Getting to Naxos by boat:
Most Greeks prefer, for several reasons e.g, cost, time choices, and fun, to get to Naxos by ferry or high-speed catamaran -the trip by boat is all part of the island experience, as all boats have restaurants, cafes, decks with coffee bars, play areas, shops, TVs, Wi-fi.
Getting back and forth from Piraeus, the port of Athens, to Naxos is easy because the ferry company Blue Star Ferries operate year-round and twice-a-day the route Piraeus-Naxos and the reverse. The overall route is Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini and back.
To Naxos: Boats leave Piraeus at 7:25 (morning boat) and 17:00 (evening boat) and arrive at Naxos by 12:50 and 22:30, respectively.
From Naxos: Boats leave Naxos 9:15 (morning boat) and 18:00 (evening boat) and arrive at Piraeus 15:00 and 23:20, respectively.
NOTE: Full schedule for May will be released after April 15; boats hold up to 1200 people, so no rush for booking tickets
Prices vary from 50 € (any seat, economy salons, see photo below) to 72 € (business class); preassigned “airplane seats” are also available for 56.50 €, but do not have tables or couches (see photo below).
Tickets for all routes and ferries are available online and for passengers there is never a problem to get a seat (spots for cars are difficult during the high season, June to September). It is best, for ferry or airplane tickets, to contact the official travel agency of ferries at Naxos, Naxos Blue TRAVEL, email naxosbluetravel@gmail.com attention of Ms. Eleftheria (or through Facebook). Note that ferries stop at the island ports to let off or pick up passengers only and always depart at said times.
Economy Airplane
Salon Seats
Athens airport to Piraeus Port
Regular bus service to the port of Piraeus is available from the Athens airport by Bus X96 every 35 min (6.00 euro each way - for bus departure times from Athens Airport and the bus stops along the route to Piraeus Port see here. Bus X96 going to Piraeus Port departs from Athens Airport every 30-40 minutes. The travel duration is approximately 60 minutes. For information regarding tickets check General Info - Tickets.
Piraeus port is connected to the Athens airport also by metro (see Athens metro map below). The metro departs from the airport every 30' min. You need to buy a special ticket worth 9€. The trip duration between the port and the airport is approximately an hour, timetable here.
Metro and trains run till 1:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and till 12:00 midnight on weekdays; for prices see here. The train station at Piraeus is right across the dock for the boats to Naxos (see map screen shot below).
The same price goes for Bus X95, which departs from Athens Airport for Syntagma (Athens City Center) every 15-20 minutes (same for the reverse route). The travel duration is approximately 40 minutes.
