Blue Star Ferries

Who they are

Blue Star Ferries is part of Attica Group, which also owns Superfast Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and, since the merger completed in December 2023, ANEK Lines. It is the biggest conventional car-ferry brand on the main Aegean routes from Piraeus. Blue Star operates a fleet of large roll-on/roll-off ferries designed for carrying both foot passengers and vehicles across the main routes of the Greek island network.

Unlike the high-speed catamaran companies, Blue Star's strength is in frequency, capacity and the range of islands they serve. For travellers with a car or motorbike, or anyone planning a multi-island trip where time pressure is not the main concern, Blue Star is usually the first operator to check.

Main routes

Blue Star's core network radiates from Piraeus:

Cyclades. The busiest routes: Piraeus to Paros (about 4 to 5.5 hours), Naxos (about 5 to 7 hours), Mykonos via Syros and Tinos (about 5 h 15 min) and Santorini (about 6 to 9 hours), with Ios and Anafi on the same line. Other lines serve Amorgos, the Small Cyclades and Astypalaia. Santorini has at least one Blue Star sailing a day all year, and the main Cyclades line runs several times a day in summer.

Crete. Overnight sailings from Piraeus to Heraklion (21:00, via Serifos) and Chania (22:00, via Milos), taking about 9 to 10 hours and arriving around 07:00. These are the same sailings ANEK Lines sells, since the two brands share the Crete routes. Minoan Lines runs a separate overnight ship to Heraklion. A slower Blue Star line also reaches Heraklion and Sitia via Santorini and continues to Karpathos and Rhodes.

Dodecanese. Blue Star runs long routes from Piraeus to Rhodes, calling at islands such as Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos and Kos, or via Santorini and Kos. On the routes with the most stops the trip takes about 18 hours, so it is a full day or overnight crossing.

North-east Aegean. Routes to Chios and Lesvos, usually overnight from Piraeus, plus a weekly line via Syros, Mykonos, Ikaria and Samos that continues to Limnos and Thessaloniki.

On board

Blue Star ships are designed as proper ferries, not just transport. Expect airline-style reclining seats in the deck-class lounge (included in the base fare), deck space to sit outside and watch the islands pass, self-service cafés and a restaurant. On longer overnight crossings such as Crete and Rhodes, cabin berths are available to book at additional cost; a 4-berth inner cabin is a practical option for families or groups.

You drive your vehicle onto the car deck at the port and then head upstairs to the passenger decks. Luggage storage is informal: most passengers bring bags to their seat or deck area. On the Cyclades runs, the boat often calls at multiple islands, so you need to pay attention to your stop.

Booking tips

Book Blue Star ferries early for July and August, particularly if you have a vehicle. Car-deck spaces are limited and are the first category to sell out. Foot-passenger tickets remain available closer to departure in summer, but popular sailings like the evening Piraeus–Santorini do fill up.

You can book directly through Blue Star's website, or compare Blue Star against other operators such as Seajets in one search on Ferryhopper or Direct Ferries. Blue Star is part of Attica Group's Seasmiles loyalty programme, shared with ANEK, Superfast and Hellenic Seaways.

For island-hopping, Blue Star often anchors the inter-island legs of a Cyclades circuit, particularly the longer hops like Naxos to Santorini or Paros to Santorini where a reliable car ferry is useful. Mix with a high-speed catamaran on the shorter legs to balance time and cost.

Alternatives

For speed: Seajets runs high speed boats from Piraeus on most of the same Cyclades routes and gets you there in roughly half the time, at about twice the fare and with less vehicle space. Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries sail to the northern Cyclades from Rafina, the port nearer Athens airport.

For overnight routes to Crete: Minoan Lines runs a nightly ship to Heraklion via Milos, leaving at the same time as the ANEK/Blue Star sailing. See our Athens to Santorini and Athens to Crete guides for current times and fares.