Piraeus holidays

How to reach Piraeus

• Flight time: Flights to Athens from London take around 3 hours 40 minutes.

• Transfer time: A taxi from Athens International Airport will get you to Piraeus in about 40 minutes; the X96 bus service takes twice as long, while the metro (Line 3) splits the difference, reaching Piraeus in around 1 hour.

• Price: Taxiing to Piraeus costs around €50–€70 depending on the time of day; a one-way Express Bus Lines ticket comes in at a budget-friendly €5.50, bumping up to €9 for a Metro Airport Ticket.

Best time to visit Piraeus

The best time for your Piraeus holidays depends on what you want to do: R & R on the Athens Riviera, watch a football match at Karaiskakis Stadium or explore the city’s pocket-size ancient ruins.

• March to May is comfortably warm at 16 to 25°C and generally sunny. These are sweet months for sightseeing and outdoor activities, short-lived spring showers notwithstanding.

• June to August experiences the sort of weather that brings beachgoers to the beach: temps in the low 30s, 11 to 12 hours of daily sunshine and minimal rainfall.

• September to November is ideal if you’d sooner bypass the peak season crowd. September is pleasantly warm at 29°C, but temperatures drop into the 24–18°C range for October and November.

• December to February is cool, rather than cold – temperatures bottom out at around 13°C in January – but you’ll want an anorak as rain is likely during these months.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Greek is the official language, but many Greeks speak English. You can always download a translation app on your phone as a backup.

• Currency: Greece is in the eurozone.

• Getting around: Bus, trolleybus, metro and suburban railway networks cover most neighbourhoods and connect Piraeus to other parts of Athens. Single tickets cost €1.20 and are valid for 90 minutes on most Athens Urban Transport Organisation modes of transport. The Daily Ticket is valid for 24 hours and costs €4.10.

• Electricity and plug types: The standard voltage is 230V 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin Type C and F.

• Time zone: Greece runs on Eastern European Time, 2 hours ahead of GMT (3 hours ahead during Daylight Saving Time).

• Required travel documentation: UK citizens need a valid passport (issued less than 10 years before the entry date and valid for at least 3 months after the departure date) but don’t need a visa for stays up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period.

Best things to do in Piraeus

Piraeus is more than just the main port of Athens – it’s a lively destination in its own right, filled with history, culture and exciting activities. From stunning viewpoints to historic landmarks, there’s something for every type of traveller on holidays to Piraeus.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Church of the Prophet Elias: Crowning Kastella Hill, the Byzantine-style church is worth a look-see, but the pièce de résistance is the gorgeous views over Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf.

• Cross of Piraeus: Set on Peiraiki’s seafront, the cross is simple but striking, but the real reason to visit is the sweeping seascape.

The best districts

• Marina Zea (Pasalimani): This upscale area offers more than superyachts and a trendy café-restaurant-bar scene. On a second look, you’ll find traces of ancient Greek and Roman fortifications.

• Mikrolimano: One of the best foodie neighbourhoods in Piraeus, its small, curved harbour is the perfect spot for a meal with a view.

Parks and gardens

• Grove of the Prophet Elias: Piraeus is relatively lacking in green space apart from a few city squares, so this shady park with children’s playground is a welcome outlier.

• Tinaneios Garden (Themistokleous Square): Bookended by the Holy Trinity and Saint Spyridon, this landscaped square provides a small-scale urban oasis.

Museums

• Archaeological Museum of Piraeus: Between the Ancient Theatre of Zea in its backyard and its superb collection of bronzes, this well-curated museum is a must-see.

• Hellenic Maritime Museum: Dedicated to all things Greek and nautical from antiquity to the present, exhibits range from model ships and naval instruments to maps and paintings.

Historical monuments

• The Long Walls of Athens: These ancient fortifications once connected Athens to Piraeus, allowing safe passage between the city and its port. While only fragments remain today, they are a powerful reminder of the city’s strategic importance in ancient times.

• Municipal Theatre of Piraeus: Dominating Korai Square, this neoclassical edifice has been a cultural landmark for over a century, staging top-notch theatre, music and dance performances.

Day trips in the area

• Saronic Islands: Piraeus is the gateway to the Saronic Islands. Take your pick from unpretentious Aegina to far-flung glamorous Spetses or any islands in between. Each of the Saronics has a distinct appeal.

