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Voyage of discovery: Island hopping off the Greek mainland
Greece's islands each have something special to offer tourists - from great beaches to old-world charm. So why not hop between them?
There are worse ways to travel than to drift gently from one island to the next in the beautiful south-eastern corner of Europe, exploring ancient monuments or visiting lovely beaches by day, and dining at harbourside tavernas by night. Yesterday, easyCruiseOne set sail from Piraeus on its maiden cruise around the Greek islands. Stelios Haji-Ioannou is hoping that his latest venture will introduce a new generation of travellers to the joys of the region. But island hopping in Greece has never gone away. If the prospect seems rather intimidating, the reality is very different: as do-it-yourself holidays go it doesn't get much easier. The Greek islands comprise a region where English is widely spoken, where good, cheap accommodation is easy to find, and where ferry links on the main routes are frequent, making travelling around a piece of cake.
Provided you aren't addicted to precise timekeeping, island hopping is both fun and relaxing. It brings with it a wonderful sense of freedom: there is a lot to be said for any holiday where you can wake up each morning and have the option of heading for the nearest beach, or mulling over the question " which island shall we move on to today?"
SELECTING A DEPARTURE POINT AND DESTINATIONS
As with any independent trip, pre-planning is everything. In the case of the Greek islands the biggest decisions are your departure point, and the island chain or chains you plan to visit. Naturally, the departure point is determined by where you arrive in Greece. Athens is usually the preferred destination as it offers the most island-hopping options. But the islands of Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Santorini, Mykonos, and Skiathos all have charter-flight links and a rising number of schedule links and are viable alternatives. However, they are not always the best options if you want to visit more than one chain of islands.
The islands line up reasonably neatly into a series of chains (the Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini route being the most popular). Ferry routes and daily schedules are well established, though to the uninitiated that is often not apparent. The trick is to appreciate the fact that the ferry system is geared to the needs of locals - not tourists. Most islanders are interested in only one thing: travelling to and from Athens. As a result the ferry system has evolved into a sort of "hub-and-spoke" structure. Athens (with its ports at Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio) is the hub, while the chains of islands provide the "spokes". The system is dominated by high-speed ferries and fast catamarans that link the popular islands with Athens, with the smaller (and often older) ferries running to all the islands in a chain providing linking services, usually on a 24- or 48-hour return trip.
Crossing on to different chains without returning to Athens has always been tricky because connecting services are usually limited to a few boats a week in high season, and often none at all at other times of the year. Much more planning is needed if you are going to do this: if only to ensure that you get back to your starting point in time for your return flight. The task of choosing target islands also requires some background reading, though as island hoppers always have the option of moving on, this isn't critical. If the mix of features at your destination isn't to your taste, then the next island up or down the line is rarely more than a couple of hours away.
Unusually, tourism in Greece has added variation rather than detracted from it. The quieter islands rely more and more on the traditional mix of sun, sea and sand, while the popular ones continue to offer a growing list of activities.
HOPPING BETWEEN ISLANDS
Travelling around once you get to Greece is simple, and increasingly comfortable. The traditional island-hopping image of elderly ferries crammed with unwashed backpackers has all but been consigned to the past. Island hopping has moved up-market with the arrival of more competition and a wave of new, fast boats. Numbered seats, escalators and air conditioning are now the norm. Fare deregulation has also recently been introduced, helping to keep ticket prices down: it now pays to ask around for the best deal when travelling at less popular times. Special offers aside, there are recognised price points for ferry tickets depending on the age and speed of the boat. Traditional (slow) ferries over 10 years old are the cheapest way of moving around (reckon on paying £6 for a typical hop to the next island down the line).
Regular ferries under 10 years old are usually faster (by at least 20 per cent) and command a similar hike in fares. The high-speed ferries and catamarans, which are twice as fast as the old regular ferries, command double the regular ferry fare. Even so, ticket prices for short hops remain surprisingly low, and the faster boats are very popular with the locals - so much so that in the summer, or weekend journeys to or from Piraeus, it is usually necessary to buy tickets a day or two ahead if you want to guarantee a place. Because the ferries are geared towards the needs of the islanders, the main services remain in place throughout the year. Extra sailings are put on at Easter, and also during the summer (when the ferry links double in number).
How often you choose to hop when on holiday is up to you. An average of three, four or five islands is the choice of most hoppers on a typical fortnight's holiday. At either end is usually the longer ferry journey from Athens and back. Many people choose to travel overnight on these longer legs. On popular routes, short hops can be done on a day-tripping basis if you want to keep the number of accommodation changes to a minimum, and there are other travel options during the summer months, notably excursion boats and a growing number of inter-island flights.
FERRY TICKETS
There is still nothing along the lines of a universal booking system for Greek ferries, but the bulk of services out of Athens are dominated by a few large operators who do provide websites with timetables and online-booking facilities. It is a reasonably straightforward exercise building your own itinerary. The big four are: Blue Star Ferries ; Hellenic Seaways ; Minoan Lines ; and NEL Ferries . Local agents can also be used to buy tickets in advance in Greece if you want to buy as you travel. The Greek Port Authority site is worth checking out for details of Piraeus and Rafina departures several weeks in advance.
