What changed
2026-08-02 08:51 UTC → 2026-08-02 12:51 UTC ·
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Early July 2026 saw advance bookings for short‑term rentals on Greece’s top islands reach 90‑94 % occupancy, with nightly rates up 6‑11 % year‑on‑year. Families began looking to mainland coastal towns as mainland pre‑bookings also tightened. The holiday exodus peaked on 24 July, when 50,917 passengers left summer travel rush in Greece has remained at record levels. On 1 August 2026, the four Attica ports for the Aegean and Argos‑Santorini area. Over the weekend total departures were projected at about 62 000, bringing the three‑day traveler count to more than 110 000. The Port of Piraeus ran 22 sailings (24,545 passengers, 4,054 cars, 706 trucks, 720 two‑wheelers), Argos‑Santorini lines 60 departures (10,079 passengers), Rafina 19 trips (12,019 passengers) and Lavrio 12 trips (4,274 passengers). Road and KTEL services reported near‑full capacity as tourists dispersed toward the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus and western Greece. In early August recorded a record flow peak of over more than 61 000 travelers departed from Athens’ main ferry terminals. Piraeus scheduled departures – 61 852 passengers across 23 sailings carrying 29,966 passengers, Argos‑Saronic from Piraeus, 57 trips for 11,586 passengers, Rafina from Argos‑Saronic, 15 departures with 11,324 travelers from Rafina and Lavrio 14 sailings for 8,976 passengers. On 1 August 2026 the peak continued, with 61 800 passengers leaving the four Attica ports. from Lavrio. The Hellenic Coast Guard and port authorities kept its maritime unit the ports on heightened readiness, adding extra security and traffic‑control measures. Port authorities warned vehicle‑traveling passengers and crowd‑management measures and urging travelers to arrive early because surrounding road traffic was expected to be congested, and additional sailings were scheduled for avoid road congestion. This follows the day, indicating earlier July‑August surge that high volumes will persist. The ports have now handled more than saw over 19 million passengers handled in the July‑September quarter, prompting ongoing safety and traffic‑management actions. actions across the region.