We plan to spend several days in Athens after our time in Italy. We would be traveling the last week of October. I am wondering if it is worth the extra effort to take a ferry. I realize the ferry arrival port of Patras is a several-hour bus trip from Athens, but I thought that the opportunity to see the Adriatic, Corfu and Greek coasts from a ferry might be a relaxing way to arrive. I am curious to hear from anyone with a view about this. For example, can you see the coast from the ferry? I had, incorrectly I now realize, assumed that we would be able to see the Montenegro/Albania coast from the ferry but now understand we will be too distant to see that coast. The ferry stops near Corfu in the morning and then continues on to Patras for the rest of the day before arriving about 4PM.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10621 posts
How many opportunities will you have in life to take a ferry, and how many opportunities will you have to fly?
When I went to Athens from Patras, it was a simple metro ride.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8318 posts
It all depends on where you're going to be in Italy. For example, if you're in Milan or Torino you'd do best to fly.
Most Italian cities are not on the Adriatic either.
We went from Athens to Venice a year ago by cruise ship, and I don't remember seeing any land along the way.
I think I'd just fly from Italy to Athens--to keep it simple.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11869 posts
I would be inclined to fly.. The bus ride from Patras is longer than the flight from most of Italy.
I suspect Bets was thinking of Pireas with the comment about taking the metro
I would rather be in Greece than on a boat.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
119 posts
As a backpacking university student in the 1990's taking the ferry from Brindisi/Bari to Greece was almost a right of passage as a part of a European summer trip. Time in Corfu then on to Piraeus before island hopping. The ferry was fun, lots of students etc. and before the ease of discount flights. I think it would be much easier, more comfortable and more time efficient to fly from your last Italian destination to Athens (or one of the Greek islands, saving Athens for the end of your Greek trip). I'm not sure how long the travel time would be, but imagine it would be at least 8-16 hours depending on the type of ferry service and where you departed from. Enjoy a ferry ride between Greek islands instead.