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Two ferry companies serve this route, with up to five sailings a day in high season · 2h 40m to 5h 50m depending on the boat
Piraeus is the classic departure point for a ferry to Mykonos, and in high season up to five sailings a day make the crossing. Two are conventional Blue Star ferries and three are Seajets high-speed catamarans. The choice comes down to time against money. The direct Blue Star sailing gets you there in four hours and twenty minutes, with a proper seat and deck space, for the same fare as the slower sailing that calls at Syros and Tinos on the way. The Seajets catamarans save roughly ninety minutes over the direct ferry, but the fare is noticeably higher, the seating is airline style indoors, and a large suitcase travels on a rack rather than beside you. One thing worth settling before you book anything: if you are landing at Athens Airport with Mykonos as your only stop, Piraeus may not be the port you want at all. Rafina sits closer to the airport and has its own ferries, covered in its own section below.
First leg: getting to Piraeus
None of this matters until you are actually at the port. From Athens Airport, the fastest way to Piraeus is about an hour by train, for €9. Our Athens Airport to Piraeus guide covers every option, the suburban railway, the metro, the bus, taxis and private transfers, plus which gate at Piraeus your ferry leaves from.
When we checked on 30 July for 11 August, the cheap Special Economy tier was already gone and several seat lounges were down to their last places. In August, book days to weeks ahead, not at the port.
Two companies serve Piraeus, others sail from Rafina only
Blue Star Ferries and Seajets are the two companies that sail Piraeus to Mykonos. Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries also serve Mykonos, but only from Rafina, not from Piraeus. Booking a Mykonos ferry without checking the departure port is the classic mistake, see the Rafina section below if you are not sure which port suits you.
Meltemi winds ground high-speed sailings first
The July and August northerly winds hit catamarans hardest, and the port authority occasionally bans high-speed sailings in a blow. Operators refund a cancelled sailing in full, Seajets' published terms confirm a full refund on a force-majeure cancellation, but that refund does not cover a missed hotel night or a missed flight connection. With a flight the next day and a rough forecast, book an earlier boat and prefer the big conventional ferry over a catamaran.
Which boat should I take?
Match your situation, get a pick. There are no wrong answers, these are the most common patterns.
Budget matters more than time
Same fare either way, the direct sailing gets you there an hour and a half faster for the same €53.00
Landing at Athens Airport with Mykonos as your only stop
Rafina sits closer to the airport and has the fastest crossing of any option on either port, see the section below
All three sailings, in detail
Blue Star Myconos — direct
The most direct conventional sailing, and the cheapest way across
CheapestDirect
Price
From €53.00, Economy deck
Duration
4h 20m
Sailings
Departs Piraeus 07:15 · arrives Mykonos 11:35 · one direct sailing a day in high season
How it works
Blue Star Myconos sails direct from Piraeus to Mykonos with no intermediate stops, departing 07:15 and arriving 11:35, a crossing of four hours and twenty minutes. On the fare card we checked for 11 August, Special Economy was priced at €44.00 (already sold out), Economy deck at €53.00, Airplane Type Seats at €58.00, Business at €74.00, and day cabins from €84.50 to €126.00. A car costs €122.50 and a motorcycle €33.00. Pets travel free, on deck, in a kennel, or in your cabin.
Booking and boarding
Compare all sailings in one place
Every sailing on this page can be booked directly with the operator through the links above, at the operator's own price. If you would rather see both companies, all five departures and the day-by-day fares in a single search, Ferryscanner shows the whole route together and sells at the operators' own fares. We checked: on the sailings above, its prices matched the operators' booking engines to the cent.
Affiliate link: if you book through this link, The Greek Local may earn a commission from Ferryscanner. The price you pay does not change.
Booking and boarding rules
The mechanics that decide whether you make the boat, most of them from Blue Star's own published conditions.
Web check-in
Opens 48 hours before departure and closes 2 hours before, on Blue Star sailings.
Paper ticket collection
If you are collecting a printed ticket from a port agent rather than checking in online, allow at least 2 hours before departure.
At the embarkation area
Be there at least 1 hour before departure, whether you are on foot or bringing a vehicle.
Luggage — Blue Star
Up to 50 kg or 1 cubic metre travels free on the conventional sailings.
Luggage — Seajets
No published free-allowance figure. Large bags travel on a rack or in the garage rather than with you in the cabin.
Pets — Blue Star
Travel free, on deck, in a kennel, or in your cabin.
