First time in Greece and I need help with the Greek ferry system. We are visiting Greece for 2 weeks in mid September. Flying to Athens and then plan on taking a "slow" ferry to Mykonos, Paros or Naxos and Santorini. Have a hard time finding schedules and connections, especially from Mykonos to the other islands. Also read that schedules are "unreliable" and to wait to purchase tickets until we are in Athens. However, we need to make the hotel reservations now and need to coordinate with the ferry schedules..... By "unreliable" do they mean the ferries still go out on a given date but the time schedule is different or that they do not sail at all? Also, what kind of seats to reserve - does it really matter? Appreciate any help on this.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Ferries can be hours late due to weather conditions and other factors. I would wait to buy tickets there. I would reserve the best class of seats you can afford. Ferries can be crowded and the seats uncomfortable.
Posted by
Oakland, CA
73 posts
The weather is definitely a factor with the ferries; I would wait until you arrive in Greece to buy the tickets. Here is a link that I use to determine the ferry schedule:
http://greekferries.forthcrs.gr/english/npgres.exe?PM=BB
Have a great trip!
Posted by
Aliki, Paros, Greece
1 posts
The main consideration is that the schedules are not complete for the summer season before mid May. They start changing again about 10 September.
But you can make hotel reservations based upon last year's schedules. If you can't find them on the internet, ask your hotel for their opinion.
In middle September their will be 4 or 5 ferries per day on the Athens/Piraeus to Paros, Santorini and back route. One or two from Mykonos to Paros or Santorini. Relax and enjoy.
I live on Paros and I hate it when people pass on the unfounded rumour that ferries are unreliable. Air flights are canceled or delayed more than ferry routes! Delays can be caused by strikes, severe weather and busy periods but the ferry will go when possible. One should not schedule their transitions too tightly regardless. Relax and enjoy.
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Michael - I did not mean to make "unreliability" of Greek ferries a reason not to use them. I think it's a different kind of reliability. The ferries are there and they do run their routes; it's just that one should anticipate that the schedules are impossible to guarantee with the punctuality trains have. So it's best to build in the time to enjoy whiling away a few hours in a portside taverna while waiting for the ferry to arrive. And not plan an arrival schedule so rigid that being a few hours late results in the loss of a reservation.
Posted by
OP
Prague
2 posts
As long as the ferries run the day they are supposed to, we can always check with the port officials and wait or get to the port earlier. As long as "unreliable" means little earlier or later than originally posted we would be fine. It would really mess us up if there were no ferries running the day we need to move from one island to the other. I want to make room reservations now and then make the ferry arrangements once we are in Athens but wanted to make sure there are ferry routes to the islands we wanted to see. Would Mykonos, Santorini, Paros/Naxos give us a good flavor of the Greek Islands?
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Those islands would give you a good flavor of the Cyclades. The different island groups have their own characteristics and, of course, Crete and the mainland of Greece are distinct as well. But visiting them in the course of two weeks would be a lot of time on ferries. Four Cyclades islands plus Athens in two weeks seems ambitious.