Boat

Ferries, catamarans, and hydrofoils make up an essential part of the national transport system of Greece, reaching every inhabited island. There are fast and slow boats and ferries that are more modern than others. When choosing a ferry, take into account the number of stops and the estimated arrival time. Sometimes a ferry that leaves an hour later gets you there faster than an earlier boat. On the other hand, so-called fast boats are often delayed, and a slower boat will get you to your port earlier.

Ferry timetables change frequently, and special sailings are often added in summer and around holiday weekends when demand is high. With so many private companies operating, so many islands to choose from, and complicated timetables—and with departures changing not just by season but also by day of the week—the most sensible way to arrange island-hopping is to select the islands you would like to visit, then consult a travel agent to ask how your journey can be put together. Dolphin Hellas, a full-service tour and travel company based in Athens , has a unique online portal to view various schedules and purchase ferry tickets. The websites www.gtp.gr, www.ferries.gr, www.ferryhopper.com, and www.greekferries.gr are helpful tools for planning routes.

Greek fast-food franchises operate on most ferries. On longer trips ferries have both cafeteria-style and full-service restaurants, and these can be excellent. Overnight ferries usually have a couple of decks of cabins, and these are quite comfortable, with two to four bunks and bathrooms with showers.

Ferries may be delayed by weather conditions, especially when the northern winds called meltemia hit in August, so stay flexible—one advantage of not buying a ticket too far in advance. Fast hydrofoils cannot operate in high seas and are often delayed or canceled in windy conditions. If your ship's departure is delayed for any reason (and this may include weather), you may be entitled to a refund. If you miss your ship, you forfeit your ticket; if you cancel in advance, you receive a partial or full refund, depending on how far in advance you cancel.

Major Ferry Ports

Of the major ferry ports in Greece, Piraeus, Rafina, and Lavrion are fairly well connected to Athens by bus, and the latter two are close enough to the Athens airport in Spata to be reached by taxi and KTEL buses. Within the Cycladic, Dodecanese, and Ionian islands, small ferry companies operate local routes that are not published nationally; passage can be booked through travel agents on the islands served.

Piraeus

Greece's largest and busiest port is Piraeus, 10 km (6 miles) south of Central Athens, at the end of metro Line 1, which is close to gates E5 and E6. The train ride from Central Athens takes about 25 minutes, and you can board at Thisseion, Monastiraki, or Omonia; change at Monastiraki for trains to and from Syntagma.

A taxi can take longer than the metro and will cost around €20. Often, drivers heading from Piraeus to Athens wait until they fill their taxi with debarking passengers headed in roughly the same direction, which leads to a longer, more circuitous route to accommodate everyone's destination. It's often faster to walk to the main street and hail a passing cab than to join the long lines at the port. Taxi apps, such as Uber and Beat, usually offer better rates (about €15 from Central Athens to the port of Piraeus).

From the airport, bus X96 runs 24 hours and the trip takes about 40 minutes, much longer in traffic. Buses leave from outside the arrivals area every 20 minutes between 5 am and 10:30 pm, less frequently during the night, and the cost is €3. Suburban trains also make the trip, in about an hour, and leave hourly from the airport metro station; the fare is €10.

From Piraeus you can reach the Saronic islands (Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Angistri, and Spetses); Peloponnesian ports (Hermioni and Porto Heli); the Cyclades (Amorgos, Folegandros, Anafi, Ios, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Serifos, Sifnos, Syros, and Tinos); and the northern Aegean islands (Samos, Ikaria, Mytileni, and Chios).

Be aware that Piraeus port is so vast that you may need to travel some distance to your gate (quay) of departure once you arrive, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to spare. Free bus service connects the main port entrances with the departure gates. Gate changes may occur at the last moment, so confirm at an information kiosk. Usually, the gates serve the following destinations:

E1 the Dodecanese

E2 Crete, Chios, Mytilini (Lesvos), Ikaria, Samos

E3 Crete, Kithira

E4 Kithira

E5 Main pedestrian entrance

E6 Cyclades, Rethymnon (Crete)

E7 Cyclades, Rethymnon (Crete)

E8 Saronic islands

E9 Cyclades, Samos, Ikaria

E10 Cyclades, Samos, Ikaria

Rafina

From Greece's second-busiest port, 35 km (22 miles) northeast of Athens, you can reach Evia (Euboea) daily, as well as some of the Cyclades (Mykonos, Paros, Tinos, Santorini, Naxos, Ios, and Andros).

KTEL buses to the Rafina port leave approximately every half hour (or every 15 minutes during rush hour; inquire about their schedule before your departure). Usually KTEL buses run from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm from Mavrommateon terminal near Pedion Areos park, which is within walking distance from the Viktoria (green line) station. The KTEL bus takes about an hour to get to Rafina and the cost of the trip is €3; the port is slightly downhill from the bus station. A KTEL bus also connects the port of Rafina to the airport, about 20 km (12 miles) away, and runs between 4:30 am and 8:45 pm. The journey takes about 30 minutes and the trip costs €6. Buses depart from the airport every hour and the bus stop is located between exits 2 and 3 at the Arrivals level (opposite the Sofitel hotel).

From Athens, it's also possible to take a taxi (a 40-minute trip), but it is fairly expensive.

Lavrion

From the port of Lavrion, 61 km (38 miles) southeast of Athens and close to Sounion, you can reach Kea (Tzia) and Kythnos, and (less regularly) Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Anafi, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Kimolos, Milos, Tinos, Andros, Ag, Efstratios, Limnos, Kavala, and Alexandroupolis. There are hourly buses from the Athens airport directly to Lavrion (bus change at Markopoulo), or it's about 35 to 40 minutes by taxi.

