The Greek islands and any of the islands individually are picked out of a dream. Dreams of sunny beaches, peaceful afternoons, breakfast at 17.00h, fresh food etc. can become true on the Greek islands. Always remember:
'There is no place on Earth like Greece'.
Indeed, visiting Greece and the Greek islands remains a dream to many people in the world..You, visitor of this website, are probably not there yet but if this is your intention, it's worth taking a few notes before your departure date.
Planning your trip
To see more than ten islands in fourteen days is possible if all you want, is to be on a cruiser, spending your money in ship bars and restaurants.
Without meticulous research, assuming you have not joined an organized tour, it's easy to fall prey to the worst aspects of island hopping in the form of missed connections, being stranded or even sail past a chosen island requiring a two-day journey to reach it again. Knowing a few basics in order to enjoy your stay fully is necessary, e.g. it is wise to know the name of the boat as well as its departure time and place, and if possible to have the ticket in your hands from the previous day.
The best way to see more than 4-5 islands during your holiday is to choose a group of islands (say the Cyclades) and visit them by starting with the one that's furthest away from the point of your departure from Greece.
The ferry connections among one chain of islands make it easy to sail from one island to another.
Choose the islands you definitely want to visit keeping in mind that schedules between different island groups are very rare if they exist at all. For example, there is no connection at all between Hydra and Paros - meaning you have to go back to Piraeus if you want to visit the Cyclades after the Saronic Islands. Also boats between Cyclades and the Dodecanese are fairly rare, there are only some connections from Paros or Santorini. Schedules are normally arranged according to the convenience of the locals with some extra routes being added during the high season.
Don't confuse the islands' names!!!
You may have booked a hotel in Paros and land in Poros (a totally different destination) - misunderstandings of this kind have happened in the past so make sure you know the island's name and spelling perfectly well and also know the difference between:
- Poros, Paros, Paxos and Naxos
- Chios and los
- Tinos and Tilos
- Skyros, Syros and Nissiros
These islands' names are similar but nowhere near each other in location and you might find yourself on your way back to Piraeus the next day!
On your way to the Greek islands
If you are on your way to the Greek islands better get your ticket before you reach Piraeus. Particularly if your destination is Crete, advance reservations are essential if you want a cabin. Flights to Corfu exist only from Athens so if you are in Crete you have to schedule your flight via Athens - no way around. A boat connection between Heraklion and Corfu does exist - only every ten days.
In any case be at the port 30 mins before departure. Always remember these 30 mins when you are at any port. Whereas most things seem to be running late in Greece, ships do leave on time from Piraeus and quite often a little bit earlier than scheduled from the islands.
If you are on your way to Crete it is best to be at the port around 18.00 am, since the regular lines to Heraclion and Chania leave between 18.30 pm and 19.00 pm. Most boats to the Cyclades leave in the morning around 08.00 am, while boats to the Dodecanese still vary in their daily schedule; to Chios and Mytilini daily at 18.00 pm. The boats to the Argosaronicos leave throughout the day, starting at 07.30h am until 17.00 pm.
Piraeus is easily reached by the underground (last stop, the train will not go any further) and you are 50 meters away from the boats that will take you to the Cyclades, eastern or western; about a 100 meters away from the Argosaronicos lines and the boats to the Dodecanese islands are also leaving nearby, while the Cretan ferry doc kings are a five minutes walk away.
Should you arrive by taxi do not pay until you have found exactly what you are looking for. Give the driver the name of your boat and should it have been relegated he will be happy to ask to find it for you.
If you have arrived directly from the Athens airport by the Express bus which leaves from both the Terminals, the bus stops just outside the Port Authority Passenger Building. A useful place to know since you can leave your bags free of charge between 06.00 am and 19.30 pm at the cafe upstairs.
If you do not follow our advice to purchase your ticket the previous day, you can buy it at the dockside, along with another 50 people who will certainly be there before you. The chance of the boat leaving without you is rather minor, tickets are also available on board. If you are on the right route is another question (read our advice above regarding possible misunderstanding of islands' names). Even if you are on the right route, make sure you disembark on the right island - a hasted disembarkation might lead to an unpleasant morning - and when on one of the islands always ask for the exact departure point to get back to Piraeus on your departure date.