Are you planning to travel the Greek Islands this summer? Wondering how to navigate the Greek Ferry system? We’ve taken over 50 Greek Ferries while Greek Island hopping – from super small to huge overnight trips – and we’ve collected the most important things you need to know for a seamless experience.
Here are the top 10 must-know rules of Greek ferry travel!
1. Don’t Miss Your Stop – Set An Alarm!
This has happened to us and many people we know! The stops are quick, and besides a brief overhead announcement, there isn’t much warning.
Set an alarm so no matter if you’re napping or listening to music, you’ll be alerted and ready to go for your stop.
2. Tell the Luggage Porter Your Destination
A lot of people worry about the process of bringing luggage onto the ferry. Besides backpacks, totes, and purses, all other luggage gets stored below deck during a ferry ride.
Be sure to clearly tell the porter your final destination or look for signs above the baggage piles with your destination on it! When in doubt, ask someone!
Don’t just put your stuff in a pile of other luggage without double checking. Ferries make a lot of stops, and if you put your luggage in the wrong pile, it could make getting off more difficult for you!
3. Bring Water and Snacks
A common mistake people make is assuming there will be a coffee or snack bar on board.
Many smaller boats don’t have these at all, and even if you are on a larger boat, the food/drink services will not always be open.
4. Avoid Flowy Dresses or Flip Flops
The seas are usually super windy, and especially for getting on/off and walking on deck, don’t wear clothing that will get blown all over!
The boats can rock back and forth a lot, most ferries have a lot of stairs to navigate, and the decks can be wet. Wear grippy shoes!
5. Bring Something to Avoid Sea Sickness
The seas get windy and rough! We have seen multiple people get sick quickly on ferries.
Bring whatever works for you and is medically safe for you – Dramamine, scopolamine patches, or even just peppermints and ginger ale! Just something to keep your tummy calm. Sometimes a hat to cover your eyes helps as well.
6. Download Your Greek Ferry Tickets Ahead of Time
Most Greek island ferry ports have very bad cell service! We’ve seen a lot of people struggle and hold up the line trying to retrieve reservations and tickets from their email. Come prepared!
7. Search Multiple Ferry Companies for Tickets
Use an app like Ferryhopper to search across multiple ferry providers at once – Blue Star Ferries, Seajets Greece, Dodecanese, etc.
Don’t forget that some smaller islands use government subsidized boats, usually with much fewer passengers, that won’t appear easily in a Google search.
8. Leave a Gap Day after Your Last Ferry
If you are traveling for example back to Athens by Ferry before flying home, leave a gap day. Do NOT try to sail back to Athens within 24 hours of an international flight.
Ferries can be delayed or even cancelled for a number of reasons – wind, mechanical, strikes, etc. Always give yourself at least a buffer day.
9. Do Use an Airtag
The bag pickup process can be a bit chaotic. Place an airtag in your luggage and make sure to check after each ferry stop that your bag is still on board.
10. Look into Ferry Pass Options
Depending on how long you’ll be in Greece, how many islands you want to visit, you might want to look into a Ferry Pass option.
There are also a variety of Rail-Sail pass opportunities to save on ferries and combine travel throughout Europe & the Greek Islands.
We hope these 10 rules for Greek Ferry Travel have been helpful!
Next, make sure to check out 17 Must-Have Items For Greece!
Looking for more to do in Greece? Check out these awesome Athens-based tours!!
