Operator
Cyclades Fast Ferries
The conventional car ferry to Santorini through the western Cyclades
- One conventional ship, Dionisios Solomos, on the Piraeus - western Cyclades - Santorini chain
- Three to four sailings a week outside high season, six a week from late June to the end of August
- Foot passengers 30 minutes and vehicles one hour before departure, at every port
About Cyclades Fast Ferries
Table of Contents
About Cyclades Fast Ferries
Cyclades Fast Ferries, trading simply as Fast Ferries, is a Greek operator headquartered in Piraeus. It was founded in 1989 by the Panagiotakis brothers and made its name on the Rafina - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos line, where its conventional ferries Theologos P., Ekaterini P. and Fast Ferries Andros run two or three times a day. Since 2024 the company has added a second, longer chain from Piraeus through the western Cyclades to Santorini, and on this site it is the operator that connects the island with Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros and Sikinos.
The ship on the Santorini chain
Dionisios Solomos is a conventional passenger and car ferry, 121.53 metres long, with room for 1,100 passengers and 280 cars or 65 lorries at a top speed of 19.5 knots. On board are four bars and lounges, a shop, Wi-Fi and an infirmary; the ship has escalators and is laid out for passengers with reduced mobility. Built in 1990, it joined the Fast Ferries fleet in 2024 for the western Cyclades line. Speed is not the point of this ship: the chain is a slow, steady, vehicle-carrying service through islands the fast catamarans skip, and the crossing from Piraeus takes most of a day.
Routes to Santorini on this site
The company runs one chain: Piraeus - Santorini via Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Sikinos and Ios, in about 10 hours 45 minutes end to end. The intermediate legs are what make it useful: Ios to Santorini takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, Sikinos about 2 hours, Folegandros about 2 hours 55 minutes, Kimolos about 4 hours 20 minutes, Milos about 5 hours and Sifnos about 5 hours 25 minutes. The 2026 schedule runs three or four departures a week up to 28 June and again from 31 August to 31 October, and six a week from 29 June to 30 August. Every sailing arrives at Athinios; the full network is on the route map and the days for your date are in the timetable.
Check-in, vehicle and pet
Fast Ferries' general conditions ask passengers to arrive at the ship 30 minutes before the scheduled departure and drivers to bring the vehicle to the loading area one hour before, at every port of the chain. Tickets are not issued on board; web check-in is offered on the company's booking site. Hand luggage travels free, and valuables can be deposited with the purser against a receipt. Vehicles must comply with the Greek rules for carriage by sea: electric and plug-in hybrid cars board with at most 40 percent battery charge, LPG and CNG vehicles with the tank at most half full. Pets travel under Greek Law 4830/2021, which means the animal is registered for the crossing on a companion-animal declaration that you complete before boarding or with the crew at the gangway, and you carry an up-to-date health booklet. Pets are not allowed in the bars, restaurants and indoor areas; when moving around the ship they wear a muzzle and stay on a lead with you.
Tickets
Tickets are sold online through the booking step on each route page, on the company's own booking site and at port agencies. Infants under four travel free on a mandatory zero-fare ticket; minors under 16 travel only with an adult. Cancellation is contractual, free of charge up to eight days before departure and with a penalty closer to sailing, and no cancellation is possible after departure. Departures are in the timetable.
FAQ Cyclades Fast Ferries
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers about Cyclades Fast Ferries and its Santorini sailings.
Which routes does Cyclades Fast Ferries sail to Santorini? +
One chain: from Piraeus through the western Cyclades, calling at Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Sikinos and Ios before Santorini. It is the direct link between Santorini and the small western islands, and the slow, vehicle-carrying alternative on the Athens corridor. Sailing days are in the timetable.
Which ship does Cyclades Fast Ferries use? +
Dionisios Solomos, a 121.5-metre conventional ferry for 1,100 passengers and 280 cars or 65 lorries at up to 19.5 knots, with four bars, lounges, a shop, Wi-Fi, an infirmary and escalators. The company's other ships work the Rafina - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos line and do not call at Santorini.
When do I have to be at the port? +
Fast Ferries asks passengers to arrive at the ship 30 minutes before the scheduled departure and drivers to bring the vehicle to the loading area one hour before, at Piraeus and at the island ports alike. Tickets are not issued on board; web check-in is available on the company's booking site.
Can I take a car? +
Yes, Dionisios Solomos is a car ferry. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars must arrive with the battery at 40 percent or less, LPG and CNG vehicles with the tank at most half full. Whether a vehicle fare is offered for your sailing shows in the booking step.
Are pets allowed on board? +
Yes. Under Greek law the animal is registered for the crossing, so complete the companion-animal declaration before boarding or with the crew and carry an up-to-date health booklet. Pets are not allowed in the bars, restaurants and indoor areas; when moving around the ship they wear a muzzle and stay on a lead with you.
Where do I find fares? +
Fares depend on the leg, seat class, vehicle class and date. Infants under four travel free on a mandatory zero-fare ticket. Departures for your date are in the timetable.
Check your sailing
See when Dionisios Solomos calls at Athinios on your travel date, then open the route that fits.