snowchick

Hello,

I plan to take the ferry from Athens to Naxos on Sept 5th in the morning, I beleive is the 7am one. Should I order them online or buy it on the 4th in athens?
A few days later I also need to go from naxos to santorini, can I buy that in naoxs?

thanks

opie

It shouldn't be a problem a day in advance, in Athens & Naxos, unless there's a major local holiday/event going on.
If you're schedule is definite & only staying a few days, you could buy a ticket to Santorini when you first arrive at Naxos. It's convenient & 1 less thing to think about.
Naxos was my favorite isle in the Cyclades. Enjoy!

brotherleelove2004

For that morning departure you will have a choice of 2 different ferries, including the very large Blue Star car ferry. http://tinyurl.com/2w6fkzd

Advance purchase isn't necessary for the Blue Star. It won't be full. The same applies for Naxos>Santorini. But if it makes you feel better you can buy your tickets when you first arrive at the Athens Airport from the travel desk of Amphitrion Holidays in the Arrivals Hall between doors 2&3. They're open 24/7.

Heimdall

Booking online is a pain in the @*$&, and you still have to pick up your tickets from an agent. You are travelling out on a Sunday in early September when there should be plenty of empty seats to Naxos. Likewise, the ferries leaving Naxos for Santorini drop off most of their passengers at Paros and Naxos, so the last leg to Santorini is more empty than full.

I like to buy my tickets from Amphitrion Holidays at the airport. There is usually no line ahead of you, and your tickets are sorted before you leave for the port.

cwra

I would agree you don't want to buy your tickets on-line. I just bought tickets to Hania on-line from Anek Lines. While their web site is fine and buying the tickets was pretty simple, I need to pick up my paper ticket when I arrive in Athens.

I only bought my tickets on line because I'm going over night and I saw that some classes of tickets were already sold out and I wanted a cabin to sleep in.

Even with the weekend of September 3rd being back to school I can't imagine deck class will sell out to Naxos.

Heimdall

'Back to school' mostly means back to Athens - you will be going the other way.

snowchick

thanks everyone for your replies. As for which ferry to take, there's a high speed on at 7:30 for $46, (3 hours and 35 mins) and the blue star at 7:25 for $30 (over 5 hours). Which one would you recommend?

I don't mind mind paying extra for the high speed one to get there faster. But I remember reading about how on the blue star you can be outside and take pictures. Also we both get a little sea sick.

thanks

brotherleelove2004

I think you've answered your own question.....

snowchick

hmm.......... i did? hehe, I had no idea, both had goods and bads. so I guess high speed is the way to go?

cheryllj

High speed is faster. You can guess that from the name. If you can afford it, most people like the faster trip because they want to get where they're going.

But some people say the high speed makes them more seasick. I don't know, I've never been seasick, but I heard this from a few people. So if you get seasick, that might be a concern.

I can tell you that I found the Blue Star a more pleasant experience. It was fun, and we felt like we were on the Titanic it was so big, and we could wander around the decks. With the high speed, there was no wandering. You just sit there like you're on an airplane.

oriste

I agree with everybody saying you don't need to buy tickets online in advance. Most Greeks will have gone back to work early September and there will be plenty of room on the ferries. Amphitrion Holidays, as recommended by a few, seems like a good choice (though I never used them): you don't need to be afraid you get ripped of, all ferry prices are centrally regulated and you'll pay the same every where. One correction to a previous poster: back to school in Greece isn't until Monday 12 September.

My choice would be Blue Star Ferries. Why are you in a rush to get to Naxos? Your holidays have already started, why rush through them? The ferry is an unforgettable experience, you should chill out, have a beer at the pool, walk around a bit, read up on your destinations, work on your tan in advance. You'll arrive just in time in Naxos for Greek lunch hour, what better way to start your island holiday?

Don't forget to ask for Blue Star Ferries' “SUPER ECONOMY” deals (10€ instead of 30€) at the counter of Amphitrion Holidays. Say that you'll buy the ticket for the second leg to Santorini from them as well if they give that to you. If they respond that these tickets only have limited availability and have sold out, flatly refuse to buy the second leg from them. Don't worry, you can buy that ticket when you arrive in Naxos from the Blue Star counter in the port. Greeks like to haggle, there is no shame in it, on the contrary, you'll get their respect if you handle it properly. When in Rome... ;-)

Welcome to Greece! Enjoy your holidays!

brotherleelove2004

It might be that the super economy tickets are only avaiable to purchase on the day you travel, not in advance, and it's possible that you have to buy them in Athens or at the port from the Blue Star ticket office, but I'm 100% not sure about that. You can send an email to Blue Star for more information. [email protected]

From the Blue Star website:

-SUPER ECONOMY: The offer is valid in Economy class, for limited number of tickets. Tickets must be issued upon booking, cannot be cancelled or converted to open date tickets or for another departure date. The ticket is issued in the passenger’s name, is personal and non transferable.
The “ SUPER ECONOMY” category cannot be booked through the On-Line Booking System.

cwra

oriste, thanks for the correct date for school opening. I was told it was the 1st Monday in September. According to the Rough Guide it's supposed to be really tough to get either flights or ferries during this period. That doesn't seem to be the case this year, although I did have to rearrange my plans because the places I want to stay in Sougia and Paleohora were booked for the dates I wanted.

latraveler311

I am traveling from Santorini to Crete on Sept. 17th. Is it necessary to buy a ferry ticket in advance or is it okay to buy the ferry ticket 4 days prior when I first get to Santorini? Thanks.

brotherleelove2004

It might be a good idea to book ahead since there's only one ferry that day and because it's a Friday.

http://www.hellenicseaways.gr/index.asp?a_id=219

latraveler311

It appears the ferry is already booked? Can that be possible or do you think ticketing will re-open?

brotherleelove2004

Yes, that's probably the case, it's already fully-booked. No, I don't think ticketing will re-open. You can change your departure to the day before or the day after, or you can check for a direct flight on www.skyexpress.gr. Take note of their strict baggage allowances.