Are you planning on going Greek island hopping in Greece? If you are, then I highly recommend making all of your Greek ferry bookings online at least a few days before you go.
These are the best Greek island ferry tips I can give you based on personal experience.
Many different Greek island ferry routes exist, so it’s worth taking the time to see which one suits you best before making a booking. You can do this online.
Sometimes booking Greek ferries as long as 4-5 months ahead of time may be worthwhile, especially if you want to travel during peak season (August time).
These are some of the important things to think about when you need a ferry to get to your desired Greek island.
Which ferry booking website do I recommend using?
I highly recommend using the website Ferries in Greece to make your booking.
Greek Island Ferry Tips
A couple of bad things could happen to you if you attempt to buy a ferry ticket on the day, or the day before, you want to go.
For instance, you may find that the Greek ferry to your destination is fully booked out for your preferred departure time. Though this hardly ever happens from what I hear.
Booking your ferry early will avoid this hassle altogether and it will give you a great chance of obtaining your preferred ferry ticket/s.
Fully booked Greek ferries are an unlikely scenario, but it can happen, especially during summer (most likely in August) when ferries are at their busiest.
For instance, ferries could get fully booked due to many Greeks traveling to a specific Greek island because of certain Greek celebrations.
So you may find yourself in a spot of bother during peak ferry demand for a variety of reasons.
Also, obtaining a cabin for a more extended ferry journey to a faraway Greek island such as Rhodes or Anafi may be something you really want to have.
It’s much more likely you’ll experience an inconvenience if you buy your ferry ticket at a later stage.
So if you don’t go about booking your ferry long in advance before your trip, you may find that you can’t get the ferry ticket you specifically want, which could lead to significant disappointment.
Cars on Greek Ferries
Taking a car with you on a Greek ferry could also be something you want to do.
If this is the case, you’ll want to pre-book to give yourself a good chance of securing an appropriate car ferry ticket.
It’s much better to book Greek ferries online in advance to obtain what you want.
It will also give you many more ferry options to ponder over, plus you’ll have peace of mind.
Greece Ferry Tickets – When to Buy?
Believe me, if you can’t get your desired ferry ticket while on a Greek island hopping holiday, it will turn out to be a very stressful experience.
One year, it almost happened to me when trying to get to Santorini from Athens in August, which is Greece’s busiest tourist month.
I wanted to buy a ferry ticket to Santorini, thinking it would be an easy thing to do. So I went to a travel agent in Athens the day before I wanted to go.
Greek ferries are often massive sea vessels, so one person would never make any difference. That’s what I thought anyway.
Then the travel agent guy told me that it might not be possible because it was peak season!
Ferries have capacity restrictions based on the number of seats on the ferry.
For a split moment, my heart sank, and my stress levels surged. What if I couldn’t get a ferry ticket to Santorini?
I had already booked my accommodation in Santorini. So I couldn’t cancel it at that stage.
If I couldn’t get there in time, I would have lost all of my money for the hotel costs.
Luckily he found me a ferry ticket, and I have to say that at the time, he made it feel as if I had struck gold.
That is why I now highly recommend booking Greek ferries to the Greek island/s of your choice in advance, even if it is only a few days in advance.
Greek Ferry Booking Recommendation
You can easily book your Greek ferry online.
By doing this, you will also get to see other Greek ferry routes available, which will allow you to plan your entire trip around the Greek islands much better.
Maybe you’ll end up wanting to stop at another Greek island for a little while before proceeding to your main Greek island destination.
Different Classes in Greek Ferries
The other thing to consider is the type of class you want to travel inside the ferry.
You may want to travel in Business Class which may not be that much dearer in price.
It will probably give you more comfortable seats, quicker bar service, and a better TV screen.
There may even be a higher class like Platinum Class on the ferry, so take note.
Spending an extra 25€ to 50€ may be very worthwhile, especially if you want spacious seating and tables with electrical outlets.
Cheap Ferry Tickets Greece Available Online
Another big reason to book a Greek ferry before the day of departure is, so you don’t get ripped off.
Take my Greek rip-off story about me trying to get to the Greek island of Skiathos.
I’m 100% positive that I got seriously ripped off by my taxi driver.
It happened straight after climbing Mount Olympus when I wanted to visit the Greek island of Skiathos.
After I arrived at the train station outside of Volos, a taxi driver told me that no more ferries were going to Skiathos for that day.
I arrived at about 2-3 pm. Even so, it still seemed a bit far-fetched, but the guy looked sincere. And I stupidly believed him!
From reflection, the taxi fare to the port was about 25 Euro max. The ferry trip to Skiathos from Volos port would have cost me around 25 Euro now that I know the prices.
