Although the Greek mainland has a lot of interesting places to visit, most travelers are planning to explore the Greek islands. To get between the islands or from the mainland to the islands there are two choices: by air and by water. But many islands are only served by ferries . And even when you can find a flight, taking the ferry is cheaper and offers the possibility to explore the country at a slower pace.

Minoan Lines have been running passenger (and car) ferries for more than 36 years. The company runs 6 ultra-modern ships.

Destinations

The company offers ferry services between Piraeus, Heraklion (Crete), Patras, Igoumenitsa and Corfu, as well as to the Italian ports of Venice and Ancona. The ferries run year-round.

The following routes are available:

• Piraeus – Heraklion
  >>Ferries from Athens to Crete
• Patras –Igoumenitsa – Ancona
• Ancona – Corfu

>>read about How to get from Greece to Italy

On-board services

The following services are available on the ultra-modern ferries run by Minoan Lines: internet (both wi-fi and computers with Internet access), spa & gym (on two ships: Europa, Olympia), bar, shops, swimming pool, conference center, casino (on two ships: Europa , Olympia), restaurants and room service (deluxe cabin passengers).

Tickets

You can book the tickets online, directly from the company or you can use this link to book a ticket. Please note that you are required to provide personal information, such as nationality when you make a booking. The prices are the same (except when discounts are applied by the company and are available on their website only or through travel agents).

You might want to check out their domestic offers , too. Children up to 4 years old travel for free if the parents choose a deck seat, while children between 4 and 12 years old get 50% discount. Families of 3 or more get 10% discount on international routes. Please note that some offers are not valid for bookings made through the internet.

A 30% discount is applied when a return ticket is bought.

Photo by K_Dafalias