Vehicles — Blue Star Myconos
A car cost €122.50 and a motorcycle €33.00 on the sailing we checked for 11 August. Fares vary by date, confirm on the booking engine.
Thinking about sailing from Rafina instead?
If you are landing at Athens Airport and Mykonos is your only stop, do not assume Piraeus is your port. Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries both sail Rafina to Mykonos, and neither one serves Piraeus at all, confirmed on both operators' own pages. Rafina sits roughly 16 kilometres from the airport, and the KTEL bus to Rafina leaves from the Arrivals level, between Exits 2 and 3.
Golden Star Ferries publishes five daily sailings to Mykonos in high season:
Vessel
Departs
Arrives
Duration
Type
From
SUPEREXPRESS
07:20
09:40
2h 20m
High-speed
€52.50
GOLDEN PRINCESS
14:00
16:45
2h 45m
High-speed
€68.50
ANDROS KING
07:50
12:20
4h 30m
Conventional
€38
SUPERFERRY
Where your boat leaves from at Piraeus
Piraeus is a working port with numbered gates spread around a 2.5 kilometre horseshoe. Blue Star Myconos, the direct sailing, boards at Gate E7. The Syros-Tinos-Mykonos sailing boards foot passengers at Gate E6 and vehicles at Gate E7. Seajets has not published its exact gate, look at your e-ticket. For the full walk-in guide, including walking times from the metro and the suburban railway, see our Athens Airport to Piraeus page.
You land at the New Port, not the Old Port in town
Virtually all large ferries dock at the New Port at Tourlos, about two kilometres north of Mykonos Town, rather than the Old Port travellers picture from postcards.
The SeaBus links the New Port to the Old Port
A small passenger shuttle, run by Delos Tours, connects the New Port to the Old Port. It costs €2 one way, takes about 12 minutes, and runs roughly every 30 minutes from 08:30 into the late evening.
KTEL buses also run from the port area
Local buses connect the port to Mykonos Town and beyond. Timetables are seasonal, check on arrival.
Continue your trip
Mykonos is the destination, here is what to do once you are there.
Every fare, time and frequency on this page comes from the ferry operators' own booking engines and published pages, last checked on 30 July 2026. Fares are the lowest fare we saw on the date we checked and vary by sailing date, always confirm on the operator's own engine before you travel. Our own on-the-day observation about August seat availability is the one exception, and it is labelled as such in the text.
Ferries dock at the New Port, not the Old Port in town
Virtually all large ferries dock at the New Port at Tourlos, about two kilometres north of Mykonos Town, not the Old Port travellers picture. The same applies leaving the island: departures also go from the New Port, so allow time to get back to Tourlos, especially given how few taxis the island has.
Seajets has not published its Piraeus gate
Blue Star's own port map confirms Gate E7 for the direct sailing and Gate E6 or E7 for the Syros-Tinos-Mykonos sailing. Seajets has not confirmed a gate on its own site, check the gate printed on your e-ticket rather than assuming.
Big bags do not travel with you on the high-speed catamarans
On Seajets sailings, seating is airline style indoors and large suitcases go on a rack or in the garage rather than beside you. If you would rather keep your bags in reach, the conventional Blue Star sailings have deck space and a proper hold.
Book through Blue Star Ferries' own booking engine. Web check-in opens 48 hours before departure and closes 2 hours before. If you are collecting a paper ticket from a port agent instead, allow at least 2 hours. Either way, be at the embarkation area at least 1 hour before departure. This sailing boards at Gate E7, per Blue Star's own port map, see the short gate guide further down this page.
Best for · not great for
Budget-conscious travellers who do not need to rush
Two large suitcases, since the fare includes up to 50 kg free
Anyone who wants a proper seat and deck space rather than an airline-style cabin
Same-day connections where every hour matters
Late bookers hoping for the cheapest Special Economy tier, since it tends to sell out first
Good to know
•When we checked on 30 July for 11 August, Special Economy was already sold out twelve days ahead and several seat lounges were down to their last places. In August, book days to weeks ahead rather than at the port.
•Luggage up to 50 kg or 1 cubic metre travels free, well beyond what one traveller normally carries.
•The fares above are what we saw for 11 August. Prices vary by date, always confirm on Blue Star's own engine before you travel.
Affiliate link. Same price as booking with the operator.
