Hydra is an island just off the south coast of the Peloponnese mainland about 1.5 hours from the Athens port of Piraeus. If you're flying into the Greece you'll want to land at Athens International Airport. AIA is an international airport, easily comparable with the best in Europe. It rarely takes more than 1 hour from landing to getting through customs and out of the terminal.

From the airport, you can take the Express airport bus number X96 to Piraeus, it's final destination so don't get off en-route!

AIA taxi rankThe Metro service is also very efficient although you do have to change to a different train half way through your journey. Alternatively you can take a taxi from the rank parked outside the airport terminal. There are also car/limo drivers who will collect you from the terminal as you come through customs and drive you to the port if you want a really personal service.

X96 (used to be E96) Bus to PiraeusWhichever option you choose to get you to Piraeus, 1.5 hours should be enough time regardless of the time of day baring unexpected events.

From Piraeus you have three carrier options.

Hellenic Seaways ticket office at PiraeusThe most frequent crossings are provided by Hellenic Seaways with their hydrofoils called flying dolphins or the larger (and more comfortable) flying cats. Hellenic have sailings daily throughout the year and only get cancelled in severe weather during the winter, which isn't too often.

Euroseas Eurofast1 CatamaranEuroseas operate a very comfortable catamaran called the Eurofast1 during the high season from April - October. The Eurofast1 doesn't offer such a wide selection of times as you'll find with the hydrofoils but if you can coordinate your arrival and departure around their timetable, the Euroseas catamaran is by far the more relaxing option. They're less rushed, more helpful and friendly.

Saronikos FerryYour third option is to take the ferry operated by Saronikos. It leaves Piraeus at 8am each morning during high season but often the service is cut to just Thurs-Mon in the winter. In severe weather when the hydrofoils stop, the ferry still goes. It has to be really dreadful before the boat is deterred! Sometimes in the high season a 2nd sailing in the afternoon is put on but it tends to happen on demand for high days and holidays.

Depending on whether the catamaran or hydrofoils stop at Poros on the way to Hydra, the journey will take 1hr 20mins or 1hr 30mins to reach Hydra. The ferry takes 3hrs 30-50mins.