There are worse ways to travel than to drift gently from one island to the next in the beautiful south-eastern corner of Europe, exploring ancient monuments or visiting lovely beaches by day, and dining at harbourside tavernas by night. Yesterday, easyCruiseOne set sail from Piraeus on its maiden cruise around the Greek islands. Stelios Haji-Ioannou is hoping that his latest venture will introduce a new generation of travellers to the joys of the region. But island hopping in Greece has never gone away. If the prospect seems rather intimidating, the reality is very different: as do-it-yourself holidays go it doesn't get much easier. The Greek islands comprise a region where English is widely spoken, where good, cheap accommodation is easy to find, and where ferry links on the main routes are frequent, making travelling around a piece of cake.
Provided you aren't addicted to precise timekeeping, island hopping is both fun and relaxing. It brings with it a wonderful sense of freedom: there is a lot to be said for any holiday where you can wake up each morning and have the option of heading for the nearest beach, or mulling over the question " which island shall we move on to today?"
SELECTING A DEPARTURE POINT AND DESTINATIONS
As with any independent trip, pre-planning is everything. In the case of the Greek islands the biggest decisions are your departure point, and the island chain or chains you plan to visit. Naturally, the departure point is determined by where you arrive in Greece. Athens is usually the preferred destination as it offers the most island-hopping options. But the islands of Crete, Rhodes, Kos, Santorini, Mykonos, and Skiathos all have charter-flight links and a rising number of schedule links and are viable alternatives. However, they are not always the best options if you want to visit more than one chain of islands.
The islands line up reasonably neatly into a series of chains (the Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini route being the most popular). Ferry routes and daily schedules are well established, though to the uninitiated that is often not apparent. The trick is to appreciate the fact that the ferry system is geared to the needs of locals - not tourists. Most islanders are interested in only one thing: travelling to and from Athens. As a result the ferry system has evolved into a sort of "hub-and-spoke" structure. Athens (with its ports at Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio) is the hub, while the chains of islands provide the "spokes". The system is dominated by high-speed ferries and fast catamarans that link the popular islands with Athens, with the smaller (and often older) ferries running to all the islands in a chain providing linking services, usually on a 24- or 48-hour return trip.
Crossing on to different chains without returning to Athens has always been tricky because connecting services are usually limited to a few boats a week in high season, and often none at all at other times of the year. Much more planning is needed if you are going to do this: if only to ensure that you get back to your starting point in time for your return flight. The task of choosing target islands also requires some background reading, though as island hoppers always have the option of moving on, this isn't critical. If the mix of features at your destination isn't to your taste, then the next island up or down the line is rarely more than a couple of hours away.
Unusually, tourism in Greece has added variation rather than detracted from it. The quieter islands rely more and more on the traditional mix of sun, sea and sand, while the popular ones continue to offer a growing list of activities.
HOPPING BETWEEN ISLANDS
Travelling around once you get to Greece is simple, and increasingly comfortable. The traditional island-hopping image of elderly ferries crammed with unwashed backpackers has all but been consigned to the past. Island hopping has moved up-market with the arrival of more competition and a wave of new, fast boats. Numbered seats, escalators and air conditioning are now the norm. Fare deregulation has also recently been introduced, helping to keep ticket prices down: it now pays to ask around for the best deal when travelling at less popular times. Special offers aside, there are recognised price points for ferry tickets depending on the age and speed of the boat. Traditional (slow) ferries over 10 years old are the cheapest way of moving around (reckon on paying £6 for a typical hop to the next island down the line).
Regular ferries under 10 years old are usually faster (by at least 20 per cent) and command a similar hike in fares. The high-speed ferries and catamarans, which are twice as fast as the old regular ferries, command double the regular ferry fare. Even so, ticket prices for short hops remain surprisingly low, and the faster boats are very popular with the locals - so much so that in the summer, or weekend journeys to or from Piraeus, it is usually necessary to buy tickets a day or two ahead if you want to guarantee a place. Because the ferries are geared towards the needs of the islanders, the main services remain in place throughout the year. Extra sailings are put on at Easter, and also during the summer (when the ferry links double in number).
How often you choose to hop when on holiday is up to you. An average of three, four or five islands is the choice of most hoppers on a typical fortnight's holiday. At either end is usually the longer ferry journey from Athens and back. Many people choose to travel overnight on these longer legs. On popular routes, short hops can be done on a day-tripping basis if you want to keep the number of accommodation changes to a minimum, and there are other travel options during the summer months, notably excursion boats and a growing number of inter-island flights.
FERRY TICKETS
There is still nothing along the lines of a universal booking system for Greek ferries, but the bulk of services out of Athens are dominated by a few large operators who do provide websites with timetables and online-booking facilities. It is a reasonably straightforward exercise building your own itinerary. The big four are: Blue Star Ferries ; Hellenic Seaways ; Minoan Lines ; and NEL Ferries . Local agents can also be used to buy tickets in advance in Greece if you want to buy as you travel. The Greek Port Authority site is worth checking out for details of Piraeus and Rafina departures several weeks in advance.
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