abcdef

I will be in Greece the first week of August. Will I have a tough time getting a ferry or hydrofoil directly btwn Mykonos and Santorini? I only have a window of two days to get from one island to the other. Do I run the risk of ferries running out of tickets during the peak season?

AP6380

From what I remember of my trip to Santorini & Mykonos ( and it was only 2 years ago!!!) There isn't a direct ferry between the two. I remember the ferry stopping at a number of islands before reaching Santorini. Check out ferries.gr

There are a number of companies that do the route, I would just buy the tickets as soon as I got to Greece, in Athens perhaps?

abcdef

Thanks-Ferries.gr sounds promising. Has anyone ever ordered their tickets online? How does it work?

Heimdall

You may have trouble getting a ticket on a catamaran, but conventional ferry tickets should be available if you go to the agent a couple of days before departure. Forget hydrofoils - they don't operate on those routes, and you wouldn't want to go on one anyway. Two days should be plenty of time to get from Mykonos to Santorini, even if you have to change ferries at Naxos or Paros.

TracyB

Why would abcdef not want to take a hydrofoil, i am just curious?

Heimdall

They are okay for the short routes they are used on, e.g. Piraeus to the Saronic Gulf islands, Skiathos to Volos, etc. Hydrofoils are cancelled when the seas get rough, while the conventional ferries and larger catamarans keep going. That is why they are used mostly on the sheltered routes like the ones above. They are very noisy, exhaust fumes get in the cabin, and they take only a small number of passengers. Many people on this forum use the word "hydrofoil" when they mean catamaran.

brotherleelove2003

According to the following website:

www.gtpnet.com

There is a daily express boat that takes 3 hours between Mykonos and Santorini. It makes stops at Naxos, Paros, and Ios along the way.

Zoe

I believe weekend schedules are different from week days.

Last year (May), there wasn't a direct ferry from Santorini to Mykonos.

abcdef

Hi TraceyB,
I wouldn't mind taking a hydrofoil, in fact, I prefer it since it's quicker. What is this difference btwn a hydrofoil and catamaran. In that case, are the vehicles operated by Hellas Flying Dolphins catamarans or hydrofoils? Again, would anyone have any information about online bookiing? How would obe get hardcopy tickets?

Heimdall

Hydrofoils are relatively small boats, which as they gain speed, rise completely out of the water, running along on two wings fore and aft. They can only sail in relatively calm waters, so are very susceptible to cancellation when the wind strengthens. The Cyclades are notorious for strong winds during July and August, so hydrofoils wouldn't be a good choice for someone with a two day window to get from one island to the other.

Catamarans also rise out of the water as they gain speed, but run along on two narrow hulls which allow them to go about twice the speed of conventional ferries. Cats come in all sizes - the larger ones, like the Highspeed I, II, etc., carry cars and trucks, have bar and dining facilities, and are very smooth and quiet. Catamarans are rapidly gaining in popularity. New ones are appearing every year, and are gradually replacing the other types of vessel.

Most of the hydrofoils are rather old, and all are noisy and smelly. Quote from Greek Island Hopping 2002: "...these boats often bring out the worst among those inclined to sea-sickness."