How Much Is the Ferry From Athens to Paros
Are you planning a journey from Athens to Paros? Are you island hopping around the Greek islands? Not sure what's the best way to travel?
This guide will go through all the transport options for travelling from Athens to Paros including flights from Athens to Paros, a ferry from Piraeus to Paros and a ferry from Rafina to Paros. The routes still apply if you want to travel from Paros to Athens. I'll also cover travelling by car from Athens to Paros and travelling with kids.
Athens is a must-visit destination when travelling around Greece – home of the world-famous Acropolis and towering Lycabettus hill with plenty of family-friendly things to do.
Paros is one of the jewels of the Cyclades islands with picturesque villages painted in traditional blue and white Cycladic style. From its bustling town Parikia to the resort town of Naoussa and the islands stunning beaches being some of the best in Greece for families, Paros is the perfect Greek island destination for families.
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The Best Way To Get From Athens to Paros – Athens to Paros Ferry From Piraeus
The best way to get from Athens to Paros is on the Blue Star ferry from Pireaus. I highly recommend that you book a room on the ferry. It still works out cheaper than flying and makes the journey go much faster! Expect the trip to take around 4-5 hours. View timetables and prices below with Ferry Hopper:
Map: The Journey From Athens to Paros
The distance between Athens and Paros is 135 miles or 217km, although the distance doesn't seem like that much of a distance if you know the best route to take.
Athens to Paros Journey Options
| Transport Option | Journey Duration | Information | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | 40 Minutes | Several flights a day from Athens international airport to Paros. It's only possible to fly to Paros from Athens. Flights are run by Aegean Air, Hahn Air, Sky Express and Olympic Air. Aegean Air usually has the lowest prices. | View flight prices and availability from Athens to Paros here. |
| Ferry Piraeus Port to Paros | 2 hours, 50 minutes - 4 hours | There are normally at least 2 ferries a day between Athens and Paros. During peak season there can be up to 6 ferries per day. | View the latest ferry timetables, prices and availability here. |
| Ferry Rafina Port to Paros | 3-6 hours | Rafina port is the closest port to Athens airport. The route is operated by 3 companies – Fast Ferries, Seajets and Golden star ferries. During peak season there are up to 27 sailings a week from Rafina to Paros. | View the latest ferry timetables, prices and availability here. |
OPTION 1: Athens to Paros Flight – The Fastest Way
The average flight time from Athens to Paros is 40 minutes.
Many small planes make the journey from Athens International Airport to Paros each day. Paros has a small regional airport which is only served by flights from Athens. You will need to fly into Athens then make a connecting flight to Paros.
The main airlines flying from Athens to Paros are Aegean Air, Hahn Air, Sky Express and Olympic Air. Aegean Air usually has the lowest prices. View cheap flights from Athens to Paros here.
OPTION 2: Athens to Paros Ferry from Pireaus port – The cheapest way
An Athens to Paros ferry will take between 2 hours, 50 minutes and 4 hours and run at multiple times per day.
Piraeus, Athens to Paros Ferry
There are normally at least 2 ferries a day between Athens and Paros. During peak season there can be up to 6 ferries per day. Most ferries go directly to Paros en route to Naxos and Santorini.
If you have an early morning ferry, you may want to consider staying overnight in Piraeus.
How to get to Piraeus Port
MRT to Piraeus Port| From Athens centre, simply catch the metro to Piraeus station. There's then a free shuttle bus connecting to the different port gates. This takes 30 minutes from Athens centre and 1 hour, 20 minutes from Athens Airport.
Private Transfer/Taxi to Piareus | A taxi from Athens city centre to Piraeus port should cost around 20 Euro or 50 Euro and 45 minutes from Athens Airport. You can also book a private transfer in advance with Get Transfer for a similar price. View and book transfers here.
Walking to Piraeus Port | If you're already staying in Piraeus port, it's so useful to be able to walk to your ferry departure. There's also a free shuttle bus connecting the different gates together which runs every 20 minutes from Piraeus metro station. View places to stay near Piraeus port here.
Ports in Athens
There are 3 ports in Athens:
- Piraeus (The main ferry port and largest in Athens with ferries to most islands apart from the Ionian islands)
- Lavrio (A small port mainly serving islands near Athens such as Kynthos and Kea)
- Rafina (The second biggest port in Athens with routes mainly covering the northern Aegean and Northern Cyclades islands. During the winter, Rafina still covers Andros, Mykonos and Syros).