So all up, I would have spent 50 Euro getting to Skiathos.
What did I end up paying? I paid 80 Euro for the taxi driver to take me to a relatively close point between the mainland and Skiathos island.
I also paid another 50 Euro for a private small boat ride to take me to Skiathos.
So all up I spent 130 Euro. So basically, I got ripped off 80 euros, if not more.
And it all happened because I never bothered to pre-book a Greek ferry.
At the very least, I should have known about typical Greek ferry prices to my Greek island destination.
Greek Ferry Timetable
Knowing approximate departure times from the port to the island would have been extremely helpful.
The most important thing I should have been aware of is the latest times (over several days) when the ferry would make its way from Volos port to the Greek island of Skiathos.
If I had known that, I wouldn’t have been ripped off!
So please don’t make the same mistake as me. Instead, book your Greek ferry online.
Use Ferries in Greece to make a booking.
Greek Island Ferry Map
Below is a Greek island ferry map showing you some of the main ports in Greece.
Athens has three key ports to keep in mind.
Piraeus Port is the largest and most well-known port in Athens, but you should also know that ferries can also depart from Rafina Port and Lavrio Port.
The port of Piraeus is located approximately 15 km south of Athens city center.
Generally speaking, if you find a ferry departing from Piraeus port to the Greek island of your choice, you’d probably book your ticket without doing any further research.
However, you really should check to see whether any ferries are also departing from Rafina and Lavrio to the Greek island you want to visit.
The timing may be better, the ferry journey could be faster, or the price of a ticket could be cheaper, so it’s worth taking a look.
The Greek island ferry map above shows you a few ferry routes to some of the more famous Greek islands, including Crete, Mykonos, Santorini, Milos, and Rhodes.
Greek ferries often go directly to the Greek island where you’re going.
In some cases, though, you may find that the ferry may stop at another Greek island along the way when you book your ferry.
There can be several different Greek island ferry routes to your destination.
For example, at least a couple of different ferry routes go to Santorini, starting from Piraeus port and Rafina port.
Direct Greek island ferry routes are also something many people insist on because they can save time.
So do a few searches and find the best ferry for you.
Ferries in Greece allow you to book a ferry in Greece very easily.
Greek Island Ferry Routes
Let’s take a look at a few popular Greek island ferry routes so you can get an idea of the time it would take to get to the following Greek islands via Athens.
These Greek islands include Crete, Milos, Mykonos, Santorini, and Rhodes.
Another thing, this will also help you get an idea of the ticket ferry prices to these Greek islands.
I have done a few searches using the Ferries in Greece website on the 21st of February to find the ferry prices on the 21st of August in 2022.
That’s exactly six months in advance for making a ferry booking in Greece. Admittedly, it is a bit too far in advance, but at least you know that it is possible.
Greece Ferry Ticket Prices
Prices for ferry tickets to the Greek islands are listed below. These prices were obtained from the Ferries in Greece website.
1. Ferry to Crete (Heraklio)
The largest Greek island by area is Crete. The beautiful thing about Crete is that the island has some of the best beaches in Greece.
Check out the best beaches in Crete and see them for yourself.
Ferries go to a couple of different ports in Crete, so you will need to check which port is closest to your hotel before making a booking.
Ferries to Crete from Athens: 6.5-10 hours (from Piraeus Port in Athens)
Fly to Crete: You can also fly to Crete from Athens in about 1 hour.
Greek Ferry Ticket Prices to Crete:
Examples: Ferry ticket prices to Crete when searching six months in advance.
- Athens (Piraeus) to Crete – 10:00am to 6:30pm – 8h 30min – 39.00 EUR – Minoan Lines
- Athens (Piraeus) to Crete – 9:00pm to 6:30am – 9h 30min – 39.00 EUR – Minoan Lines
2. Ferry to Milos from Athens
Milos is one of the most beautiful Greek islands, loved particularly for a smooth moon-like rock beach known as Sarakiniko Beach.
The Greek island of Milos is also where they found the famous Venus de Milo sculpture, making Milos a top destination in Greece to visit.
Here are some valuable tips to know when booking a ferry to Milos.
Catamaran to Milos from Athens: 2.5-3 hours (from Piraeus Port in Athens)
Ferry to Milos: about 4 hours (from Piraeus)
Fly to Milos: You can also fly to Milos from Athens in about 30 minutes.
Greek Ferry Ticket Prices to Milos:
Examples: Ferry ticket prices to Milos when searching six months in advance.