Blue Star Paros — via Syros and Tinos
Same fare as the direct sailing, with two stops and an extra hour and a half
Cheapest
Price
From €53.00, Economy deck
Duration
5h 50m
Sailings
Departs Piraeus 07:30 · arrives Mykonos 13:20 · calls at Syros and Tinos · one sailing a day in high season
How it works
Blue Star Paros leaves Piraeus at 07:30 and reaches Mykonos at 13:20, a crossing of five hours and fifty minutes with two intermediate calls at Syros and Tinos. The fare starts at the same €53.00 Economy deck price as the direct sailing, though the fare mix and cabin availability differ, check the engine for the full breakdown on your date.
Booking and boarding
Book through the same Blue Star engine, and the same web check-in and boarding windows apply as the direct sailing above. The gate is different, though: Blue Star's port map puts the Syros-Tinos-Mykonos vessels at Gate E6 for foot passengers and Gate E7 for vehicles.
Best for · not great for
Travellers with a flexible schedule who do not mind the longer ride
Anyone happy to see Syros and Tinos from the deck along the way
Anyone in a hurry, it costs the same as the direct sailing and takes an hour and a half longer
Tight same-day ferry or flight connections
Good to know
•Same luggage allowance as the direct sailing, up to 50 kg or 1 cubic metre free.
•Note the gate change from the direct sailing: E6 for foot passengers here rather than E7. Check your boarding pass.
•If the direct sailing and this one cost the same, take the direct one unless the stops themselves are the point.
Affiliate link. Same price as booking with the operator.
Seajets high-speed catamaran
Roughly ninety minutes faster than the direct ferry, for a noticeably higher fare
Fastest
Price
From €87.70, Economy, per person
Duration
2h 40m – 2h 55m
Sailings
Three sailings daily · 07:00 (fastest) · 09:30 · 15:00
How it works
Seajets run three high-speed sailings a day from Piraeus to Mykonos, all economy fares starting at €87.70 per person. Eurochampion Jet 2 is the fastest, departing 07:00 and arriving 09:40, a crossing of two hours and forty minutes. Champions League Jet 2 leaves at 09:30 and arrives 12:20, two hours and fifty minutes. Eurochampion Jet leaves at 15:00 and arrives 17:55, two hours and fifty-five minutes. Premium lounges cost more than the economy fare, no fixed figure is published, check the current price on the booking engine.
Booking and boarding
Book through Seajets' own booking engine. Seajets has not published an exact gate for this sailing, unlike Blue Star. The gate is printed on your e-ticket, and our Athens Airport to Piraeus guide covers the Cyclades gates, E6 to E10, first-hand if you want the fuller picture before you travel.
Best for · not great for
Travellers who value time over price
Same-day connections where every hour counts
Big suitcases, they travel on a rack or in the garage rather than beside you
Anyone who wants to walk an open deck, seating is airline style, indoors
Windy days: high-speed catamarans are the first sailings the port authority grounds in a meltemi, see the warnings below
Good to know
•The trade-off in one line: the high-speed sailing saves roughly an hour and a half over the direct Blue Star ferry, but the fare starts noticeably higher, at €87.70 against €53.00, and seats are airline style with no open deck to walk.
•With a flight the next day and a poor forecast, the big conventional ferries keep sailing longer into a blow than the catamarans do.
•Bags larger than carry-on size go on a rack or into the garage, not with you in the cabin.
Affiliate link. Same price as booking with the operator.
08:05
12:05
4h
Conventional
€40
ANDROS QUEEN
15:30
20:10
4h 40m
Conventional
€38
Fast Ferries also sails Rafina to Mykonos, via Andros and Tinos, one to three times a day in season, from 25 May to 30 September. Fares are only shown inside their own booking engine, we have no published figure to quote.
Both Rafina operators can also be compared and booked together on Ferryscanner. Affiliate link, the price you pay does not change.
Weigh it this way. Rafina is closer to the airport and its SUPEREXPRESS is the fastest crossing on either port, two hours and twenty minutes. Piraeus makes more sense if you are staying in central Athens first, want the cheapest big-ship fare, or your sailing time simply fits better. Either way, check the departure port before you pay for anything.
Bus fare to Rafina is not listed on the airport's own page, check KTEL Attikis directly before you travel. KTEL Attikis
Taxis are scarce
The island's licensed taxi fleet is famously small, and queues after a ferry arrival are normal in August. The municipality lists two numbers, 22890 23700 and 22890 22400.
Leaving the island? Same port, same gotcha
Departing ferries also leave from the New Port at Tourlos, not the Old Port. Build in time to get back there, especially if you are relying on one of the island's scarce taxis.
