Unboundly

Would you choose a ferry ride or buy a plane ticket to get from Greece to Italy? What are the pros and cons?

kybourbon

Ferry takes quite a long time and would likely be more expensive than flying. It is relaxing to have a night at sea if your trip has been hectic. It would also depend on your itinerary and whether a ferry would even be close to your itinerary. The ferries depart Patras which isn't really close to much.

Heimdall

Cons: you will have to travel by bus to Patras or Igoumenitsa where ferries depart the Greek mainland, take a long ferry ride to an Italian port, then travel by whatever means to Rome or another destination in Italy. That will take most of a day (or more) in travel, compared with a 2 hr flight from Athens to Rome.

Pros: If you are travelling from the island of Corfu, the ferry won't take quite so long. It may be cheaper if you camp out on deck, but there are some good deals with budget airlines these days, so check those first. ;-)

neckervd

In high summer, a ferry ride to Venice or Trieste (with 2 nights in a ship's cabine) can be very relaxing. But it's always more expensive than a flight.
If your destination in Italy is not Brindisi, Bari, Ancona, Venice or Trieste, you will have to add at least half a day for land transport.

Unboundly

thanks for the quick replies!
The view and the bit of calm in a sea of hurry were also on my pros list. I did think about the high prices and the geographical logistics of the matter too, but I was just wondering if it was worth it.
Perhaps it would be more wise to introduce a shorter & less expensive Mediterranean ferry ride in the itinerary

Heimdall

If you spend any time at all on a Greek island you will almost certainly use a ferry. They come in all sizes, ranging from small hydrofoils to huge car ferries like Blue Star Delos. Depending on where you are going the ferry ride will take anything from a few minutes to several hours, but few as long as the Greece>Italy ferries.

neckervd

Longest ferry rides within Greece:
Piraeus - Patmos - Kavala, 26 - 30 hrs;
Piraeus - Karpathos - Rhodos, 25 - 28 hrs
Piraeus - Kastellorizo, 20-23 hrs;

Heimdall

That's right, neckervd, and all those destinations (except Patmos) have airports, with flying time from Athens about an hour. For Kastellorizo you have to change flights at Rhodes, taking an extra 40 minutes plus layover time. No need for those long ferry rides.

clausar

No Greek would take a boat from Piraeus to Kavala via Patmos.....

Also i can hardly imagine anyone would choose to visit Kastellorizo by ship from Piraeus.....

neckervd

I'm sure you don't believe, but there exist human beings who like to travel by boat (especially in summer).

Many inhabitants of Kastellorizo take the boat for their travels to Athens: departure in the afternoon, arrival at Piraeus the following morning, restaurant and cabins on board.

Even on board of the horribly expensive Adria ferries (in high season), you always find peope without car, despite the fact that flights are much cheaper.

clausar

Kastellorizo is a tiny island with less than 500 inhabitants.

Their everyday life takes them to Rhodes, which is about 3 hours away by boat, or 40 min by air.
They have no motivation to travel to Athens.....

Since they are too far away from Rhodes, they even often have to visit nearby Kas for shopping or visiting a doctor in urgent cases , since the connection to Rhodes is not as frequent as it should be.

PalenQ

I've taken the boats several times but not recently - but always found them to be an adventure - and if young quite a party in the discos and pubs, where some passengers just hang out all night - but better to buy for varying prices difficult types of sleeping accommodations - deck passage - the basic train fare means just that - you can as I did when young with a sleeping bag not even needed just sleep on the benche salong with side of the boat or at the front and bottom decks or inside in the pubs, etc.

A Pullman or reclining seat it usually only costs a few euros extra.

Actually I use the boats because I almost always have a Eurailpass so some boats are free with your pass - or always have been - and you only had to pay a Port Tax and high-season surcharge of $10-15 or so.