- Athens (Piraeus) to Milos – 7:35am to 10:10am – 2h 35min – 65.70 EUR – Sea Jets
- Athens (Piraeus) to Milos – 8am to 11:20am – 3h 20min – 49.50 EUR – Sea Jets
- Athens (Piraeus) to Milos – 9am to 12:20pm – 3h 20min – 49.50 EUR – Sea Jets
- Athens (Piraeus) to Milos – 12pm to 3:55pm – 3h 55min – 52.00 EUR – Aegean Speedlines
- Athens (Piraeus) to Milos – 2:50pm to 6:10pm – 3h 20min – 49.50 EUR – Sea Jets
Other possible Ferry routes to Milos: Crete, Santorini, Naxos, Ios, Folegandros
3. Ferry to Mykonos
Mykonos is known as one of Greece’s party islands. It is where the Jet set seems to go, though Mykonos caters to every type of tourist.
Back backers and people lucky enough to be staying at 5-star hotels all love Mykonos.
Mykonos also has the island of Delos nearby, so it is a fantastic base in the Aegean Sea.
Here are some valuable tips to know when booking a ferry to Mykonos.
Catamaran to Mykonos from Athens: about 2.5-3 hours (from Piraeus Port in Athens)
Ferry to Mykonos: about 4.5 hours (from Piraeus)
Fly to Mykonos: You can also fly to Mykonos from Athens in about 30 minutes.
Greek Ferry Ticket Prices to Mykonos:
Examples: Ferry ticket prices to Mykonos when searching six months in advance.
- Athens (Piraeus) to Mykonos – 7:00am to 9:35am – 2h 35min – 68.70 EUR – Sea Jets
- Athens (Piraeus) to Mykonos – 7:15am to 11:45am – 4h 30min – 32.50 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
- Athens (Piraeus) to Mykonos – 7:30am to 12:45pm – 5h 15min – 32.50 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
- Athens (Piraeus) to Mykonos – 11:00am to 2:35pm – 3h 35min – 56.00 EUR – Fast Ferries
4. Ferries to Santorini from Athens
Santorini is probably the best-known Greek island, and for a good reason. The island is spectacular!
If you’re interested, these are the best things to do in Santorini.
The ultimate way to arrive in Santorini is by sea, so going to Santorini by ferry is a top choice to make.
Here are some valuable tips to know when booking a ferry to Santorini.
Catamaran to Santorini from Athens: 4-5 hours (from Piraeus Port in Athens)
Ferry to Santorini: 6-9 hours (depending on the ferry route from Piraeus)
Fly to Santorini: You can also fly to Santorini from Athens in about 40 minutes.
Greek Ferry Ticket Prices to Santorini (Thira):
Examples: Ferry ticket prices to Santorini up when searching six months in advance.
- Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini – 7:00am to 11:45am – 4h 45min – 79.70 EUR – Sea Jets
- Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini – 7:25am to 2:50pm – 7h 25min – 35.00 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
- Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini – 7:35am to 12:20pm – 4h 45min – 79.70 EUR – Sea Jets
- Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini – 5:30pm to 2:45am – 9h 15min – 35.00 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
- Athens (Piraeus) to Santorini – 11:59pm to 6:10am – 6h 11min – 35.00 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
Various Greek island ferry routes will take you to Santorini, so you may want to get there via another Greek island.
Ferries to Santorini from other Greek Islands: Mykonos, Ios, Naxos, Folegandros, Crete
5. Ferries to Rhodes from Athens
Rhodes is one of the furthest Greek islands in the Aegean Sea from the port of Piraeus (Athens).
Here are some valuable tips to know when booking a ferry to Rhodes.
Ferry to Rhodes: 13-24 hours (depending on the ferry from Piraeus)
Fly to Rhodes: You can also fly from Athens to Rhodes in 1 hour.
Greek Ferry Ticket Prices to Rhodes:
Examples: Ferry ticket prices to Rhodes when searching six months in advance.
- Athens (Piraeus) to Rhodes – 12:00pm to 6:00am – 18hours – 79.70 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
- Athens (Piraeus) to Rhodes – 11:59am to 4:25pm – 16h 26min – 57.00 EUR – Blue Star Ferries
Top tip for your ferry trip to Rhodes from Athens: If you want to secure a cabin in the peak season (August), book 4-5 months in advance.
Booking a Ferry in Greece
As I have told you numerous times now, I highly recommend using the Ferries in Greece website to book your ferries in Greece. It makes booking a Greek ferry super easy.
Final tips: Book your ferry 2-3 months in advance for peace of mind. And go over Greek island ferry routes to make sure you book the best one for you.
Official Website: Ferries in Greece
Hopefully, this Greek island ferry guide has given some of you a few useful tips when Greek island hopping using Greek ferries. Now all you need to do is book your trip.
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