Bari, Italy to Patras, Greece
 

Has anyone taken the "Superfast" ferry from Bari to Petras? We are thinking to take it in late August and we think we can use our Eurail pass for the ride. Does anyone know if there is an extra charge for the overnight cabin?..it's about a 14 hour ride.

It used to be that the Eurail pass gave you a seat (not reserved) and that's it. When we caught that ferry there were lots of people sleeping on deck in their sleeping bags. My guess is you'd definitely have to pay for a cabin. Perhaps check on the Eurail website or post this question somewhere like www.lonelyplanet.com where you will find lots of useful info.<BR>Kay<BR>Kay

<BR>Yes, you will pay for a cabin or a bunk in a 4 man room which is less expensive. Or sleep on a deck chair for no extra charge.

I took the trip last year but from Patras to Brindisi(spelling?) the other port in Italy just south of Bari. There is nothing fast about 14 hours. This is what it took me and it was just a regular ship. Yes you do have to pay for a cabin. The Eurail pass covered most of it but there was a supliment.

Bari to Patras:<BR><BR>http://www.ferries.gr/sff/<BR><BR>e-mail them your question.<BR><BR>

I have taken the SuperFast from Bari to Patras, last time in June of 1998. If you use your Eurorail pass, you sit in a room on the ship that looks like an airplane cabin. However, you can walk around the ship, which has a first-class restaurant, bar, swimming pool, cafeteria, lounge, and other amenities. Yes, like the above poster stated, there were people sleeping in sleeping bags on deck chairs outside. I, of course, had an outside deluxe cabin, which cost several hundred dollars. I thought the trip was very pleasant, but be warned, the ship will be filled with Greeks and Albanians who think nothing of smoking a pack of cigs every 20 minutes.

Anybody else?

I took the Superfast from Patras to Bari last March. I'm not sure on the prices etc (as i was on a tour), but I will say that it is definitely worth the extra $$ for a cabin! There are 2 or 4 person cabins available. If you have time, pack a &quot;picnic&quot; dinner to enjoy in your cabin (the food is OK but somewhat expensive on the boat and you can buy inexpensive, but tasty wine in the gift store)<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip

If your rail pass covers the Italy-Greece crossing, it will entitle you to a deck ticket with Blue Star Ferries or Superfast (www.bluestarferries.com or www.superfast.com). Cabins are extra and I think it is worth paying the extra for somewhere to sleep. The Superfast ships are the best running from Bari or Brindisi, but their ships on the Ancona route are bigger and newer. All have waiter-service and self-service restaurants, bars and a swimming pool.

I took the ferry from Brindisi to Greece twenty years ago and was too cheap to book inside accomodations. I froze to death on the deck! I wore everything in my pack--mind you, this was JULY! The sunrise was amazing and I made some great friends-but man, was it cold. Needless to say, we purchased inside seats on the return trip! I don't think the weather has changed much, so go inside!!!

I took Superfast from Bari to Corfu in Jun - a slightly shorter trip than you are planning. I would definitely reccommend Superfast. We paid for airline seats because the cabins were fully booked. It is not a journey I would do again without a cabin. On some routes, dorm beds are also available. If your budget will stand it, I would go for the cheapest cabin available.<BR>Check the superfast website for details of prices.<BR>Carolina

I too have taken the Superfast Bari to Patras route. Since it was November it was too cold to be sleeping on the deck so we choose to get a cabin. It definitely was nice to be able to shower and to escape the smoke filled lounges. This was by far the nicest ferry we travelled on. It was the newest, cleanest, and had the best service of all of the Greek ferries we experienced. <BR><BR>We knew people who were using their Eurorail passes. On international routes the airline seats cost more than just a regular ticket. I don't believe the people using the Eurorail pass were allowed an airline seat unless they paid an extra fee. They were just allowed to board and could sleep whereever there was room in the lounges or on the decks. On the routes in Greece, if you by a ferry ticket, you are allowed to get an airline seat on a first come first serve basis, without paying extra. <BR><BR>

I was just asking about this on another post - I'm sorry I duped (I looked under Greece instead of Italy for info).<BR>If you have the Eurail ticket, how much &quot;extra&quot; does it cost to purchase a cabin?<BR>For example, the Superfast ferries shows an outside cabin for 194. How much am I saving with a pass?<BR>Thank You