Athens is one of the great starting lines for a holiday. A huge number of Mediterranean and Greek island cruises begin at the Port of Piraeus, just down the coast from the city, which means a great many travellers fly into Athens and set sail from here. If that is you, the question is, how much of this wonderful capital city can you see before you board?
A note of honesty first. We came to Athens as a couple rather than to catch a cruise, so we explored it at a gentler pace over a few days. But we saw first-hand how many people were using the city as a springboard for their voyage, and we know Athens well, so we have pulled together how to make the most of it before you sail, however much time you have.
If you can, arrive at least a day before your cruise departs. A night in Athens turns a stressful dash into a relaxed day of sightseeing and gives you a safety net against flight delays. If you only have the same day, focus on one or two highlights near the centre and keep a firm eye on the clock.
Piraeus is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Eastern Mediterranean and a major home port, which is the industry’s term for a port where cruises begin and end rather than simply stop for the day. From here, ships set off around the Greek islands, across to Turkey, and all around the Med.
Because it is a home port, Piraeus sees enormous numbers of passengers flying into Athens to join their ship. Some build in a few days to see the city first, others fly in the day before, and a brave few land and sail on the same day. Whichever camp you fall into, a little planning turns those hours in Athens from a nervous scramble into a lovely prelude to your trip.
The port of Piraeus sits around 12 km from the city centre, or 47 km from Athens Airport.
Our honest advice, for what it is worth, is to give yourself more time than you think you need. It’s such a great city, you won’t be in a hurry to leave. Here are the options:
Doable, but tight, and we would only recommend it if you have no choice. A delayed flight can mean a missed ship, and you will be tired and clock-watching rather than enjoying yourself. If this is your plan, keep your sightseeing simple and stay close to the centre.
Land, drop your bags, and you have a relaxed afternoon and evening (and potentially the next morning) to see some highlights, all without the panic of a same-day dash. It also buys you a buffer if your flight is delayed.
The best option, and one that Athens deserves. With a couple of days, you can start to see the city properly rather than just its greatest hits. It also works best if you're flying into Athens with the potential of jet lag (for example, from the States).
However long you have, the good news is that the best of Athens sits close together in a walkable centre, so you can see a surprising amount in a short window. Rather than repeat every detail here, check out our first timer’s guide to Athens is the place to plan a longer stay.
Keep it simple and pick one landmark. The obvious choice is the Acropolis, the reason most people come, with its museum nearby. Book your timed entry in advance so you are not caught in a queue, and see our guide to the best way to visit the Acropolis for the how, when and in what order. A hop-on-hop-off bus is also a good shout for a whistle-stop overview if you would rather ride than walk.
You can add in more of the centre to the Acropolis – Syntagma Square and the changing of the guard, the buzz of Monastiraki, and the Roman sights, all within a short stroll of each other. Our guide to what to see in Athens maps it all out, and it includes a handy table of walking times between the sights so you can judge exactly what fits into your window.
An evening before an early sailing is lovely too. A Greek street food tour through the Monastiraki backstreets, or a sunset dinner up Lycabettus Hill, makes a memorable last night on dry land. Both are covered in our what-to-see guide.
Once you have had your fill of Athens, you need to get yourself to the port and on board, and this is the bit where a cool head pays off.
For the nuts and bolts of getting to Piraeus, whether from the airport or from central Athens, by bus, metro or taxi, our first timer’s guide to Athens has the full run-down. Here we will focus on the parts that are particular to boarding a cruise.
Piraeus has three cruise terminals, A, B and C. Your cruise documents will tell you which one your ship sails from. Note it down, because the terminals are spread out and it is not somewhere you want to be guessing with your luggage in tow.
Cruise lines set a check-in and boarding window, usually across the middle of the day, and ask you to be on board an hour or two before departure. Aim to arrive within that window, not so early that you are waiting around for hours, and certainly not so late that you are the last one up the gangway.
Hauling cases across a metro change is no fun, so on embarkation day in particular, a taxi or a prebooked transfer straight to your terminal is often worth the extra euros for the ease alone.
Where you base yourself depends on your priorities. If seeing the city is the point, stay central, near Syntagma Square, so the sights are on your doorstep and you can travel to the port on sailing day. If your flight lands late or you sail very early and sightseeing is not the plan, a hotel nearer the port at Piraeus can make embarkation simpler.
Our first timer’s guide to Athens covers the neighbourhoods in more detail, so have a look there to decide what suits your trip.
It is worth remembering that this works just as well in reverse. If your cruise ends at Piraeus, you can disembark and spend a day, or a night, in Athens before you fly home, rather than dashing straight to the airport. The same guides apply, and it is a gentle way to round off a voyage with the city you may only have glimpsed on the way out.
In closing
Athens is far too good to be treated as a mere departure gate. Whether you have a few hours or a couple of days before you sail, a little planning lets you swap the pre-cruise stress for a proper taste of one of the world's great cities..
As we said at the start, we saw Athens at a slower pace rather than around a sailing, so take our timings as a considered plan rather than a lived-in one. But the city itself we know and love, and with the Acropolis booked, a sensible route through the centre, and a calm approach to boarding day, your time in Athens can be a highlight of the holiday rather than a hurdle before it..
Bon Voyage!
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