• Athens: A 30-minute metro ride from Piraeus, Athens offers a treasure trove of ancient sites and museums alongside eclectic dining and arts scenes.

Activities for families in Piraeus

Piraeus is a great pick for family holidays with a mix of seaside and urban attractions.

• Playgrounds: In addition to the Piraeus Municipal Playground on Kastella Hill, there are playgrounds at Terpsitheas Square and the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

• Interactive museums: Home to all manner of rail paraphernalia, not to mention a wooden train car, the Electric Railway Museum has more than enough to keep mini-rail fans entertained.

• Amusement parks: Within a 15-minute drive, Allou! Fun Park in Agios Ioannis Rentis is not a bad option to keep in your back pocket if the kids get bored of sightseeing.

• Cinemas: Cine Votsalakia at its namesake beach offers summer screenings under the stars.

• Family-friendly beaches: Roughly 10km along the coast, Akti tou Iliou is ideal for families, with an inflatable water park (six-year-olds and up) and pedal boat, SUP and canoe rentals.

• Football matches: For lovers of the beautiful game, Karaiskakis Stadium is the stomping ground of Olympiacos (one of Greece’s Big Three). Tickets can be like gold dust, but the atmosphere at a home game is guaranteed to be electric.

Free things to do in Piraeus

There are loads of things to see and do on holidays to Piraeus, even on a no-frills budget, from long rambles to festival events, swimming spots to ancient sights.

• Museums: Admission to all state-owned museums and archeological sites is waived on 6th March, 18th April, 18th May, the last weekend of September, 28th October, and every first Sunday of the month from November to March.

• Annual festivals and free events: In late May and early June, the municipality stages Sea Days to celebrate Piraeus’ maritime history and heritage with over 100 events, including art exhibitions, concerts, guided tours and sports activities.

• Explore Piraeus on foot: An unplanned ramble is hands down the best way to get a feel for Piraeus – the remnants of the Zea Ship Sheds in an apartment building basement on Akti Moutsopoulou, the Alphitopolis Stoa at the junction of Akti Posidonos and Dimitriou Gounari streets, the edgy nightlife venues in the Troumba neighbourhood and the art galleries along Polidefkous Street.

• Beaches: Piraeus marks the start of the Athens Riviera, which runs south as far as Cape Sounio. Freatida, Votsalakia and Riviera are the city's closest beaches.

Local dishes in Piraeus

One delight of Piraeus holidays is noshing from neighbourhood to neighbourhood: Greek deli produce around Tsamadou Street, scrumptious seafood small plates in Peiraiki and high-quality cooking in Mikrolimano.

Some typical dishes

• Moussaka: Greece’s iconic béchamel-topped ground meat and aubergine casserole is served almost everywhere.

• Horiatiki Salata: At its simplest, this salad consists of cucumbers, red onions and tomatoes, but various extras can be added, such as feta cheese, olives and peppers.

Meze dishes

• Gavros Marinatos: This simple plate consists of marinated anchovies in olive oil, lemon and oregano.

• Htapodi Ksydato: Octopus is the undisputed star in this dish, requiring nothing more than a simple vinaigrette.

Meat dishes

• Kreatotourta: A fixture on the Easter table, this traditional pasty commonly includes lamb, cheeses, Staka and mint.

• Ofto Kleftiko: Mouthwateringly tempting lamb slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot with potatoes and aromatic herbs.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Garidomakaronada: In a nutshell, pasta with fresh shrimp.

• Kakavia: There’s no fixed recipe for this traditional fisherman’s soup; the only rule is that the fish must be cooked whole.

Street food

• Koulouria: Best described as a bagel, these Greek sesame-seed bread rings are readily available at street stands.

• Souvlaki: Bite-size grilled meat on a stick is as close to foolproof as it gets.

Sweets and desserts

• Loukoumades: Coated in honey syrup, these cinnamony fried doughnut balls guarantee a sugar rush.

• Galaktoboureko: Sweet and sticky are watchwords for this syrup-drenched, filo-custard dessert.

Local drinks

• Ouzo: Downing a glass of this strong, aniseed-flavoured alcoholic beverage is practically a rite of passage for holidaymakers.

• Retsina: Greece’s traditional pine resin wine tends to get bad press, but a new generation of winemakers in the Attica region are doing their part to rehabilitate its reputation.