Getting to Piraeus for a 7 am ferry

At that time of the morning your best bet is a taxi which will be around 20 Euros and will drop you off at the ticket kiosk/gate for your ferry.

There is also the Metro and Bus which are good, less expensive, but more time consuming, especially with an early morning departure . . . get a taxi.

If you have roller bags a 10-minute walk to the Monastiraki Metro Station will save some time and money over a taxi. From there you can take the Green Line right to the ferry dock.

The ferry should be a lot easier than a cruise ship. But our Athens taxi driver had no idea where our ship would be, and dropped us off over a half-mile from the actual pier. I suggest you print out a Greek page from the ferry company and take it with you to show the driver, Just In Case.

I think the Syntagma Metro Station would be closer than Monistiraki, not by much but still closer, especially if you have rolling luggage and hand baggage to carry along with you. If you are not familiar with Athens and/or directions a wrong turn could end up costing you getting to your ferry and Santorini when you want to.

If you don't mind using the Metro it would be cheaper but you'll have to get to the station before the Metro arrives. With a taxi you just arrange a pick up with your hotel and a taxi will be waiting for you, load your luggage and drop you off at Piraeus. While there may be some taxi drivers not fully aware of where a certain gate is, most will.

It all depends on your budget, stress level, time constraint and how knowledgeable you are with getting from Point A to Point B in Athens.

In the end a taxi for 20 euros is still your best option for door-to-door service.

Yes, you can shave a couple of minutes off the walking time by going to Syntagma instead of Monastiraki, but what's 2-3 minutes? Besides, if you take the Metro from Syntagma you will still have to make your way from the Blue Line platform to the Green Line platform when you reach Monastiraki from the Central Hotel. The Google Maps "Directions" function will show you just how easy it is to get to Monastiraki. That said, I agree that a taxi is the best way to get to the ferry port.

True about switching trains at Syntagma as opposed to non-stop from Monistiraki Metro station which in the end makes it more convenient to use Monistiraki. I forgot about that and glad you pointed it out.

If you have just one roll-type suitcase and small handbag/packpack then it won't be a big deal to walk a bit to Monistiraki. However, if you are not familiar with Athens and how to get from Syntagma area to Monistiraki, then as we both agree, a taxi is your best option.

Always do your research before making a decision . . . which in the end can cost you time, money and inconvenience if you miss a connection.

Not everyone on the forums is right 100% of the time.

Thanks for all the input, it is very valuable! After weighing the options, considering the time of morning , the extra $ for the taxi is worth uncertainty ( first time in Athens- very impressed) and dragging bags around. We have walked everywhere so far so one taxi ride is not a big problem. On to Santorini!

The hotel's front desk staff should be able to help you with getting a taxi there at the right time for you to get to your ferry.

Ask them to help set it up

Joanne,

My mom and I faced the same dilemma some years ago. This was in the month of October and it was still dark at 5:30am., the time we’d planned to walk to the Metro.

We ended up booking a hotel in Piraeus not far from the ferry port.

When we arrived to Piraeus, we went to the central market and bought some fruit, creamy feta cheese, olives, and sweet tomatoes.
The next morning we bought a freshly baked baguette & some cookies (bakery we’d found the day before), then walked to the ferry dock. We had a great picnic on the long ferry ride!

We also ended up leaving one of our suitcases at the hotel in Piraeus, and only took one carry-on roller bag to Santorini.

Enjoy your trip!