Ferries in Greece

When I traveled to Greece last year, I went to Ferryhopper.com It was very easy. I booked my tickets a few months in advance. I have also downloaded the app. Enjoy :)

As mentioned by Marie ferryhopper is one of the most convenient websites to see ferry schedules. It also allows you to consult the indirect routes in case there is no direct route.

https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/

openseas.gr is also useful to see schedules for a whole week.

http://www.openseas.gr/

You can buy your tickets on these websites but as with all thirdparty services it is best to buy directly on the ferry company's website. It is one less intermediary in the event of modification or cancellation by the company.

Ferry schedules are generally published 5 or 6 months in advance, but sometimes only 2 or 3 months for certain routes.
Currently some ferry companies have not yet published those of September 2023

Unless you want to book a cabin instead of seats, 99% of the time it is not necessary and advisable to book weeks or months in advance. Most travelers accustomed to ferry trips buy tickets once in Greece at the ticket sales offices, for example 1 or 2 day before the day of departure. The main reason is that schedules can be changed at the last minute.

Thanks,

I guess I'll have to wait a few more months to schedule ferry rides.

If you know which islands you want to visit, what you can do from now is to look on ferryhopper or openseas the possibilities of ferry routes for example during July.

Some people, after seeing catalogs or tourist promotion websites, think that they can travel by ferry from any island to any other island, which is not possible in many cases.

Absolutely NO reason to book online waaay in advance, unless you are going to islands in HIGH Season (July- Aug) and leaving Athens/Piraeus on a Friday and/or Returning to Ath/Pireaus on a Sunday. I've visited Greece 13 times, in May, June & September, have taken dozens of ferries to/from Mainland, and have always bought tickets near to departure... If I'm starting from Athens I buy them the day before at the closest ticket agency to my hotel.. just so I won't need to stop at a seafront agency in Pireaus.. If buying a ticket at an island to go back to mainland or on to anoher Island, I also just stop at a ticket agency at the island port. It's the same price or maybe a few € different. One drawback most do not realize, about online purchase -- when u buy a reserved-seat in person, you have best chance to specify location, whereas online, no. This can really matter on long ferry rides 5-7 hours, on conventional ferries -- because you want the quieter smaller compartments near windows, insstead of huge (and noisy) central compartments which are more like big theatres w bright lights & nonstop TV.

THe Blue Star conventional ferries (and other convntional open-deck ferries) usually accommodate somewhere between 1200 - 1800 passengers & up to 250 vehicles including 18-wheeler trailer-trucks. These are not litle dinky ferries that Americans envision, tootling around a harbour, these are small ocean-going SHIPS. Even the more modest-size "fast-ferries" which also carry vehicles, carry from 400-800 reserved-seat passengers. YEs in High Season, near weekends, it's good to think ahead. Otherwise, just chill.