Overnight Ferry to Crete
The Best Way to Get to the Island with a Toddler
Blue waters on the Mediterranean sea always make me happy. It calls to mind a relaxed lifestyle, Aperol spritz and gorgeous golden hour views. When we decided to spend a month in Crete last spring, we had the choice to either take a flight or a ferry from Athens. Since our daughter loves boats, the overnight ferry was a no-brainer.
Bus Ride from Athens Airport to Piraeus Ferry Terminal
Flying into the Athens airport from Sicily, the first thing we noticed was how many Americans and British were among us. Young children ran amok around the baggage claim, as they so often tend to do. Our plan was to take a bus from the Athens airport to the Piraeus port, where our ferry would be departing. Despite checking online or Rick Steves, we find it is often helpful to confirm quickly with a service desk employee to make sure we are headed in the right direction. The airport personnel verified that you do take the X96 bus, the ticket booth of which is located directly outside baggage claim and was really easy to find. While we knew the 90 minute bus ride might be a challenge with a potty training toddler, it was the most affordable option (6 euro for adults, free for children under 6). We were lucky to be the first few people on the bus and found seats, which was not the case for most of the crammed-in passengers. The first half of the journey was pretty uninteresting but as we made our way to the coast we started passing cute little towns directly on the water featuring glistening boardwalks lined with palm trees. Maeve passed the time by taking all of the baggage stickers off her luggage and attaching them to her face (and ours).
Maeve entertaining herself on the bus to Piraeus port
The port area itself was, well, a port, so mostly consisted of restaurants catered to tourists and cheap souvenir shops. That being said, we found a lovely spot to stop and grab a drink and snack before heading to the ferry.
Piraeus Port restaurant
The Only Non-Greeks on the Overnight Ferry
The entrance to the Piraeus ferry terminal is about a 5-10 minute walk from the main dining/shopping area. It’s pretty self-explanatory, with signs indicating with letters designating specific areas. That being said, with so many boats going in and out all day, it’s very important to figure out your exact boarding information ahead of time, or you will end up like me and Kevin, screaming at each other while scouring the long fence and parking lot looking for the entrance, all while dragging a crying toddler in a stroller. When we finally found our ferry, the Blue Star Ferries Blue Galaxy, it was very easy to get on board. Most passengers were bringing cars with them, but since we weren’t, we just walked aboard, showed our ticket and left our large suitcase in a baggage area next to the car parking.
Tip: If you are bringing lots of luggage, plan ahead and leave most of it underneath, bringing only what you need up to the cabins, as they are quite tiny.
Overnight ferry to Crete
Upon entering the ferry, you are escorted by an employee to a reception desk, where you pick up the key to your cabin. We could have probably chosen the two bed cabin and shared, but it was unclear to us when booking if that meant we would have the cabin all to ourselves or if we would be sharing with other passengers, so we splurged a bit for the three bed cabin to have some privacy. It technically had four - two bunk beds on each side. While Maeve delighted over the novelty of the bunk beds, we informed her that it wasn’t safe for her to be on the top bunk as she might fall off. Luckily she didn’t seem too concerned so we dodged a tantrum bullet there. The bathroom, while small, did the job. Since we were only there for one night, we didn’t try out the shower, so I can’t give you a review on that, but it looked clean.
Greek ferry boat deck
Greek ferry with kids
After settling in, we went to the top deck to get some photos before the sun set. The ferry had two options for dining - one was a sectioned off “restaurant” with a full three-course menu of standard Greek fare. The other was a buffet a stone’s throw from the restaurant that served more casual cuisine (on the night we were there it was fried fish and potatoes). Wanting a glass of wine, we opted for the more formal restaurant. Although it was a reasonable dinner time, no other ferry goers choose to eat at the restaurant, all instead choosing the buffet. We saw an entire high school basketball team and their coaches, as well as several families who seemed mildly amused at us tourists eating at the “fancy” spot. Starting to feel like we didn’t quite fit in, we headed to the lounge area below after dinner to watch the ferry takeoff and get a nightcap. We played Uno with Maeve and, like all the rest of the travelers, watched basketball on TV. What we gathered quickly is: many Greeks take these overnight ferries, but they wouldn’t ever pay the exorbitant price for a beer or wine, and instead will buy their coffees and teas in cash (the concession stand employee had a rough time setting up the credit card machine for Kevin).
Maeve got really into doing ‘Home Alone face’ at this point of our trip
After the ship started moving, we figured we’d call it an early night and headed back to our cabin. We all slept wonderfully with the slow motion of the waves only slightly noticeable. I awoke to some light lurching motions as we slowed and headed into the port, which were followed by an announcement on the loudspeaker that we were arriving. We gathered up our stuff and headed out.
Blurry photo of our ferry cabin
As will sometimes happen during travel, I screwed up. For some reason, I thought that the ferry docked right in the center of Chania, when in fact it is located about 20 minutes outside of town. I assumed we would then be able to walk to our Airbnb from there. It became pretty clear as soon as we docked, and all of the passengers got into their cars or taxis, and Google Maps affirmed, that I was wrong. Luckily, there were a few taxis left, so we hopped into one and made our way to the Old Town of Chania.
While it was a bit quirky, we all very much enjoyed our overnight ferry to Crete. If you are planning to take the ferry, here are some general tips to remember:
Figure out exactly where your ship will departing from Piraeus port so you have plenty of time to get there before boarding.
Put only the essentials in a small bag or backpack and leave the rest of your luggage below deck.
Do as the locals do! Eat at the buffet and bring cash for any concessions you buy.