Ferries and island
 

How difficult is it to get tickets for ferries from Pireo to Naxos and Mykonos ?
Thanks
William

There are numerous ticket agents at Pireas. The Greek government imposed a computer booking system on operators after some ferries were found to be overloaded, so ticket sales are now, thankfully, limited to each ship's capacity. Both Naxos and Mikonos have very good services from Pireas. The schedule on the government's web site www.yen.gr shows eight departures today from Pireas to Naxos, and seven to Mikonos. There should be no problem in getting on the sailing of your choice, especially if you buy the ticket a day or two in advance.

Thank you for the information and the site..Great.
Now I am still trying to make up my mind about the hotel in Naxos. Do you have any suggestions on this ?
Thank you for your help

There are several ferries each day from Piraeus and Rafina to Naxos and Mykonos, and I see no need to buy tickets a day or two in advance. Just show up at the port and buy a ticket from the nearest agent for the next sailing. I have done this numerous times in May and September, and never once failed to get a ticket.

As for hotels, my personal opinion is you will get a better deal in September if you just show up on the island and negotiate rather than book in advance. When you book in advance the hotel owner has no incentive to give you a good price. You can ask to be taken to the hotel, and if you don't like what you see, try somewhere else. It's definitely a buyer's market in September.

Hi Heimdall,
thank you for your input.

As far as the hotel selection I could wait until I get there, but since I have only 10 days I do not want to waste one or two days going around looking for a good accommodation.
Do you have any good suggestion for a nice hotel on/by the beach, possibly with a swimming pool and a view of sea from the room, is this too much to ask ?
I have seen several sites with hotels in Naxos but I am really confused on this subject.

Thanks

When in Naxos I usually stay at the Hotel Argos, which is near Agios Georgios (St George's) beach. This is a much more modest accommodation than you appear to be looking for. It has no swimming pool, but I wouldn't use it if it had one. You can swim in a pool anywhere, but how often do you have beautiful beaches like the Plaka on your doorstep?

The only trouble with Naxos is the best hotels are in or near the main town, but the beaches get better as you go further away from town to the south. Naxos has a very good bus service though, so that isn't really a problem.

I don't think it would take you one or two days to find a hotel if you don't book. Unless you are really choosey it will take one or two hours at most. But okay, if you are more comfortable reserving in advance, go ahead. But for me, booking sight unseen is like buying a mail order suit - you don't really know if it will fit until it arrives in the post.

I've stayed in Naxos twice. The first time, I arrived late at night and on the quay was offered accommodation which I took. The second time was in December and I just went to the hotel near the quay which was one of the few open in winter. I do not like booking hotels in advance and I do not like committing myself beyond one night - then, if I don't like the place for any reason, I can move on somewhere else. However, it is much easier to travel like this outside the peak months of July and August. Similarly ferries, will very rarely be fully booked except in the peak season and around a few holiday weekends.

Geoff, my sentiments exactly. My first two visits to the Greek islands were on package holidays. On one, my hotel was on a noisy road with mopeds going by all night. The second was in a hotel which constantly ran out of hot water, and a drainage ditch which smelled of sewage right next to my balcony. How I wished I could have changed hotels, but despite complaining to the rep, was stuck for the duration of the holiday. Since then I have traveled independently in May-Jun and Sept, and never been disappointed.

A couple of times I have called ahead to book a room in a hotel I have stayed in before, but have noticed that I don't get as good a deal as when I just show up unannounced. There is always a surplus of rooms in May-Jun and Sept, so hotel owners are usually willing to give you a good deal to get your business. Don't be afraid to negotiate.

There are a few reasons I would book in advance, however: 1) if I were going during the Jul-Aug high season; 2) if I were traveling with a large family and lots of luggage; 3) if price were no object, I wanted the best hotel, and didn't want any hassle.

One suggestion if you think you know where you would like to stay (it will require a Greek phone card or GSM 900/1800 cellphone): get the phone numbers of a few hotels, and call them when you arrive, or even while still on the ferry. Negotiate your price with the hotel, and ask them to meet you at the port. They will show up with their van, help you with your bags and take you to the hotel. If you don't like what you see, you can look somewhere else, or stay for one night and then change to a better hotel.