Finding a Greek Ferry Godmother

Got questions on Greek ferries? Here's help

Until relatively recently, booking ferry and hydrofoil tickets ahead of time was difficult, but the Greek ferry industry has made it much easier to find routes and schedules and to make reservations.

Some things you should know about Greek ferries and hydrofoils

• They may leave early.
• They may be cancelled - the risk is greatest for the last boat of the day, particularly with hydrofoils.
• You must generally buy your ticket before boarding, and sometimes the ticket office may not be that close to the boat.
• Food options on board are usually adequate but limited. A canteen will generally offer sandwiches and other basics. The larger hydrofoils have better facilities, the smaller ones offer even less.
• Ferry companies tend to operate within island groups but may not travel between them. This can result in the necessity of using some odd routes to get to islands that the map shows to be close neighbors.

• Hints on using Greek ferry websites

  Some sites are picky based on spelling and the underlying rules of Greek grammar. On one, a search for ferries departing from Heraklion returned nothing. But just entering "Crete" turned up a schedule for a ferry departing from Heraklio. It could also have been listed under Iraklio or Iraklion.
  Your chances are often better if you're just using the island name rather than the name of a town on the island. And remember that the name "Chora" applies to dozens of main towns on different islands - be sure the result is for the island you want. Still turning up nothing? Try alternate spellings.

  "We List All Ferries in Greece" - Oh, really?

  Even if a website sounds inclusive, they usually only include a few Greek ferry lines. Try another site if you don't get results.

  The GTP website is best for routes within Greece. Greek Ferries focuses more on ferries to and from Greece. Paleologus Shipping also provides online booking, though you must allow time for your tickets to be delivered. For the more adventurous, this site even gives help in finding a spot on a tramp steamer. Their site is a bit more complicated to use, but includes some information and routes not found elsewhere.

  Next page: A case study on using Greek ferries for transportation. Are they right for you?

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