Piraeus to Colombo shipping route.

Ships leaving Piraeus for Colombo head east and cover a sea distance of 4,122 nautical miles (7,633 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 6,601 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 12.3 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 14.3 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 9.5. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Piraeus and Colombo to plan the full ocean transit time.

597 nm of the route, 14% of it, lies inside Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Piraeus to Colombo move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Colombo (LKCMB) carriers give about 5 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Piraeus in this directory, Colombo is the 25th shortest. Closer destinations include Mombasa (3,697 nm), Nhava Sheva (3,666 nm) and Gdansk (3,661 nm).