Thanks, I'm glad you find the videos useful. I have more island guides planned, but need to get back out to Greece and film more content for them - got a few trips planned this summer so watch this space! :)
This is an excellent video with relevant tips for Greek island hopping - whether for the first time hopper or more seasoned traveller 😊 And the guides to the individual islands on your channel are superb as well. Heading to Greece at the end of April for 18 days with a tentative route planned - Rhodes, Symi, Nisyros, Astypalea, Amorgos and Athens. Enjoy your 2024 Greek Island adventures!
Thanks Paul, glad you enjoyed it. Your upcoming trip sounds amazing! Haven't got anything booked yet, but definitely planning a week or two over the summer with some new destinations in mind.
Great tips. Here’s another - I always bring laundry sheets (like Tru Earth) bc I travel for over a month at a time and need to do laundry while I travel.
Fantastically comprehensive collection of Greek island-hopping tips! Can't wait for my Cyclades Trip in June! I'm starting to see a few more conventional ferries appearing on ferryhopper for the dates and routes I need, which is great as I can spend all the money saved on fast ferries sipping several cold cans of Mythos on the top deck in the sunshine! 🌞⛴️ 🍺👌
Thank you for making and sharing this video! Curious what you would recommend on the western side of Greece, specifically near Messonghi beach near Albania & Italy? I feel like all the action and pretty places to visit are on the eastern Turkey side? But maybe you can change my mind?
Brilliant video thanks! I’m organizing a trip for the start of October (Milos, Sifnos, Paros) and this has helped heaps! Would you say it’s more expensive to book accommodation last minute? Or cheaper?
October is quite late in the season so you should find plenty of choice and good prices. Personally, I would book as early as possible as prices tend to go up rather than down, but if you can find places with free cancellation you can always change accommodation if something better/cheaper shows up nearer the time. Just be aware that free cancellation usually has a cut off date a week or two before arrival so I would check for alternatives just before the cut off. Sounds like a great trip, enjoy!
Thanks for this insightful video. Looking at Ikaria for a destination this June. We will be there two weeks to celebrate my wives 60th Birthday. Can you recommend any Island/Islands we should visit near Ikaria? Thanks for your time.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Ikaria is an island I want to visit but haven't been to yet. Ferry schedules for the summer don't seem to be available at the moment but I found this website www.island-ikaria.com/travel/Getting-To-Ikaria which describes some of the nearby islands with connections to Ikaria. Convenient options would be Chios to the north or Samos to the east, both of which are meant to be nice but again aren't places I've been to. The only personal recommendation I can offer would be Naxos or Paros in the Cyclades - both of which should be accessible via Mykonos (you would need to change ferries). They are lovely islands and, being in a different island group, will offer a good contrast with Ikaria.
Hi i wanted to ask what would u advice me for a plan.cause me and my family are thinking of coming to greece for 1 august to 7 aufust and id love to ho island hopping but preferably to beaches with private beach seats.Can u reccommend me a plan(islands such as Zakynthos and other uniques island near that.We are traveling from Tirana,Albania btw
Hi, for island-hopping one week isn't much time. I would only visit 2 islands or it will feel very rushed. Do you want to visit Zakynthos specifically? The only island nearby is Kefalonia or maybe Lefkada further north. You could split your time evenly between them 3/4 nights each.
Not really, no. The stops on each island are very brief, just long enough for departing passengers and vehicles to disembark and new passengers and vehicles to board. Typically this is about 15-minutes, sometimes even less. There's not enough time to get off safely and get back on board and you may be challenged to show a ticket for the port of departure that you may not have. I wouldn't risk it.
Hi, from where do you recommend buying tickets for blue star ferry? From their website or from ferry Hopper? Is there any price difference between the two? Do they both issue e-tickets? Thanks
I tend to use ferry hopper as I often book multiple tickets from different companies when island-hopping and it's convenient to have all my bookings in a single app. That said, FerryHopper do charge a small commission on tickets (I think it's around €1-4 per booking) so it is slightly cheaper to book direct via the ferry company website. Both will issue e-tickets. If you book direct I think you'll get the e-ticket via email, FerryHopper you can get it direct in their app.
