Athens Travel Forum

In a few weeks I will be arriving in athens at about 10:15 am, and would like to go straight to syros. I notice that there is a ferry from lavrion to syros that leaves lavrion at 2 pm. What would be the fastest way by public transport to get from the airport to the lavrion ferry terminal? It seems pretty easy to get to rafina from the airport, and I wonder if a bus from here continues to lavrion.

My other option would be to take a ferry that leaves from pireaus to syros at 1 pm. Would this be a more reasonable option? Also, would you advise I take the metro or bus 96 to pireaus?

Thank you

I can only base my opinion on one bus trip to Lavrion last June but it was a "daymare." NO, Rafina bus does not contiue there. I had a Kea ferry to catch at 4 pm, and was at the bus stop at 1:30...supposedly they come every 30 mins or so. FIVE Rafina busses came before the Lavrion bus at 2:30, which was supposed to be an express. It was Standing Room only. An Olympic flight att. who took it with me said, it's never express.

The bus picked up and dropped off countless black-garbed grannies going home wih their groceries. Finally it stopped at an intersection of some nameless town, and said Wait here for Lavrion. After 15 minutes, fnally a lavrion bus. No English spoken. Dropped me off at a nameless pier with a ticket kiosk, at 4:10. I asked hopelessly, next ferry to Kea?? No ENglish spoken. Agent waved hand at a distant pier... saved!! the Kea ferry departure had changed. I raced with luggage, collapsed on deck. Never again! On ferry back, I talked w. 2 nice Greeks who said, bus is horrible, they dropped me off at a metro station.

As for Piraeus, bus 96 may take a little longer, but is direct, no changing. It is supposed to be 1 hr or 70 minutes, at most 90 minutes. The airport Metro travel disruption begins July 1. If you are before that, just take train to Monastariki (45 mins) and switch to Green line (25-30 minutes... so you see, it's pretty much a wash. If you move briskly at airport, you'll have tons of time..

There are only buses from the Airport to Rafina every 1½ hours. The Rafina bus does not go to Lavrion it's a different direction from the airport.

Lavrio:
You have to take the bus to Markopoulo ?? and change there for a bus to Lavrion.... not sure however, the Attiki KTEL website I believe says this, though it is in Greek.
The Markopoulo > Lavrion is I think the Athens > Sounion inland route.

Piraeus:
The X96 takes you straight to Piraeus Port and is pretty frequent about every 20 mins. Though the time it takes is subject to traffic of course.

A way around this is to take the suburban rail to 'Nerantziotissa' station and change to the ISAP (Green line) to Piraeus port.

This bypasses any problems on the Blue Metro line from the Airport to Monastiraki (where you would normally change to the ISAP green line).

Thank you, this was extremely helpful. I will take the boat from Pireaus!