Italy trip with ferry to Greece ?'s
 

Hello,
My daughter is going to college in London and plans to take an 11 day trip to Italy and Switzerland in October with her roommate. Flying from London to Bologna, trains (Eurail pass) to Rome, Florence, Venice, Zurich, and flying back to London. They would like take a ferry from Bari to Patras and back, just to be able to see some of the Greek islands and/or coast. They can use their Eurail pass for cheap ferry tickets, and would pay extra for a "dormitory bunk room" so they could get some sleep. Will they be able to see the coastline in Greece or any of the islands from the ferry? What is the Patras port like, all industrial? This will be an exhausting trip, but at age 20, their endurance is high. Their goal is to see as much as they can. Thanks for any help and suggestions!

"Their goal is to see as much as they can." Greece is not a country that you can see from the deck of a ship. It takes time and planning. Tell them they should focus their goal on Italy this time and to save Greece until they have the time to spend 2 weeks or longer exploring this wonderful country. Doing what you describe is a waste of time and money regardless of their age and stamina.

I, the Great and Powerful Thingorjus, took the Superfast from Bari to Patras in June of 1998. I had a first-class cabin with view. Most of the Greek Islands aren't anywhere near Patras. Your daughter will travel through the Adriatic past Albania and Corfu to Bari. You will see some coastline in the distance. If your daughter is travelling later in the day, she will see nothing because by the time the ship reaches Corfu, it will be 4 AM.

Patras is a small city. There is a cathedral worth looking at and and some small cafes that serve good food.

Good night, sweetie darling.

Sorry, meant to say that your daughter will travel past Albania and Corfu to PATRAS.

I agree with Brotherleelove, but have to admit that the Grimaldi ferry is a great ferry as far as ferries go and could be fun just for the experience.

Like Thin, we had a first class cabin with a view and it was June ( this summer). We brought our RV on and it was our first long ferry..so exciting.

There were lots of young people on board and it is more like a cruise ship than any other ferry that we have been on.

We befriended a couple that were traveling by bike around Europe and they were sleeping in a dorm area and also loved the experience. They have traveled around the world and said it was the best ferry they had been on and that was our experience as well ( we have been on a TON at this point).


They said their section was like sleeping business class in a plane...similar seats/beds and quite nice.

They will see Coru and a litte of the coast and get a nice taste of what ferry island hopping might be like for thier next trip.

There are some nice campgrounds near Patras that probably have bungalows and some are on the beach. It is not a thrilling place, but it is not all industrial and could give them a tiny taste of Greece.

It is not that far from Corinth or possibly Olympia if they wanted to add a bit more.

I think the ferry experience is great and very old world, so worth it if they really want to try it.

Hope that helps!

www.soultravelers3.com

Patra is the third-biggest city in Greece and is a very lively city with a large student population as well as many international travellers taking ferries to and from Italy.
If their aim is just to get a taste of Greece, they should consider disembarking at Igoumenitsa or Corfu. It's only an overnight journey from Bari so they would have a whole day ashore, long enough to take a bus inland from Igoumenitsa or to explore Corfu.
The Eurail ticket also covers Superfast's ferry service to Ancona. Both Bari and Ancona services are by Greek ships so the voyage itself gives a chance to try Greek food and drink.

anonxx
i really DON'T recommend this at all. I agree totally with brotherleelove and it will definitely be a waste of time and money!

I personally cannot imagine myself wanting to do something like this but, if someone wants only one day in Greece, then it's not a waste of time if the journeys are overnight, and it's not a waste of money if the fare is covered by a rail pass.

Patras may be Greece's third largest city, but it is certainly no Chicago. The "downtown" area is very compact. I also been to Greece's second largest city--Thessaloniki--which also has a small city feel to it. Neither of these cities are as cosmopolitan as a small American city, like Nashville, for example.

So they are already "doing" Rome, Florence, Venice, Zurich in in 11 days?

Yeh - "doing" is absolutely the right word. They can't get between these places on a magic carpet, or call up the Tardis, so at best they get 2 days in each. Time enough to take the photos I guess.

But they want to travel all the way down to Bari to take the ferry to Patras, to just come back.

Oh dear, another absolute classic.

I've made the ferry crossing from Italy to Greece several times. I agree with the others that this is nothing to consider for such a short trip.

If you daughter is going to school in London is she eligible for a Eurailpass? They cannot be used by residents of Europe. She may be eligible for an Interail Pass. See http://www.interrailnet.com/.