date and time, and another form has an add-return option. Book both legs of Rafina port transfers together once your ferry dates are fixed, and keep each confirmation email.
Do Rafina port transfers have matching rides on the islands?
Yes. The transfer service sold alongside ferry tickets covers Rafina, Piraeus and Lavrio, and it also runs port transfers on Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu and Zakynthos, so both ends of a crossing can be booked with the same service.
Do Rafina port transfers run at night?
Yes. One authorised airport firm runs transfers 24 hours a day, with a separate night rate. Street taxis switch to a higher night tariff, while the KTEL Attikis airport buses run only from early morning to late evening, so a pre-booked ride covers the small hours.
How do you pay for Rafina port transfers?
You pay online when you book: the fee is flat and pre-paid, and one firm quotes a fixed price with everything included. A street taxi runs on the meter instead, and drivers must carry a card machine, so say before the ride that you will pay by card.