OPTION 3: Rafina port, Athens to Paros Ferry
Journey time between Rafina and Paros is 3-6 hours
You can also catch a ferry between Athens second largest port, Rafina and Paros. The problem with this route is the ferries often stop at nearer islands such as Andros, Syros, Mykonos and Naxos first which greatly increases the journey time. Ferries from Piraeus can take half the time of ferries from Rafina.
Rafina port is the closest port to Athens Airport. If you're making the journey to your final destination in one day, consider sailing from Rafina port.
The ferry connection between Rafina port and Paros runs in the summer only. The route is operated by 3 companies – Fast Ferries, Seajets and Golden star ferries. During peak season there are up to 27 sailings a week from Rafina to Paros. Journey times range between 3 and 6 hours dependant upon the company you choose to sail with.
How to get to Rafina Port
Bus to Rafina Port | Buses leave Athens city centre every hour (2.40 euro) with a journey time of 70 minutes. Buses from Athens airport take 30 minutes and cost 3 euro.
Taxi to Rafina Port | A Taxi will cost you around 50 euros by day from Athens city centre and take 1 hour, 15 minutes. From Athens airport, a taxi will take around 20 minutes and cost about 25 euro. Private transfers can be pre-booked online with Get Transfer. View the latest prices and availability for your dates here.
Staying at Rafina Port
If you have an early morning ferry, or you want to have an overnight stopover, the Rafina area is a lovely place to stay. There's plenty of tavernas and shops and a long sandy beach.
Our Top Place to Stay: Hotel Avra
Set just 200 yards away from Rafina Port, Hotel Avra is the perfect place to stay for a trip to Rafina or an early morning ferry. The hotel is also just 100 yards from Rafina's long sandy beach. Rooms vary from a twin room sleeping 2 adults to an interconnecting quadruple room sleeping, 4 adults and 3 kids. Guests also have the option of a sea view or a partial sea view. Cots ARE provided on request. Children over 3 are considered adults.
Taking a Car from Athens to Paros
If you've hired a car in Athens or brought your own vehicle to Greece, you may be wondering if you can take your vehicle to Paros?
Most ferries travelling between Athens and Paros ARE car ferries. On Greek ferries, you pay for each passenger and the car separately. The vehicle is usually more expensive than an average ticket—view hire-car prices and availability here. Get started with your journey planning and view ferry timetables and prices for cars here.
Note: If you've hired a car, check with the hire car company that it's ok to take the car to Paros!
The Journey Between Athens and Paros With Kids
The journey is definitely worth doing with kids.
You will ultimately know which route will work best for you and your family. In my opinion, the best way to get from Athens to Paros is by travelling from Piraeus port to Paros with Blue Star Ferries. I highly recommend booking a cabin too.
If you're travelling to Naxos straight from Athens International Airport, consider sailing from Rafina port. View timetables prices and availability here.
If you'd prefer to reach Naxos more quickly, flying is the best option. View cheap flights and availability here.
More Greece Transport Guides
- EXACTLY How to Get From Athens to Naxos
- EXACTLY How to Get From Athens to Kefalonia
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the ferry from Athens to Paros?
The journey time of A ferry between Athens and Paros depends greatly on which port you sail from and which ferry company you choose to sail with. A ferry from Piraeus port will take 2 hours, 50 minutes to 4 hours whereas a ferry from Rafina to Paros will take 2-6 hours.
Can you fly from Athens to Paros?
Yes! There is a small regional airport in Paros that only serves flights from Athens. In peak season, there are up to 17 flights a week from Athens to Paros.
How to I get to Paros?
There's a huge amount of transport options when making the journey to Paros. From Athens, you can either fly or catch a ferry from Rafina or Piraeus port. You can fly to Athens from most countries in the world and connect onto Paros from Athens. From other islands in the Cyclades, Paros is one of the main connection hubs with ferry connections to most islands. There are also direct ferry services between Paros and Heraklion in Crete. To reach the Ionian islands from Paros, you'll first need to travel to Athens then go overland to the mainland port of Killini or Patras before making a ferry crossing to the Ionian islands. You can also catch buses to some of the major Ionian towns from Athens.
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How Much Is the Ferry From Athens to Paros
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