Any advice on which airline? (dependability?) how soon to book? luggage restrictions? time to get from airport to port? (taxi - how much?) (bus - how long?) We are traveling mid-May, just starting to look at the logistics. THANKS!

If I have pre-purchased Blue Star ferry tickets - I pick them up at the port or they are e-printed?

Where do you want to go?
Many Aegean Islands can be reached from Turkey (Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Kas resp Izmir Bodrum or Dalaman airport as well.
If you prefer to travel via Athens airport, it might be easier to go on from there by domestic plane instead of crossing half the town in order to go to the port of Piraeus.

Your post makes no actual sense.

Flying to Athens from where? Planning to go where from Athens?

Presumably Turkey is in there somewhere since you have tagged your post for Turkey. But there is nothing in what you have written to suggest that is where you are coming from or want to go to.

I beleive the heading says "flying IST to ATH" but true, I did not specify that after flying from IST to ATH we are going from ATH airport to the port Piraeus. Sorry for the confusion.

Dumb me, I read the thread title as "1st to ATH", i.e., flying first class to Athens. Made absolutely no sense.

The post still doesn't make much sense, but at least I now understand the routing.

We are flying on Turkish Airlines as part of a ticket that begins BOS-IST-ATH-BOS. Have never used them but read good reviews.

Turkish Airlines is excellent. Just make sure you're aware of any luggage restrictions/requirements.

If it's within budget, I agree with the others that it makes much more sense to fly on to the islands from Athens, rather than going on to Piraeus.

OK, I think I can puzzle out this still confusing question suec1.

You are flying to Athens, transferring to the port and then taking a ferry to somewhere. Your question is ONLY about how to get to the port from the airport and then about picking up ferry tickets or e-tickets. Have I got it right?

Here's the thing suecl. The more relevant and CLEAR information you provide, the more relevant answers will be. There may be things you would benefit from knowing about but if you don't provide enough information, those responding may not know to tell you about certain things.

For example, if you say what time of day you will arrive, what the ferry departure time is and going to where, it can make a difference in answers.

A bus is cheaper than a taxi but slower. How much time do you have between arrival at the airport and the scheduled ferry departure time? That will determine whether people think it is enough time to take the bus or whether you better spend the money on a taxi.

Depending on where you are planning on taking the ferry to, may affect suggestions as to why it might be as good or better to fly. A taxi, plus ferry tickts, plus meals on an overnight ferry, etc. can add up to more than simply catching a connecting flight from Athens airport to your destination.

So the more info you provide the better the responses can be. See the point?

Oh, I missed you are also asking what airline to use to fly to Athens. That of course will depend on where you are flying FROM and may also change depending on your final destination.

If it is Turkey as indicated by how you have tagged your post, then why not fly directly to Turkey?

Not enough info suec1.

sorry for the puzzler Dulci and now I think I have made a plan. We will be in Istanbul, then we want to fly from Istanbul to Athens and go from Athens / Pireaus to Naxos, most likely by ferry.

Next inquiry, I will try to be more specific when I start the thread.

I don't find your post confusing at all. Perhaps some people don't know their airport codes.

PS we have flown both Aegean and Turkish Air between IST and ATH. Both were great. I believe Aegean is usually a little cheaper.