Greek Ferries
GREEK DOMESTIC FERRIES
Greek Domestic Ferries are the most common way of transport to and from the islands.
Depending on your preference for comfort and voyage duration, you can choose from high-speed to classic, traditional Greek Ferries. It all depends on you and your intentions.
Conventional Ferries
Those types of ferries are larger than all the others and have more amenities. They usually have 3 or 4 or even 5 deck levels and offer accommodation in budget and VIP locations, as well as in cabins with 2, 3 or 4 beds. This is usually the most common option for ferry travel, tickets are cheaper but the route to your destination is longer. Such ferries are not affected by the weather and travel even in difficult conditions. Ιf you have a sleeping bag and it's a night ferry, there is no better place to be than under the stars with a bottle of wine and some fellow travelers!
High-speed Ferries
They are smaller ships in size but their speed is about twice that of conventional ones! The accommodation of the passengers is in air-type seats located on the internal decks (usually 2 or 3 levels) and are divided into the economy, business, and VIP lounges.
Catamaran
Catamarans, like SpeedJets and Supercats, are smaller than High-speed ferries and provide recycled seats located on 1 or 2 levels inside the ship. These ferries, although generally stable enough to sail, are not suitable for those who are sensitive to big waves.
Flying dolphins
Flying dolphins are the smallest ships but they are the fastest of all! You will probably sit in air-type recycling seats and you'll arrive at your destination faster, but you will not see much scenery along the way. These kinds of ships are not suitable for claustrophobic passengers and they are also more likely to be canceled due to bad weather. They are usually slightly more expensive than traditional ferries, so it's up to you what you consider most valuable for your voyage: the duration or the money you want to spend.
In general, the cheapest way to travel is to book budget seats on the deck (not reserved).
Ferry rides and seasick passengers
Although the summer in Greece is beautiful, it has a lot of sunshine and the weather is wonderful, there are a few days when the sea is stormy and not very pleasant to travel. In these cases, we advise seasick travelers to use as large ferries as possible. Experts of the sea, say: "The bigger the ferry, the smoother the ride!"
When to book my tickets
Usually, you do not need to book ferry tickets many days before your arrival in Greece. However, there are some popular destinations and several periods that booking in advance is required.
Which periods the booking is necessary several months in advance?
- All Friday weekends from April to October
- The 2 to 3 weeks of Orthodox Easter
- The 4 to 6 days of the Holy Spirit
- The last 2 to 3 weeks of July, all days of August and the first 2 weeks of September
- The days before and after the Greek national holidays (March 25 and October 28)
- Most days if you are going to travel to popular destinations as mentioned
What about the rest of the seasons?
- It is not necessary to reserve your ferries in advance but we advise you to book the tickets at least 40-45 days before leaving home to avoid time-consuming procedures and last-minute surprises!
Popular Greek Ferries destinations:
and to the most Cyclades islands departing from Athens (port of Piraeus, Rafina or Lavrion).
The long-distance islands like Lesvos, Rhodes and Crete are best reached by regular ferries with the opportunity of an overnight in a nice cabin watching the deep blue Aegean Sea. They are the primary means of transport, and the journey is an experience to be savored, like a day cruise!
Some of the Cyclades islands like Andros, Tinos and Syros, you may reach from the Athenian port of Rafina, boarding a High-speed ferry. They are more expensive but you can reach the islands shortly.
SCHEDULE MAP
The large normal car ferries are running between the Greek islands, most months of the year!
High-speed ferries are most frequented from May to October. In the rest of the year, the islands are served by regular but modern and safe ferries.
From December to March there is a dead schedule that can make difficult to impossible the transportation between some islands. For example, there are no ferry departures between Crete and Santorini, between Santorini and Mykonos or between Crete and Mykonos. To reach one of these three islands in winter, you must arrive in Athens first!
Complete the fields and click on SHOW TIMETABLE to find the schedule map of the Greek Ferries and compare the prices of the ferry operators that run to the islands!
GREEK ISLAND-PASS
In Greece, there is no possibility of a multi-stop Greek island-pass!
Ferry tickets are individual ferry tickets purchased for a specific route and for personal use. If you are going to travel to more than one island then you will need to buy a ticket for each route. For every destination one ticket!
However, you can board one of the many regular ferries and pay a small ticket fee compared to the services that will be offered. Because sea transport is so vital to the cohesion of the Greek state, ferry prices are somewhat regulated by the government to keep them affordable for the islanders.
Occasionally, there are advertising campaigns for the so-called "Greek-Island-Pass" or "Ferry-Pass" or whatever but these ferry tickets are individual tickets purchased by tour operator's holiday packages. You will usually get better prices if you book the flight, hotel, and boat tickets yourself!
AVAILABLE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Deck Category
If you travel by ferry to short distances during the day, you can be comfortable on the open deck. Just take your seat and follow the course of the sun, you'll enjoy the sea breeze, you will see the ports of the islands during the short-stops that the ferry makes before arriving at your destination and you will watch the gulls dancing to the rhythm of the summer!
If you do not want to sit on the open deck, there are indoor air-conditioned lounges with tables and sofas at the same price as the ferry ticket. However, the seats in this lounge or open deck are not numbered, so you must board at least 40 minutes before departure to find available space.
Airplane seats
The air-type seats offered on both conventional and speedboats are numbered, reserved in your name and comfortable for up to 6 hours journeys.
Most ferries have a TV in front of each row of this type of seats and in addition, there is a bar for soft drinks, beverages and fast food.
Do not forget that you have to leave your luggage on a special shelf next to the main entrance of the ferry.
Air-type seats are about 50% more expensive than budget seats.
Cabins
For journeys that last more than 5 hours or for night runs, for example, if you travel to Crete or Rhodes or Samos we recommend that you book a cabin, which has a private shower and offers the possibility of accommodating 2-4 people. The cabin looks like a hotel room but is much smaller with bunk beds but you will arrive at your destination refreshed. The cabins are a little more expensive than the budget tickets but you will be compensated!
If you need to know more about the ferry types and the accommodation options on Greek Ferries please click on the link to be redirected to the appropriate page.
FROM ITALY TO GREECE BY FERRY
Are you looking for the Adriatic routes that serve the route Italy-Greece by ferry?
There are several ferry routes available from Italy to Greece that you can choose for your holidays in Greece. Most itineraries last all night, so we suggest you choose accommodation in a cabin to reach your destination refreshed.
- The most common route is the ferry from Ancona to Patras which departs up to 18 times a week
- The shortest route is from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa with a duration of about 8-10 hours
- The longest trip is from Venice to Patras, which takes about 35 hours.
All ferries serving these routes are passenger ships and provide extra space for your vehicles. They have a large selection of accommodation cabins, lounges, restaurants, shops as well as access to outdoor decks.
Find below the available information about ports, itineraries, destinations as well as special prices and offers for your desired route from Italy to Greece by ferry: