Piraeus Athens

Cruise vessels berth at the New Passenger Terminal, one mile from central Piraeus and eight miles from Athens. The 3 terminals, A- Miaoulos, B- Themistocles and C- Alkimos, are less than half a kilometre from one another.

When your ship berths farther away, free shuttles take passengers to the principal cruise-terminal buildings.

Cruise-organised shuttle services to Athens can cost up to 18 euro and are not announced until the previous night.

The Athens Hop-on Hop-off Tour begins about 200 metres from the cruise terminal. Leave the lower level of the terminal building, turn left and cross the car park. A small tourist train also departs here, although it travels only around Piraeus.

Metered taxis are generally available just outside the terminal building. Be ready to negotiate.

A new bus now connects the cruise terminal with the Acropolis and Syntagma. Route X80 runs daily every 30 minutes from 7 am until 9.30pm. You can travel with the 4.50 euro daily tourist ticket, valid for 24 hr, or the 20 euro 3-day ticket, which also includes transport to the airport. An X80 stop, shelter and staffed ticket office stand immediately outside terminal B. Remember to validate your ticket when boarding. For the return to Piraeus, one central Athens X80 stop is on the western edge of Syntagma Square near McDonald's.

A 20 - 30 minute walk reaches the Metro, where Line 1 provides a quick connection to central Athens and is often faster than a taxi. Buses to Athens also leave from the Port. A public-transport day pass costs around 4 euros, while a 90-minute ticket is 1.40 Euro. Routes 843 and 859 also serve the metro station. Buy tickets from the driver or slightly more cheaply at a nearby kiosk. On boarding, remember to validate and time-stamp the ticket in a machine.

The Port of Piraeus is a significant Mediterranean cruise destination. It provides 12 berths for vessels at the same time and can receive even the largest cruise ships.

Metro Line 3 links the airport with the city and Piraeus; change at Monastiraki station for Metro Line 1.

When a cruise begins in Piraeus, be sure to fly in a couple of days beforehand. Rather than choosing an overpriced hotel in central Athens, you may prefer accommodation in Piraeus.

Travel directions from Athens or the airport

Hotels within Athens and Piraeus.

Piraeus is Greece's most-used cruise port. Corfu is second, while Mykonos and Santorini share equal third place.

The Acropolis of Athens brings the finest science, art and philosophy together in a single creation, forming the definitive monument to human civilisation. UNESCO describes it as the symbol of World Heritage, while the world knows it as the Athenian Acropolis!

Competitively priced tax-free shops sit behind customs in the Terminal. Liquor prices are attractive, while tobacco offers even better value; both are cheaper than prices aboard ship. This applies only when your vessel has visited, or will visit, a non EU port.

For upmarket shopping in Athens, visit the Kolonaki and Monastiraki districts. Woven bags and amber or silver worry beads are appealing souvenirs. LaLaounis and Zolotas are recognised for exquisitely designed gold jewellery. A range of souvenir goods is also available near the port in Piraeus.

The currency is the Euro.

Greek is spoken.

The cruise-terminal building offers free but slow WiFi, along with a few internet terminals in the café inside.

With only one ship alongside, it will probably berth directly beside the terminal building, where the signal can be received fairly strongly on the starboard side.

Public Services operate Monday to Friday from 8.00am – 2.00pm. Retail Stores & Specialist Shops open Monday to Friday from 9am – 1.30pm and again from 5pm – 9pm, as well as Saturdays from 9am – 2pm. Supermarkets trade Monday to Friday from 9am – 9pm and Saturdays from 9am – 6pm. Most Tourist Shops and Convenience Stores have no official hours and are usually open from dawn until well after midnight during the summer months.