Folks - what has your experience been booking in early Oct? I've been told to wait until I arrive due to cancellations & such. If I do book on site, would you reco an agency, online or somewhere else? Many thanks.
There's absolutely no need to book in advance in October. You can safely wait until you're there and book as you go with a local ticket agency. If you're arriving by plane at the Athens Airport you can buy ferry tickets from the travel desk of Amphitrion Holidays in the Arrivals Hall between Exit/Entry Doors 2&3.
You do not need to book. Be aware that 3-4 years ago airport agencies charged extra 2 euros per ticket. I'm not sure if they still do and how much. Ticket agents at the port do not charge commission.
You don't need to book in advance, especially for early October. Just wait till you get to the ticket office at the port and buy direct from them. You can buy online but you end up paying a "service fee".
thanks all! if i purchase @ the port, do you guys think the ticket office/kiosk would open for early morning? it looks like the ferry i'll take is around 7am.
Buy you ticket from any travel agent when you arrive on the island. That way you can have a chat with the agent about weather and best time to be at the port. In May this year we knew we were going to remote villages and we knew from experience we would not see a travel agent on the rest of the trip so we bought our ticket when we arrived and carried it with our valuables for the next two weeks. No problem.
Typically, port ticket offices will be open an hour before those early-morning departures.
If you are travelling to the Cyclades, Blue Star Ferries has a ticket booth next to the ferries, and it's always open before ferries depart no matter what time of day. There is absolutely no reason to prebook a ferry for that time of year, and it takes only a few minutes to buy a ticket at the booth.
It's not clear from your post which island you are travelling to, so I'm assuming Paros, Naxos, or Santorini. If not one of those islands, then other ferry connections apply. A 7 am departure suggests you may be thinking of using SeaJet 2 or Superjet, two very small catamarans that have a bad reputation for seasick passengers and late arrivals. Blue Star Delos leaves only 25 minutes later, and is a much better choice.