The shocking truth about Greek Ferries
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Bernie Van Der Linde
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- Last updated 01/07/2024
It has been a few months since we returned from our trip to Greece. Although this has been one of the best trips in years, I dread writing this travel blog about our experience with the Greek ferries as it reminds me of the most unpleasant parts of our trip. Before travelling to Greece, I romanticised the idea of Greek ferries as taking the scenic route. If you’re thinking the same, change your plans. Don’t get me wrong; I fully understand the importance of travelling by ferry between the islands; I only wish we had come more prepared.
If you are planning a trip to Greece and want to island hop between Santorini, Milos, and Mykonos, I highly recommend you read this travel blog before taking a Greek Ferry to avoid having a horrible experience. My apologies in advance if this article sounds overly dramatic; I am not the only one who has had this experience.
This travel blog aims to give you all the information I wish I had known before travelling by ferry in Greece. By being prepared, you will be spared some of the unpleasantness and uncertainty often accompanying ferry trips in the Greek islands.
Please read also our latest article about Greek ferries from July 2024, which gives you a different perspective of ferries: Greek ferries: The biggest mistake we made on our island hopping trip.
Best ferry trips in the Greek Islands
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Are rough seas common in Greece?
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Not all ferries are created equal.
What is a Fast ferry?
Research your vessel carefully for your route before making your booking. The smaller, faster ferries mean preparing yourself for a rough ride (read seasickness). They save you a lot of time on your trip but often come with a sacrifice. The fast ferries are not only more expensive but also only have indoor seating options available. These ferries have a snack bar and café. However, the prices are very high. Pro Tip: Take some snacks and drinks with you for the trip.What is a slow ferry?
Big, slower ferries look like cruise liners, ensuring you hardly feel the movement of the waves. They have fully functional restaurants with many meal and drink options. The restaurants on board the vessels are very convenient as they bring the food to your seat, and this is a lovely way to pass the time on a long journey.-
Do ferries get cancelled or replaced by another type of ferry?
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Is it worth paying more for a superior-class ferry ticket?
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Will I get seasick on a ferry?
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Are ferries in Greece chaotic?
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Are ferries in Greece notoriously late?
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Must I book ferry tickets in advance?
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Must I arrange for transport to the ferry port in advance?
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Must I have cash to pay for things on the ferry?
Can I travel with my pet on Greek ferries?
Most ferry companies allow you to travel with your pet without any charge. However, ensure that you have your dog or cat’s health certificate with you.
What are the luggage weight restrictions on Greek ferries?
Sea Jets and Blue Star Ferries have a weight restriction of 50kg, while Fast Ferries and Minoans Lines do not have any weight restrictions.
PRO TIP:
We use Ferryhopper to book all our ferry trips. Try our easy widget below to find your perfect ferry trip. The Ferryhoppers website has a cool interactive ferry map that you can use to find the best trip, including fees.

Conclusion
Sea Jets never again! The thought of so many people sitting next to us looking green in their faces, the smell of vomit coming from all sides, and the rock and roll of the vessel is something we will never forget. In all fairness, this could have been due to the rough seas we experienced during some of our trips. However, we would definitely recommend taking Minoanian lines, particularly Santorini Palace, as this was the experience we imagined when dreaming of island hopping on the Greek islands.
Despite the unreliable Greek ferry system, it is still the most efficient and busiest in the world. You need not arrive at any port more than 30 minutes before the scheduled time, and the ferry never leaves before the scheduled time.
Instead of taking a ferry back to Athens, we booked a flight from Santorini, which only took 30 minutes. Although the time spent at the airport checking in took much longer, we found the experience much more pleasant, considering what we had endured on some of the ferries.
Good to know: We connected to the Internet on most of the ferries we travelled on.
PRO TRAVEL BLOG TIP:
We bought an 18 GIG SIM card at Athens airport for 30 Euros for 30 days. Although not free, many of the larger ferries have Wi-Fi.
For more information about the Greek islands, it is also advisable to get a travel guide.
Discover unforgettable experiences and exciting activities on the Greek islands here.
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9 Comments
Thanks for the tips! You just saved us a big headache. 😅
We love feedback like this! Thanks for leaving a comment. Hope you had an unforgettable trip to Greece
I could not have agreed more with this article. Many years back we experienced the worst ever sea sickness and I still remember it to this day. Numerous people fainting, I was so sick, I became delirious and started to remove my clothing down to my underwear and was sweating profusely as if I had a very high fever, just a horrible experience.
This is great information! I am planning a trip in early June. Unfortunately, Seajets is the only option for a ferry during my travel time. I used you link to look up Minoan Lines, and it does not seem as if they have any ferries from santorini to Mykonos & vice versa.
Thank you for leaving a comment. Seajets is not a bad option if you book a higher grade (i.e. VIP class). We hope you have an unforgettable experience. You picked amazing islands to visit. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter as we will be visiting three lesser known islands in Greece in June. Have a fantastic trip. Your travel buddies, Bernie and Petra
Hi Niko
Thank you for leaving that valuable comment. We know that there are great ferry trips one has to be careful which ones you pick. We are off to Andros, Tinos and Syros in June. We are super excited but will also have to use ferries in between the island. We are hoping to bring an updated article that will remove some of the negativity of the Greece Ferries.
Great tips and great help. Thank you.
Thank you for your message. We are glad that you found our article helpful.
Please keep in mind that Seajets also has larger vessels, which take cars and as such provide a calmer ride and are less prone to cancellations. I’d only avoid the smaller Seajets vessels. When searching for connections, make sure the vessel you are selecting takes cars. This is easy to spot on ferryhopper, for example.