When I was in Athens, I had to decide how to get from Athens to Santorini. I knew I wanted to travel leisurely so I chose to take the Blue Star Ferry Athens to Santorini. I’m so glad I did! Traveling from Athens to Santorini was easy, here’s how I did it and what you can expect.
How To Catch The Ferry From Athens to Santorini
Before I arrived in Greece I bought my ticket on Ferries.gr but you can book directly with Blue Star Ferries. I would recommend buying your ticket in advance so you don’t have to worry about standing in line when you get to the ferry.
NOTE: The departure city leaving from Athens is Piraeus. It took me forever to figure that out!
When you make your Blue Star ferries reservation, you have several choices of where you can sit. It all depends on how much you want to spend and the level of comfort you’d like to experience. I chose an air seat, see those pics below. NOTE: The website for Blue Star Ferries has been revamped since I purchased my tickets, but you can still choose your seat on the new site.
My air seat was comfortable but I wouldn’t have minded having a business seat or a cabin. The air seat armrests do not lift so you can’t lay out and relax. I kept my carry-on bags with me and I was able to put them underneath the seats in front of me.
Being able to keep my carry-on bag right under my seat was very convenient. And because I had paid for an assigned seat, I didn’t have to worry about a place to put them as each seat has ample storage.
If you choose an economy seat instead of an air seat, there are no assigned seats. You have to sit where you can find seating. There are seats inside and out but if you sit outside the wind is strong and can be chilly. Traveling with a stylish wrap or travel blanket will definitely come in handy.
These girls had economy seating, which means you will have to take whatever you can find, wherever you can find it. 
If you don’t mind sleeping on benches and floors, than economy seating is your best bet.
There are several different places you can sit if you don’t buy an assigned seat. However, keep in mind if you don’t buy a seat, you will have to search for a place to sit and none of the options have a comfortable cushioned seat. The pics below and above show you how some passengers were sitting.
Sorry this picture is blurry but I wanted you to see how some people slept on the trip. These guys didn’t pay for these seats (I know because they told me) but they slept in the paid area anyway. They took a chance to get some sleep in nicer seats. You can try this too, but don’t be surprised if you are asked to leave and find another seat.
The ferry ride to Santorini was really smooth. I didn’t feel any rocking and I didn’t get seasick. However, if you are afraid of getting sick, please make sure to get what you need to help, you can get these bands from Amazon.
It takes 8 hours to get from Athens to Santorini and the ride is relaxing. There is WiFi available on board for a fee. The signal is strong and I was able to stay connected throughout the journey.
You don’t go directly to Santorini, you have one stop in Ios before you get to Santorini which is a lovely view from the boat.
The Blue Star ferry left fairly early. Make sure to check their timetables to choose the best departure time for you.
Taking the ferry It was a relaxing way to travel to Santorini. It left me calm and ready to see Santorini and check into my Santorini Airbnb. Make sure to read about my Santorini adventures included the great food I enjoyed, my fish pedicure and figuring out Santorini public transportation. It was such an amazing trip! I can’t wait to go back.
When I was in Greece we flew from Athens to Mykonos then took the ferry from ️Mykonos to Santorini. I believe it was the same carrier but much smaller ferry which was very comfortable and it took about 4 hours also stopping at other scenic Greek islands. I would love to do a cruise of the Greek Isles in the future!
I was very curious about the ferry, thanks for sharing this! When I made the trip I flew in from Vienna and flew out to Athens, so I didn’t get a chance to see what the ferry was like – great to see some pics and get an account.
This is great Roni. Very informative and helpful.
Thank you for reading!