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Advice about Greek ferries

No one warned us before we went to Greece that many of the ferries--all the fast ferries that we took or saw--don't have any place where you can be outside while the ferry is underway. The windows aren't that clear--and on some you have an assigned seat that may be far from a window--so you really can't sightsee while traveling between islands on them. Fortunately, almost by chance, we took the Blue Star "Paros" from Paros to Naxos and then to Santorini--the most interesting part of our island trip--and on it we could be outside while underway.

I wish that I had known about this in the planning stages of the trip and made more of an effort to schedule ferries where we could be outside. (We have traveled on ferries in Washington State and Norway and never encountered this issue.)

Posted by
3149 posts

Your posting causes me to wonder if you asked for details such as whether or not the fast ferries had open decks. If you didn't, what would motivate someone to mention it?

Did you do any research on your own, such as looking for photos of the ferries you were considering? It's pretty easy to see from the photos which ferries have open decks and which are enclosed.

Posted by
11 posts

No, I didn't ask, or really look at the pictures. It just didn't occur to me because of all our experiences with ferries in Washington State and Norway. (Plus my experience taking Greek ferries 43 years ago!) That's why I posted the advice . . . so someone else doesn't make the same mistake.

Posted by
8124 posts

I would agree that the impression many have of Greek ferries is that of a cruise ship, rather than the reality, which is more akin to a bus. I think you can assume that nearly any fast, even moderately fast ferry will not have open decks, any Catamaran, "Cat", or ferry with the word "Flying" in it will not either. One need only take a fast ferry in rough seas to lose the romance (and any recent meal). The older slow car ferries can be great for short hops and taking a small ferry like the Skopelos from Naxos to small islands like Koufonissia on a brilliant sunny day can make wonderful memories. But anymore, if I am looking at more than 5 hours, I consider flying.

Posted by
11 posts

I agree.

I had read many discussions about time vs. cost when deciding what ferry to take, but never a mention of the added factor of whether you are able to sightsee along the way. Sometimes a high speed ferry is the only alternative (including flying) that will get where you are going when you want, but I just wanted others to be more aware than we were.