PapaG

Looking forward to our 1st trip to the Greek Islands at the end of May! We will be taking a ferry from Santorini to Paros and after spending three days in Paros, will be going by ferry to Mykonos. Since I'm inexperienced with travel by ferry, and have a tendency to sea-sickness, I have a few questions which I'm hoping someone can respond to. Which ferry line offers the largest and fastest boats? Which seems to be the most reliable? Is it better to order tickets on line or get tickets on the islands at the time of departure Thanks for any info you can provide.

brotherleelove2004

Largest and fastest are two different categories. Largest are conventional car ferries. Fastest are the smaller highspeed catamarans. Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways Catamarans are reliable. SeaJets catamarans have a history of breakdowns. In May you can safely get your tickets on the islands as you go.

Heimdall

For Santorini to Paros recommend Blue Star. This is one of the most picturesque ferry routes, and you will probably want to spend the whole time on the outside deck for views and photos. FlyingCat 4 and Sea Jets have enclosed cabins and no outside decks.

For Paros to Mykonos you will most likely need to go by catamaran, as it's not a main ferry route. This trip takes only about 45 minutes, so even if the seas are rough you won't suffer for very long. FlyingCat 4 is a bit bigger than the Sea Jets catamarans, so slightly more stable. Seas are usually fairly calm in late May.

PapaG

Thanks for your responses. Very helpful. We'll look into your recommendations.

greg

For Greek island hopping, here is a guide that talks pragmatically how you can use the system. http://www.amazon.com/Greek-Island-H...1152697&sr=1-1
Try to find a copy in your library first and look at first few pages that talks about how you approach the unpredictability inherent with boat travels.

parosblue

Blue Star - reliable and stable! If you tend to get sea sick, you might also prefer being able to get outside for fresh air.

PapaG

Blue Star's schedule looks like a winner for the 3 hour trip between Santorini and Paros. We'll let you know how it goes when we return from our trip. Many thanks for the book recommendation.