The Greek ferries

International ferries may not be the first thing that comes to my mind when trying to figure how to get from one place to the other in the Mediterranean sea. Still, if possible, taking a ferry to cross international borders makes for a great traveling experience. Sometimes, ferries are the cheapest - or the only - option around. This article outlines regular public transport services around the Mediterranean sea, especially Greece.

   

Despite of the economic crisis which is “well-known” now, the Greek facilities are working very well. Because Greece has over 3000 islands, Greek ferries can be great ways to get around the Greek islands - but in the low season it can be much more challenging to see Greece this way. Have lots of time and energy but not much money? Greek ferries are great, off-season or high-season. On a short trip or naturally short of patience? Avoid them if you can.

Based on many hours traveling with ferries I will share my stories of mobility, a sense of place and time, recounting the rituals of everyday life lived along Medierranean Ferries routes. Prepare yourself for a life long love affair with the country, whether it's the cosmopolitan and romantic ambience on the ships or the laid back way of the deck which captures the heart. Are you up for it?

Greek Ferry best options
The availability of advance schedules for Greek ferries varies substantially, and a few companies may not commit until the end of March for the April-May period. You can usually plan that last year's schedules will more or less hold true, but you can't buy tickets for them in advance.

Weather
The weather in Greece is more variation in the spring and late fall months. In some years, bad winds kept many Greek ferries at the docks for several days, because of the waves. Most of the unreliability is said to be weather-related rather than anything "wrong" with the Greek ferry companies themselves. It can be possible also for a company to cancel or delay a departure based on upcoming weather - as a sea-based economy Greece has a very good predictive system for that. 

Piraeus or Rafina?
Both of these ports serve Athens. Rafina is located about an hour outside of Athens by bus or taxi. These journeys are usually much shorter than ferries leaving Piraeus. Ferry Schedules are always updated, but if you’re in a situation where the ferries can't go for more than a day, available flights from the larger islands, even in smaller planes, look better and better. Weather usually doesn't affect flights; Greece doesn't generally have fog, and man of the airports are built in sheltered areas.

Flying is much more expensive that taking the ferry, and there are the usual hassles of dealing with an airport. Plus, the airports are small and manageable. Both Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airways offer flights between some islands, with Olympic providing the widest selection.

Check always the schedule
A ferry whose name seems to indicate greater speed may or may not be telling the truth. Check the schedules - don't fall for the name alone. The cabins, deck space, and seating in Greek ferries varies widely. Newer, bigger Greek ferries and hydrofoils have "airplane"-style seats. If you're fine with sleeping on a plane, these should suit you fine even for an overnight ferry journey. You'll generally have more room for your legs than with a standard airplane seat. Cabins allow some privacy and the ability to stretch out, but on smaller ferries the best of them are still pretty cramped. Major, heavily-traveled Greek ferry routes will offer better.
 
First-class cabins as well as ordinary cabins. Know what you're paying for: some ferries will assign same-sex singles to cabins together; the price in that case is per bunk, not for the whole cabin.
Deck space is just that: space on the deck for backpackers to "camp" overnight on the ferry. You probably know already if this is right for you.

The best-known are Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines, ANEK Lines, Blue Star Ferries, Nel Line, Agean Speed Lines and many others operate between many locations in the Aegean.

Travel with a Vehicle
Crossing Europe? Over a ferry-heavy trip, a shorter camper or RV could save you hundreds of Euro. Even on the ferries that allow vehicles, you will not be able to stay in your car for safety reasons. The occasional Greek truck driver might get away with it, but your average traveler will not..
With European Union rules gradually showing up, Greece will be opening up the ferry routes to international operators, and the crippling effect of the monopolies some companies have enjoyed will gradually improve. That's still several years ahead for now.

Crossing the Mediterranean sea within a "Superfast experience"

On "cruising business", Superfast ferries gain the awards of it's customers every year. The brand - new ship is a technological masterpiece, equipped with the latest, most sophisticated navigation systems guaranteeing a swift, safe and pleasant voyage that exceed your expectations. Superfast ferries offer you the Superfast Experience: a well thought, standardized quality service which can enjoy the same way throughout the modern fleet the youngest and fastest in European service that ensures good value for your money.

Lately, together with Blue Star Ferries, it is a subsidiary company of Attica Group - engaged in the passenger shipping industry with Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries vessels in the Adriatic Sea and the Greek Domestic Lines (Cyclades, Dodecanese and Crete). The Attica Group fleet consists of 12 modern and technologically advanced vessels, providing high quality transportation services for passengers, cargo and private vehicles.