Boats also have nice hotel-like rooms and multi-person berths like couchettes on trains.

gertie3751

I have taken lots of Greek ferries. Notable over-nighters have been Patmos to Piraeus, Chania to Piraeus back and forth, Patra to Bari, Mytilene to Piraeus, Piraeus to Rodos. Nothing to be seen on these as it was dark! I just prefer to travel by ferry if I am not in a hurry, I like the rocking feeling of the boat, the G&Ts, a nice cabin. Not cheap at all if you want to sleep, at least 80 euros. But you don't have to get a cabin and that keeps the cost down. Daytimes I have taken most ferries between Piraeus and the islands for between 4-5 hours, or all the way up through the Doceanese, up and down the Ionian islands, across from Piraeus to Hydra, Spetses, Poros. Much cheaper as they are designed for local people and you don't need a cabin. Try to get a big slow boat rather than the fast little hydrofoil things which are claustrophobic and sea-sick-making. Much better for seeing islands and a lovely way to travel. None of the airport hassle, you get the feeling of being around local people, you arrive right in the middle of things. Really recommend it.

clausar

OP's question was about takinf a ferry between Italy and Greece.
Since airtickets between the two countries are quite low priced, it doesn't make any sense to me to spend 85 Euros for an aircraft seat plus the expenses to get to Patras and from Bari...... ( this is the cost in the low season Patras - Bari)

If you calculate also a meal on board, you will probably end up paying much more..... ( plus having a bad sleep )

I don't see these ships as a cruise experience, and they also don't have that holidays feeiling, that i know from GReek ferries, when traveling to an island.....

Just my opinion of course

Heimdall

To me, the deal breaker with Greece > Italy ferries is the time it takes getting to/from the ports added to the long ferry ride. Patras, for example, is in the western Peloponnese, several hours from Athens, and the opposite side of Greece from the popular islands of the Aegean Sea. Bari is in southern Italy, many miles/kms from Rome, Florence, and Venice. Travel to more northerly Italian ports would increase the time spent at sea.

Most people who post on Fodor's have limited time for their holidays, and spending a day or more in transit with little to see or do, compared with a couple of hours on a flight, is a waste of valuable time. Of course if you are a backpacker spending several months travelling around Europe, you may have different priorities. Would you rather spend a day sitting on buses, trains, and ferries, or spend that day sightseeing in Rome?

Dukey1

the bit of calm in a sea of hurry

You ever been on the Adriatic when it's choppy? Believe me, it is an experience like no other. DON'T!!!!

clausar

It can't be worse than the Aegean Sea....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXGhnR2P5Dk

gertie3751

Yes, interesting comments.

Clausar, if you see it in terms of cost and time, yes of course flying is the best option.
And if you see it in term of cruising, of course a cruise ship is the best option.

But suppose you see it in terms of travel experience as I do? Local ferries with no reservations and comparatively low cost are a great way to get around. I do the occasional splurge for a cabin due to my advanced age, as with the Patra-Bari trip.

Heimdall, certainly true that most posters on Fodors have limited time for their holidays. But some of us are retired backpackers who have lots of time but limited cash for travel. For me it is not so much a 'holiday' as a 'trip'. The thought of a cruise horrifies me; I love sitting on buses and trains talking to people; have done hot crowded sightseeing in Rome too many times.

It all comes down to the fact that everyone has their own preferences and priorities. I guess that's what travel forums are all about. It takes all sorts.

Debbielynn

I took the ferry from Greece to Bari many, many years ago.
FIrst off, there was a strike and we had to wait in line, in our car, overnight to get on any available ferry. It was a very stormy and choppy ride and I was sick the whole time. Plus it took forever!! Would never, ever do it again.

clausar

gertie3751

I do agree with you !!

But i would take the Patras - Bari ferry only if i had a car.. which is what most people do.

Taking a ferry in Greece in the summer to visit one of the islands, where you see many other islands on the way and even stop at some, with ppl from all possible countries coming and going, is a total different experience which i love !!