Patras

From Patras, on the western coast of the Peloponnese, 210 km (130 miles) west of Athens, you can reach Italy (Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Ravenna, Trieste, and Venice). The drive or bus trip from Athens takes about three hours.

Killini

From Killini, 73 km (45 miles) south of Patras, you can reach the Ionian islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos. Buses connect Killini with Athens, and passengers can purchase a combined bus and ferry ticket.

Igoumenitsa

From Igoumenitsa, on Greece's northwest coast 482 km (300 miles), you can reach Italy (Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Ravenna, Trieste, and Venice) and Corfu (several ferries daily), with connecting bus service for Corfu-bound passengers from Athens. Given the distance from Athens, it is generally more realistic to fly to Corfu.

Other Ports

From the northern mainland towns of Kavala and Alexandroupolis you can reach the Dodecanese islands of Limnos, Samothrace (Samothraki), Lesvos, Samos, and Thassos.

From Agios Konstantinos, Volos, or Thessaloniki you can reach the Sporades islands of Alonissos, Skiathos, and Skopelos. Thessaloniki also has frequent seasonal connections to Mykonos and Santorini.

From Kimi, on the east coast of Evia, you can reach Skyros, Skopelos, and Alonissos.

From Heraklion you can reach the islands of Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Karpathos, Rhodes, Kasos, Anafi, Chalki, and Milos (summer only).

Buying Ferry Tickets

It’s best to buy your ticket at least two or three days ahead if you are traveling between July 15 and August 30, when most Greeks vacation, if you need a cabin (good for long trips), or if you are taking a car. If possible, don't travel by boat around August 15, when most ferries are very crowded. The ferry schedule systems are fairly seasonal, so by the end of April it is usually possible to book tickets for the busy summer months.

You can buy tickets from a travel agency or ticket office praktoreio at the port, online through travel websites (popular sites include www.directferries.gr, www.greekferries.gr, and www.ferries.gr). It's usually easier to buy tickets from a travel agent, who can explain schedules and options. Last-minute tickets can be purchased from a ferry company kiosk at every port.

Generally you can pay with either credit card or cash. On islands the local office of each shipping line posts a board with departure times.

Ferry Types

Greek ferries can be either slow or fast. On longer trips on slower boats, the experience is a bit like a minicruise. You can relax on board, dine, enjoy the sea views, snap photos from the deck at ports of call (there may be multiple calls on some routes), and rent a berth or a private cabin on overnight trips. Some popular long ferry routes are those between Piraeus and Lesvos (Mytilini), Samos, Chios, Rhodes, Kos, Patmos, Crete, and Santorini and can last twelve hours or more.

High-speed ferries, catamarans, and hydrofoils (sea jets)—or in Greek iptamena delphinia (flying dolphins)—are a pricier option that cuts travel time in half. Catamarans are the larger of these fast ferries, with more space to move around, although passengers are not allowed outside when the boat is not docked. If the sea is choppy, these boats often cannot travel and often run very late. They usually make shorter trips, between islands in the Cyclades or Dodecanese, for instance, and between Piraeus or Rafina and Mykonos. Although they are faster, they lack the flavor of the older ferries and do not have open decks.

International Ferries

From Greece you can travel to neighboring Italy and Turkey. Travel time to Turkey from many Greek islands in the Dodecanese and Northern Aegean is relatively short, usually less than 90 minutes. Travel from Patras to various stops in Italy, including Brindisi, Bari, and Venice, can take from 9 to 21 hours.

Travel to Turkey

You can cross to Turkey from the northeastern Aegean islands. The journey takes anywhere from one hour to 90 minutes, depending on the destination. Ferries sail between the Greek islands of Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Simi, Chios, and Lesvos to the Turkish destinations of Bodrum, Marmaris, Kusadasi, Turgutreis, Datca, Fethiye, Dikely, Ayvalik, and Cesme.

Note that American, Canadian, and Australian passport holders must pay $60 or €50 to obtain an Electronic Visa for visiting Turkey. British subjects and New Zealanders don't need a visa, though this may change as details of Brexit evolve. The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System was launched in 2013 by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has now become mandatory for port entry (some airports still provide sticker visas at border crossings). This system allows visitors traveling to Turkey to obtain their e-Visas online in advance (www.evisa.gov.tr). The online application process takes approximately three minutes. Just be aware that visa rules can change, so you should always verify the current requirements before you decide to make a last-minute trip to Turkey from Greece.

Ferry lines that sail between Greece and Turkey include the following: Erturk, Turyol, Marmaris Ferry, Meander Travel, SeaDreams, Bodrum Ferryboat, Dodecanese Flying Dolphins, Tuana Maritime, Dodecanisos Seaways, and Yesil Marmaris Lines.

Travel to Italy

There are also frequent ferries between Greece and Italy. From Igoumenitsa, Patras, Zante, and Corfu you can find ferries that head to Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste, and Venice. The fastest ferry crossing is from Corfu to Otranto in Italy, which takes about 2½ hours with Liberty Lines.

Many routes are operated by Minoan Lines (which is now a subsidiary of Italy's Grimaldi Lines). Modern, well-maintained vessels are outfitted with bars, restaurants, pools, spas, gyms, casinos, and shops.

Prices depend on the season and your class of service (deck, seat, or cabin). High season runs from mid-July to late August; prices drop considerably in low and middle season. Some companies offer special family or group discounts, while others charge extra for pets or offer deep discounts on return tickets, so comparing rates does pay. When booking, also consider when you will be traveling; an overnight trip can be offset against hotel costs, and you will spend more on incidentals like food and drink when traveling during the day.

Ferry lines that sail between Greece and Italy include the following: Anek, Blue Star Ferries, European Seaways, Minoan Lines, Superfast Ferries, Grimaldi Lines, Liberty Lines, and Ventouris.