The Superfast vision began to materialize in 1995 with the deployment of the first pair of pioneering German-built car passenger ferries on the Patras-Ancona route reducing traveling time from 36 to 20 hours and setting new standards in maritime transport between Greece and Italy.

Superfast Ferries operates 4 ultra-modern car-passenger ferries, offering daily connections from the Greek ports of Patras, Igoumenitsa and Corfu to the Italian ports of Ancona and Bari, holding the number one position in the transportation of passengers for ten consecutive years.

The Superfast I is the oldest vessel, having been built in Germany in 1995, and has a capacity of 1,400 passengers and 850 vehicles. The Superfast V and Superfast VI were built in Germany in 2001 and can accommodate 1,595 passengers and 1,000 cars; while the Superfast VII and VIII have a capacity of 626 passengers and 900 vehicles.

The latest additions to the fleet are: Superfast IX, Superfast X, Superfast XI and Superfast XII, which were all built in Germany in 2002. Superfast XI and XII have a passenger capacity of 1,500 and car capacity of 900. All vessels are capable of a top speed of around 30 knots. Travel with Superfast Ferries  on the Greece to Italy routes. The Superfast Ferries routes are covered by the companies modern Superfast Ferries fleet and offers great passenger services, cabins as well as the option to travel with your caravan (Superfast Ferries camping on board).

If you book your ferry ticket with Superfast Ferries fleet you can enjoy real time availability, instant confirmation and great discounts on your trip with Superfast Ferries! Discounted passage with 30% on the full fare rates are valid on your pass in Greece or Italy.  

Once you travel with Superfast Ferries, will always want to return for yet another Superfast Experience. The daily route you can find them through Ancona - Patras (2 daily sailings every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) Ancona - Igoumenitsa (2 daily sailings every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) Bari – Patras; Bari - Corfu: Bari - Igoumenitsa.

If you ever travel by Superfast ferries, let us know what is your experience. 

ANEK Lines and an exquisite expertise

Greece is a Balkan state and a lovely country. Traveling in Greece is the best experience for anyone who wants to indulge it. I spent an incredible summer there and I can sail anytime around Greek islands, being the best experience ever. Once more I would like to stop the negative part of being afraid to travel or spend holidays in Greece.  I accept my Greek friend's invitation and I reserved a visit to Athens by ferry. So, I booked a ticket from Heraklion toAthens by ANEK Lines.

The facilities on the board was overwhelming and instantly bear in my mind large luxury. Anek lines have an impressive fleet of eleven ships, trendy and cool full of facilities on board. You can make a choice from a variety of inner or outer ships with 2, 3 or four bed cabin on Anek LinesGreece-Italy  routes.  

Anek offers you many possibilities to sail in the Mediterranean sea.  You can currently book the 'Camping On Board' service. The board service is simply valid for passengers travel  with a RV or caravan. A  deck price tag per person have many facilities:  for the cars, you can sleep sleep in your RV or caravan and have free access to 220V electricity facilities to use in the shower and the bathroom. 

You’ll certainly have a pleasant journey if you choose any of the route Anek Lines Piraeus Heraklion, the Anek Lines on Corfu, the Anek Lines metropolis ferry, or the Anek Lines Piraeus - Chania ferry . A pleasant journey is guaranteed. 

To be sure the for all the details above, I must tell you that ANEK was awarded for the “Best Company for the Year 2008 for rider  Shipping”.  Also Conde Nast – the well known travel magazine was rewarding Anek as a prime Ferry Company and Domestic International Routes for 2009. Serving international routes in Adriatic sea, the standard luxury ship Anek Line is the leading company in rider & merchandise transport.

 

Enjoy on board innovative entertainment and especially laid out decks of ANEK LINES' super-modern ships and live the life to spoil you: be pleased by sun and cold cocktails at the deck’s bars  or play with your children on the swimming pool. 

Traveling with Grimaldi Line

My first experience when I travelled with Grimaldi Lines was from Patras Greece to Venice Italy and we really enjoyed the journey, that’s why I am going to write more about the facilities you can benefit on board. 

Decided to spend a family holiday in Venice Italy, we opted for a ferry trip. It can sounds weird, but we choose Grimaldi Lines according to the name "Grimaldi" from Royal family in Monte-Carlo. This was the “first criteria” of choosing the ferry company. And we were not wrong by choosing this option. The facilities were very good with many different refreshment opportunities and clean toilets and seating areas. Disembarkation was a little chaotic but in some ways it added to the experience. If you asked my youngest child about her holidays, one of the first things she would tell you about with great enthusiasm would be the "Grimaldi"!