Which airport(s) are you flying to/from? Mykonos and Santorini are the most popular Greek islands and will still be busy even in late September. Personally, I would avoid Mykonos unless you want its party scene. Santorini is worth seeing for a night or two before moving on. A good itinerary would be: 1. Start on Santorini (if you're flying into Athens, look at a connecting internal flight or same-day ferry if possible). 2. Head north to Ios (it has a reputation for nightlife, but late September will be fairly quiet and is a lovely island with great contrast to Santorini). 3. Head north again to either Paros or Naxos: Naxos is larger with more sightseeing opportunities; Paros is a little prettier and more 'Instagrammable', with lots of nice beaches and good food. Then fly back to Athens. I'd spend 3 nights on Santorini and Ios, and 4 nights on Naxos/Paros.
Thank you for your reply. I have been to Athens before but my wife hasn’t so we’re flying into Athens for 2 days then using ferry routes to island hop until the flight home from Athens. I was thinking Paros and will look into los
I did some more digging and the main issue is that only two Greek ferry operators support the pass: Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways. While Blue Star does cover quite a few islands, they're slower vehicle ferries. Seajets, one of the biggest operators of high-speed ferries, isn't part of the scheme. It could still be worth getting the pass but I would definitely research whether you can get to the islands you want to see via Blue Star or Hellenic and whether the pass will save you much over the normal ticket prices before buying it.
@@GreeceTravelGuide Yes, it is only for Attica group ferries and it is only slow ferries. It is more interesting for trips to island far from Athens (Rhodes, Crete, etc.)
‘Canned glamor,’ huh? Not entirely sure what you mean, most of the clips are filmed by me and give an honest reflection of the places I've visited. I guess you can't please everyone, but thanks for watching and taking the time to offer feedback anyway :)
Excellent video, you've definitely got me thinking about trip #11.
Thanks Gabriel, look forward to seeing more of your Greece content soon! 👍
I was so confused about planning this trip, and fortunately I found this. Thank you so much and congrats for this amazing video!! 👌🏼
This is THE most useful Greece video I’ve seen on island hoping. Thank You 🙏🏾
Wow, thank you for the feedback, glad it's useful
Excellent video, especially for first-timers! I'd love to see more individual island guides, the one for Sifnos is 10/10!
Thanks, I'm glad you find the videos useful. I have more island guides planned, but need to get back out to Greece and film more content for them - got a few trips planned this summer so watch this space! :)
This is an excellent video with relevant tips for Greek island hopping - whether for the first time hopper or more seasoned traveller 😊 And the guides to the individual islands on your channel are superb as well. Heading to Greece at the end of April for 18 days with a tentative route planned - Rhodes, Symi, Nisyros, Astypalea, Amorgos and Athens. Enjoy your 2024 Greek Island adventures!
Thanks Paul, glad you enjoyed it. Your upcoming trip sounds amazing! Haven't got anything booked yet, but definitely planning a week or two over the summer with some new destinations in mind.
Excellent itinerary, those are some of my favorites.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos Your videos were a determining factor :-)
@@paulc2106 Ha, that's awesome. 👍✌
Great video!! Reason I say that, is you are so thorough with all the information you've researched and shared.
Thanks, glad you've found it helpful!
Great tips. Here’s another - I always bring laundry sheets (like Tru Earth) bc I travel for over a month at a time and need to do laundry while I travel.
Fantastically comprehensive collection of Greek island-hopping tips! Can't wait for my Cyclades Trip in June! I'm starting to see a few more conventional ferries appearing on ferryhopper for the dates and routes I need, which is great as I can spend all the money saved on fast ferries sipping several cold cans of Mythos on the top deck in the sunshine! 🌞⛴️ 🍺👌
Brilliant video - thank you so much!!
Glad you found it helpful!
Excellent video it’s helping me to plan my upcoming holiday to the Greek islands thank you!!
So many wonderful tips. I knew you were sharp when you advised to finish off your trip with a stay in the location of your departure airport.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
super useful guide and helpful for me planning my trip to Greece in September.
Glad it was helpful! If you have any further questions let us know, and enjoy your trip!
Very informative video. Thank you. Hoping to visit the Greek Islands soon.
Thank you for making and sharing this video!
Curious what you would recommend on the western side of Greece, specifically near Messonghi beach near Albania & Italy?
I feel like all the action and pretty places to visit are on the eastern Turkey side?
But maybe you can change my mind?
Excellent overview, thanks!
thx fer vidéo
The best video. Thank you ❤
Brilliant video thanks! I’m organizing a trip for the start of October (Milos, Sifnos, Paros) and this has helped heaps! Would you say it’s more expensive to book accommodation last minute? Or cheaper?
