Ferry to Crete
Every crossing in one place
Ferry to Crete
Every crossing in one place
More routes than anyone else.
Compare fares, times & routes in one place.
Change plans easily with flexi tickets.
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You can get ferries to Crete from a range of destinations including Athens, the Cyclades Islands and the Dodecanese Islands. There are up to 203 ferries running per week. Ferries to Crete are provided by 4 ferry companies; Minoan Lines, Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets & Hellenic Seaways. Book now with Direct Ferries and find a ferry to Crete to suit you.
The Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion ferry sails approximately 10 times per week, with an average duration of about 1 hour 50 minutes.
Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion first ferry: departs at 02:00
Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion last ferry: departs at 23:50
The Athens (Piraeus) to Heraklion ferry currently sails around 32 times per week.
Athens (Piraeus) to Heraklion first ferry: departs at 07:00
Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion last ferry: departs at 21:00
The fastest ferry to Crete is Santorini (Thira). This journey usually takes 1 hour 50 minutes.
Ferries to Crete are provided by 4 operators; Minoan Lines, Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets & Hellenic Seaways. There are currently 59 daily and 203 weekly sailings from Crete.
Minoan Lines 2 sailings daily, 16 sailings weekly
Blue Star Ferries 24 sailings daily, 68 sailings weekly
SeaJets 40 sailings daily, 146 sailings weekly
Hellenic Seaways 1 sailing daily, 3 sailings weekly
There are 5 ferry ports in Crete; Heraklion, Rethymno, Sitia, Kissamos & Chania. Heraklion is the most popular port.
The price of the ferry to Crete varies depending on the route you choose. The Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion ferry costs £162.74 on average whereas the Athens (Piraeus) to Heraklion ferry usually costs £255.64.
The most popular ferry route to Crete is the Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion ferry with 10 weekly sailings. The second most popular ferry to Crete is the Athens (Piraeus) to Heraklion ferry with 32 weekly sailings.
Ferries from Crete go to a variety of destinations including Santorini, Athens, Mykonos and Rhodes. Check out our Deal Finder to see all available ferry routes.
Unfortunately, you cannot get a direct ferry from UK to Crete. The best way to get to Crete from the UK is to fly.
The cheapest ferry to Crete depends on the route, season, ferry company and whether you are travelling with a vehicle or not. Prices are generally cheaper for foot passengers. We recommend booking your ferry tickets to Crete in advance to get them at the cheapest price.
Cheapest Crete ferry price: £28.58
Cheapest Crete ferry route: Antikythira to Kissamos
Yes, you can take your car on ferries to Crete. Simply follow the signs at the port and staff will be on hand to guide you into the correct lane.
Crete car operators:
Minoan Lines, Blue Star Ferries, SeaJets & Hellenic Seaways
Yes, you can take your pet on ferries to Crete. We recommend checking the ferry operator's pet policy before you travel.
Crete pet operators:
Minoan Lines & SeaJets
It's easy to book ferry tickets to Crete online at Direct Ferries. Just use our Deal Finder to compare times and prices and find the best Crete ferry to suit you.
"Peacefulness"
"Thira Iraklion"
"Minoan Lines, Ship Knossos Palace"
"A very fine experience."
Find out what it's like onboard the ferries before you travel.
The beautiful island of Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and the largest of the Greek islands with a population of around half a million people. As a hugely popular holiday destination, Crete features numerous types of holiday accommodation ranging from luxury hotels to apartments and camp sites.
There are 5 ports in Crete. Heraklion port and Chania port are located on the north coast of Crete and Sitia port is located on the east coast. Heraklion port is the most popular in Crete, with 30 daily sailings and ferry connections from Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Ios and Rhodes.
Crossing time ranges between 1 hour and 10 hours by high-speed ferry depending on operator and the island you are travelling from. The fastest ferry route to Crete is via Santorini (Thira) to Heraklion with a crossing time of 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Athens Ferries run from the mainland port of Piraeus to 2 ports at the north side of the island all year round. The most regular ferry crossing is to the port of Heraklion in the central part of Crete’s north coast. The fastest ferry from Athens to Crete is via Piraeus to Chania in approximately 8 hours and is offered by Minoan Lines and Anek Lines.
You can take a high speed ferry from Athens to Crete from Piraeus to Heraklion with Minoan Lines and Anek Superfast. Those travelling from the popular island of Santorini can take a ferry to Crete with SeaJets and Minoan Lines.
If you are travelling to Crete from the Cyclades region, north of Crete, you can travel from up to 6 islands including Mykonos and Santorini. From the Dodecanese group, northeast of Crete, there are weekly ferry connections from up to 5 islands, including Rhodes.
Prices for the ferry to Crete might change depending on the season you want to travel. Cheap ferry tickets are usually available during off peak, outside of the high season. Please visit our special offers page to find all the latest ferry discounts.
No, there is no direct ferry from UK to Crete. Ferries to Crete are currently available from the Cyclades Islands, the Dodecanese Islands, Athens and the Ionian Islands.