Grimaldi Lines is a shipping Company for passenger transport on the motorways of the sea. The cruise ferries are the new generation, fast and comfortable and thanks to the quantity and the quality of their facilities on board, they assure a pleasant and entertaining trip. You can reach the most enchanting touristic places and beaches, because of their regular departures to Barcelona, Tunis, Tangier, Malta, Patras, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Porto Torres, Palermo, Trapani from Italy (Civitavecchia, Livorno, Salerno, Venice, Ancona, Brindisi). Book on line and travel to Spain, Tunisia, Morocco, Malta, Greece, Sardinia and Sicily, discovering the convenience of our special offers and spending unforgettable moments as we done this summer.

To avoid some unpleasant situation, like it happened to our trip’ partners, please pay attention at boarding rules. Before boarding passengers have to check-in at the Passenger Terminal. At the check-in desk you have to show the ticket and a valid ID document for all travelling passengers, then you will receive the individual Boarding Pass. For passengers travelling in the cabin, the Boarding Pass is also the cabin key, which has to be kept during the duration of the voyage.

The limit for check-in is 1½ hours before sailing for passengers with a vehicle and for foot passengers. Only for all sailings to and from Tunisia and Morocco the limit for check-in is 3 hours before sailing, with or without a vehicle. Check-in to/from Morocco and Tunisia lines closes one hour before departure. Passengers arriving at the check-in desk later loose the right for embarkation, even holding a valid reservation.

 The vehicles are embarked according to the instructions given by the Master or his delegate and can be parked on any deck of the vessel. For Security reasons, the name of the passengers and the details of their ID document, the maker, the model and the registration number of the vehicle have to correspond with what is written on the ticket. If this is not the case access to the port and to the vessel may be refused.

Cancellations have to be notified to the carrier in writing, either direct or through the booking agent. For cancellations made by the passenger the following penalties apply on the total amount of the passage fare (passengers, car or pet if applicable):

• 10% penalty (plus fixed dues) for cancellations made until 30 days prior so sailing
• 30% penalty (plus fixed dues) for cancellations made between 29 and 7 days prior to sailing
• 50% penalty (plus fixed dues) for cancellations made between 6 and 2 days prior to sailing
• 100% penalty (plus fixed dues) for cancellations made the day prior to sailing, the day of sailing or for no-show.

Special fare tickets are non refundable. No refund is due for missed embarkation due to authority’s refusal to let a passenger embark or for lack of proper documentation for the passengers, vehicles or pets. As any changes, Tickets and Bookings can be modified at a cost of € 30, plus the difference in value between the new ticket and the original one.
The following modifications are possible:

• Change of sailing date, until 2 days prior to the outward journey (for later changes, the cancellation fees apply).
• Change of accommodation, until day of sailing
• Change of vehicle, until day of sailing
• Change of name, until 2 days prior to departure (for later changes, the cancellation fees apply)
• Addition of passenger, until day of sailing
• Addition of vehicle, until day of sailing
• Addition of pet, until day of sailing

Modifications and additions are subject to availability. Modifications have to be notified to the Carrier in writing, either direct or through the booking agent. The Carrier reserves the right to change the conditions for modification of bookings and for termination of contract by the passenger on specified departures.

On Board Services

Usually the ferry trips being long trips the carrier offers a plenty of all type of entertainment a from disco with a sky view, a wonderful disco on board give you magical moments to dance and enjoy all until the dead of the night or a little stage for musical exhibitions during afternoon and night, dance floor, some small sofas and armchairs for a total of 550 seats make this hall the perfect place where spending time all day.

A la carte restaurant being open from 12.15 p.m. to 02.30 p.m. for lunch / 09.00 p.m. to 00.00 for dinner. Also self Service Restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and The main bar is open 24 hours.

Special treatment for passengers travelling in Owner’s Suite is the free internet access all voyage long. On the 9 decks, the Wellness Centre has: sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi, relax area, two halls for massages and beauty treatments, sunlamps, sun shower and beauty product on sale. There is also a gymnasium with new technological accessories. Kids on board? No problem. Grimaldi Lines reserve an equipped area for children’s amusement during the voyage.

If you ever had travel experiences with Grimaldi Lines, please let me know and share your details along your trip.