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Travel by Sea / Ferry Boat - Greece & the Greek Islands

Even though it is the largest port in Greece, Piraeus does not operate a direct route to Italy. The ports that do service routes to and from Italy are those of Patra, situated in the Peloponnese, and Igoumenitsa, in the northwest of Greece.

Patra though, is the more popular of the two, and its service to and from Brindisi is probably the most widely used. As well as Brindisi, there are also departures from Patra to Ancona, Trieste, Venice and Bari.


For travelling to and from the Greek islands, Piraeus, in Athens, is by far the main port. Apart from the Sporades and Ionian Islands, Piraeus caters for a large percentage of most of the other Greek islands.

Tickets can usually be purchased before departure for most routes, but in busy seasons and for ferries to the larger and more popular islands, it is recommended to buy your tickets in advance.

Though the routes to the islands are the same, there are usually several different vessels that make the journey, and these can be quite different in terms of the facilities that they offer. Prices however, should remain the same as they are set by the government.

As well as conventional ferries, you can also make the journey to some islands with a "Flying Dolphin". These are hydrofoil services that are operated by the shipping company Minoan Lines. Again, though you may be able to find tickets before departure, it is best to try to purchase them in advance of your journey.

Ferries to Turkey are not available directly from Piraeus, but you will be able to find services for this journey at some of the islands, such as Rhodes and Samos. At Piraeus, you may find a ticket for the journey to Turkey, as well as Cyprus and Israel, but this does not mean that the boat on which you depart on from Piraeus, will be the one on which you reach your final destination. It will mean changing to another vessel at some point. Again, tickets should be purchased in advance to save on any trouble at a later time. Also, tickets for Turkey must be purchased at least 24 hours prior to the actual departure.


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