More than 28.800 passengers are expected to depart today from the ports of Attica for the Holy Spirit weekend, according to the estimated passenger traffic of the ferry companies.

The figures are for passengers who have already been issued a ticket, while the final figure is expected to be higher as last-minute travellers are expected to be included.

The Coast Guard has taken all necessary measures to facilitate the excursionists.

From the port of Piraeus there will be 14 routes to the Aegean islands today, with an estimated passenger traffic of 10.890 passengers.

At the same time, 42 routes will be operated to the islands of the Saronic Gulf, of which 23 with hydrofoil passenger ships and 19 with ferry passenger ships, carrying a total of 7.079 passengers.

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There is particularly high traffic from the port of Rafina, where there will be 10 routes with 7.754 passengers travelling to the Cyclades and other island destinations. In addition, there are four daily services on the Rafina – Marmari line.

Nine routes have been scheduled from the port of Lavrio, with an estimated passenger traffic of 3.094 passengers.

Passenger traffic was also at high levels yesterday Friday

According to the port authorities, yesterday, Friday 29/05, 19 ships sailed from the port of Piraeus to the Aegean islands, with 20.089 passengers departed for their destinations. At the same time, 16 sailings were made from Rafina, with a total of 10,777 passengers departing.

There was also a particularly high level of traffic to the islands of the Saronic Gulf, where 41 routes were made with approximately 10.There were approximately 10,000 passengers. From the port of Lavrio, 13 services were operated, with 4,857 passengers departing.

Total, more than 45.700 passengers travelled on Friday from the ports of Piraeus, Rafina, Lavrio and Argosaronikos, setting the tone for the increased outbound traffic that continues on Saturday.

Tourists continue to exit the Kifissos and Liosia bus stations

With no unscheduled bus services but with an occupancy rate approaching 100%, the departure of excursionists for the three-day Holy Spirit weekend continues today, Saturday, from the Kifissos and Liosia bus stations.

According to the president of the Panhellenic Federation of KTEL (P.O.A.Y.S. and Kifissos Bus Station Sofoklis Fatsios, the traffic of excursionists is also increased this year, however, compared to last year there is a slight increase of 5%.

No additional routes have been scheduled for today, as the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Bus and Coach Lines (P.O.A.Y.S.) and Kifissos Bus Station Sofoklis Fatsios, however, the routes from both long-distance stations have an occupancy rate of 100%. It should be recalled that yesterday Friday 70 extraordinary routes were added from Kifissos (out of 220) and 25 routes from Liosia KTEL with most travelers heading to Peloponnese, Aitoloakarnania, Volos and Trikala.

AEGEAN – High demand – flight occupancy up to 95%

The demand for air travel over the Holy Spirit weekend was also high compared to the previous year, according to recent data from AEGEAN. The average occupancy rate for this year’s Holy Spirit weekend and for the period from May 28 to June 2 is 80% on the international network and 75% on the domestic network.

The top 5 international destinations from/to Athens are Helsinki, Lisbon, Nice, Porto and Amsterdam, while the top 5 destinations from/to Athens for the domestic network are Ikaria, Skiathos, Chania, Paros and Ioannina.

From and to Thessaloniki for the international network the top 5 destinations are Larnaca, Barcelona, Paris, Rome and Brussels, while for the domestic network the top 5 destinations are Rhodes, Lemnos, Mytilini, Mykonos and Chania.

In the domestic network we had an increase in traffic of 93% from Athens airport on Friday, May 29, while the peak in the international network was observed on Saturday, May 30, with occupancy rates reaching 90%. The return of travellers peaks on 1 June, when flights record occupancy rates of 90%. Similarly, from Thessaloniki airport, the domestic network had a particularly high passenger traffic yesterday, Friday 29 May, where flights had an occupancy rate of 95%.

No problems with traffic on national networks

Traffic on both national networks has been running without any problems since morning. Athens-Corinthos and Athens-Lamia, since, as it was known by the Traffic Police, Athenians preferred the islands for the three days of the Holy Spirit, which is why the increased traffic is observed at the ports.

There was increased traffic on the road network yesterday afternoon, but again no particular problems were observed.

All in all, as of yesterday 06.00 a.m. until 06.00 a.m. today, 90,134 cars passed through both national networks, (51,400 from the Elefsina toll on the Athens-Corinthos road and 38,734 from the Afidnon toll on the Athens-Lamia road).

It is noted that the Traffic Police have been on alert since yesterday in order to intervene where necessary to facilitate traffic.

ODYSEUS: The journey is only worthwhile when there is a return

The Holy Spirit weekend is traditionally one of the most congested periods on the national and provincial road network, as thousands of people leave urban centres for short breaks. However, increased mobility is often accompanied by a high number of serious and fatal road accidents.

For reference, 15 deaths were recorded during the Holy Spirit weekend in 2021, 16 in 2022, 17 in 2023, 18 in 2024 and 12 in 2025.

Despite the overall improvement in road safety, the challenge remains significant. According to available data, 2025 saw a reduction of around 22% in road traffic fatalities compared to 2024, as fatalities were reduced from around 665 to 517. Particularly in Attica, there was a noticeable deceleration in fatalities, while on the provincial network fatalities still remain high.

Since the beginning of 2026 to date, 158 people have died on the road. Speeding, using a cell phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt or helmet, and driving under the influence of alcohol continue to be among the key factors in causing serious traffic crashes.

On the occasion of the increased output of the three-day period, the Road Safety and Surveillance Systems Service, the competent authorities are appealing to drivers to observe the Road Traffic Code, respect speed limits and exercise increased caution, with the aim of ensuring that everyone travels safely to and from their destinations.