Don’t buy ferry tickets in advance.

The original article below was published in 2019 and is now somewhat outdated. For the latest advice on ferry travel, I recommend checking out this article instead: Greek Ferry Travel 2024. I’ve left the original article below as it contains some valuable content.

If you’re planning a trip to Greece involving one or more sea crossings, you might consider booking your ferry tickets before travelling. Here are four reasons why you shouldn’t:

1. Ferries are rarely, if ever, fully booked

The most compelling reason to book tickets in advance is to guarantee your spot on the boat. However, Greek ferries are rarely at capacity, so this is seldom necessary. I would only advocate booking in advance for high-speed ferry services in peak season (July and August) and on the most popular routes. It can also be worth booking ahead around Greek National Holidays, such as Orthodox Easter, when many locals travel to celebrate with friends and family.

If you plan to travel by conventional (car) ferry, these are huge and have plenty of room on the open decks for hundreds of passengers.

2. There are no discounts for booking early

The majority of ticket prices are negotiated and approved by the Greek government. In some cases, they are also subsidised to ensure affordability for locals, who depend on regular ferry services to get around. As a result, booking early does not offer savings, and you may pay more using online ticket agents, who can add booking fees to your price.

3. Reservations are not e-tickets

Booking in advance would be helpful if you could turn up and board the ferry using your booking confirmation, but this isn’t how the system works. Even if you book in advance, you must visit a ticket office and get printed tickets using your reservation details, so there is no time-saving. Ticket offices sometimes charge a nominal fee (1-2€) to print your tickets, making them more expensive than simply turning up and buying them on the spot.

4. Refund/cancellation policies can be restrictive

In the unlikely but possible event that the ferry you booked is cancelled or severely delayed, your options for making other plans might be limited. Most operators will only exchange your ticket for another journey on their boats, meaning you may have to wait longer for a replacement instead of getting on a more convenient alternative.

If you buy your ticket on the day (or the day before) you travel, you are less likely to purchase a ticket you can’t use. The ticket offices generally know of any disruption to services and only sell you a ticket if the ferry is available.

Summary

In short, booking tickets in advance is neither cheaper, more convenient, or more likely to stop you from missing out due to boats being full. You also risk long delays if the service is disrupted due to weather or mechanical issues, and you can’t get a refund to book a different ferry.

We recommend buying tickets a day or two in advance. This means you can arrive for your ferry closer to departure time and avoid queuing in the hot sun for a ticket. I like to get mine the night before I travel—most ticket offices are open until late into the evening, and there’s usually no queue.