Ferry from Tinos to Rafina.

Tinos is one of the easiest Cyclades to reach from Athens, and Rafina is the reason. The small port on the east coast of Attica sits much closer to Athens airport than Piraeus does, so the ferry back from Tinos can put you within easy reach of your flight, or of central Athens, without the crawl through the capital's biggest harbour.

The route never stops. Fast Ferries and Golden Star Ferries sail every day in every month, and Seajets adds high-speed catamarans from April to October. That makes Tinos to Rafina one of the most dependable crossings in the Cyclades, with a choice between a quick boat of under two hours in the season and a steadier conventional ship of three hours or so that runs all year.

Fares are low for the distance: from €24.50 for one adult when we checked. Upgrades are cheap too, with numbered reclining seats from around €37 and business or VIP seats from about €49, and Golden Star's conventional ships, such as the Andros Queen, have cabins for up to four people from around €85.

Plan around two things. Tinos Town's harbour is busy in summer, so be at the port an hour before sailing, or two hours with a car. And the island's great religious festival on 15 August draws enormous crowds of pilgrims, and demand for ferries peaks for days around it, so book well ahead if your dates are near the middle of August.

Tinos sits in the path of the summer meltemi, the strong north wind of July and August, and the crossing to Rafina runs through open water all the way to the Attica coast. On gusty days the high-speed catamarans are the first to be delayed or held by the port authority, and the sea can be lumpy even when they sail. The conventional ships usually keep going, if a little slower. Because there are boats every day with at least two operators, a cancellation normally costs hours rather than days: ask the operator to move you to a later ship or refund the ticket, and consider the Tinos to Piraeus line, which Ferryhopper says runs up to three times a day.