Passengers who are traveling with the ferry to Rafina are arriving to one of the largest ports in Greece located in the eastern suburbs of Athens center!
Rafina is a beautiful suburban city in the eastern suburbs of the capital of Greece, Athens. It's port is considered to be the second busiest in Athens after Piraeus'. After arriving to Rafina it will not be hard to see the big port with its many ships waiting to depart towards the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. It is a continuously uprising port since that more and more tourists are using it as a starting point for their summer vacation. Its big advantage is that it is easily accessible due to the fact that the big road Attiki Odos is connecting it with Athens and is also very close to Athens International Airport.
It is worth mentioning that the sooner you make your booking with Rafina ferries the more possible it will be to find tickets at your desired times and dates.
Rafina ferry connections
The Rafina ferries are operating many crossings directing to the Greek islands. There are both conventional and high speed ferries running routes with 2, 3 or even 4 crossings daily to each destination all year long while they are getting denser in summer season (May to late September), where passenger traffic increases dramatically.
The Rafina to Mykonos, Tinos and Andros routes occur all year long, while in summer season, where demand is noticeably higher, the itineraries increase and the routes between Rafina and Naxos, Paros, Santorini are added.
Rafina to Cyclades Islands
There are frequent ferry routes going from Rafina to most of the Cyclades and seem to be a more preferred choice than Piraeus to Cyclades due to the fact that the distance from the port of Rafina is shorter. Some all year long itineraries are the:
The sailings happen at least once per day and the duration varies according to the type of the vessel. Car-passenger ferries need approx. 4.30 hours to arrive in the farthest of the three, Mykonos, while high speeds and catamarans need around 3 hours.
In high season, the itineraries increase with the growth of demand and the routes between Rafina and Naxos, Paros, Santorini are added.
Rafina port
Inside the Rafina port area and in the surrounding area, passengers can find everything they need before their sailings start towards the Greek islands. The port includes a tourist information office, a big parking lot, car lanes, ATMs and many cafeterias and eating places around. Moreover, the main square of Rafina abstains only a few meters from the seaport and there is Rafina's market with its variety of stores.
Below we provide information of how to get to Rafina port in Athens depending on where you are coming from:
Athens to Rafina
In order to go from Athens to Rafina you can take advantage of the KTEL buses or taxis. The distance is about 30 km and the fastest trip time can be around 40 mins.
KTEL (Orange buses)
Use the direct KTEL (orange bus) from Athens to the port of Rafina. The journey time is ca. 50 minutes and departures take place approx. every half hour. Please, find on the Official "KTEL" Website the itineraries.
Taxi
Taxis are omnipresent in and about the city center of Athens on a 24/7 basis. Catch a taxi on the go or call them anytime to schedule a transportation. You can call the tel. numbers 18300, 18180 or search the web for other available taxi services.
You can also schedule a ride with a Luxury Taxi Service for sightseeing and long or short distance transfers!
Athens Airport to Rafina
Get from Athens Airport to Rafina in less than 30 mins by using the following means of transportation:
KTEL (Orange buses)
Use the direct KTEL (orange bus) from the International Airport of Athens El. Venizelos to the port of Rafina. The bus departs from the arrivals level between exit 2 and 3. The journey time is ca. 30 minutes and departures take place approx. every hour. Please find on the Official "KTEL" Website the itineraries.
Taxi
In front of the Terminal is the taxi stand. Taxis are available on a 24/7 basis. The journey time to Rafina port takes approx. 30 minutes. Please check the Athens Airport Taxis for more specific information or search the web for available taxi services.
What to do in Rafina
Rafina is a pretty suburban city next to the sea and surrounded by green nature. There are many beautiful areas and graphical cafeterias or taverns where you can spend some time relaxing before your journey to the islands. Some interesting sites in Rafina are the Kokkino Limanaki and Marikes beaches, the Rafina main and Karamanli Squares while also the Attica Zoological Park, located close to the town.