October is quite late in the season so you should find plenty of choice and good prices. Personally, I would book as early as possible as prices tend to go up rather than down, but if you can find places with free cancellation you can always change accommodation if something better/cheaper shows up nearer the time. Just be aware that free cancellation usually has a cut off date a week or two before arrival so I would check for alternatives just before the cut off. Sounds like a great trip, enjoy!
thanx
Very good video guide!
Glad it was helpful!
@@GreeceTravelGuide subscribed✌
❤ thank you
Thanks for this insightful video. Looking at Ikaria for a destination this June. We will be there two weeks to celebrate my wives 60th Birthday. Can you recommend any Island/Islands we should visit near Ikaria? Thanks for your time.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Ikaria is an island I want to visit but haven't been to yet. Ferry schedules for the summer don't seem to be available at the moment but I found this website www.island-ikaria.com/travel/Getting-To-Ikaria which describes some of the nearby islands with connections to Ikaria. Convenient options would be Chios to the north or Samos to the east, both of which are meant to be nice but again aren't places I've been to.
The only personal recommendation I can offer would be Naxos or Paros in the Cyclades - both of which should be accessible via Mykonos (you would need to change ferries). They are lovely islands and, being in a different island group, will offer a good contrast with Ikaria.
Hi i wanted to ask what would u advice me for a plan.cause me and my family are thinking of coming to greece for 1 august to 7 aufust and id love to ho island hopping but preferably to beaches with private beach seats.Can u reccommend me a plan(islands such as Zakynthos and other uniques island near that.We are traveling from Tirana,Albania btw
Hi, for island-hopping one week isn't much time. I would only visit 2 islands or it will feel very rushed. Do you want to visit Zakynthos specifically? The only island nearby is Kefalonia or maybe Lefkada further north. You could split your time evenly between them 3/4 nights each.
Can we go down the boat with stops on some islands along the way? If yes, for how long can we stay in the island before the boat departs again?
Not really, no. The stops on each island are very brief, just long enough for departing passengers and vehicles to disembark and new passengers and vehicles to board. Typically this is about 15-minutes, sometimes even less. There's not enough time to get off safely and get back on board and you may be challenged to show a ticket for the port of departure that you may not have. I wouldn't risk it.
Hi, from where do you recommend buying tickets for blue star ferry? From their website or from ferry Hopper? Is there any price difference between the two? Do they both issue e-tickets?
Thanks
I tend to use ferry hopper as I often book multiple tickets from different companies when island-hopping and it's convenient to have all my bookings in a single app. That said, FerryHopper do charge a small commission on tickets (I think it's around €1-4 per booking) so it is slightly cheaper to book direct via the ferry company website. Both will issue e-tickets. If you book direct I think you'll get the e-ticket via email, FerryHopper you can get it direct in their app.
@@GreeceTravelGuide thanks a lot
❤
I’ve just booked flights 10days apart end of September. I was planning to include Mykonos then Santorini. Any other you would recommend?
Which airport(s) are you flying to/from? Mykonos and Santorini are the most popular Greek islands and will still be busy even in late September. Personally, I would avoid Mykonos unless you want its party scene. Santorini is worth seeing for a night or two before moving on.
A good itinerary would be:
1. Start on Santorini (if you're flying into Athens, look at a connecting internal flight or same-day ferry if possible).
2. Head north to Ios (it has a reputation for nightlife, but late September will be fairly quiet and is a lovely island with great contrast to Santorini).
3. Head north again to either Paros or Naxos: Naxos is larger with more sightseeing opportunities; Paros is a little prettier and more 'Instagrammable', with lots of nice beaches and good food. Then fly back to Athens.
I'd spend 3 nights on Santorini and Ios, and 4 nights on Naxos/Paros.
Thank you for your reply. I have been to Athens before but my wife hasn’t so we’re flying into Athens for 2 days then using ferry routes to island hop until the flight home from Athens. I was thinking Paros and will look into los
Sounds like a great trip, I hope you enjoy it :)
Have you tried the Eurail Greek island pass? It is not so easy to get information on it, even from the company that sell it.
I've heard of it but can't say I've used it myself. I agree the website is a bit lacking in detail, let me see if I can find more information for you.
I did some more digging and the main issue is that only two Greek ferry operators support the pass: Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways. While Blue Star does cover quite a few islands, they're slower vehicle ferries. Seajets, one of the biggest operators of high-speed ferries, isn't part of the scheme.
It could still be worth getting the pass but I would definitely research whether you can get to the islands you want to see via Blue Star or Hellenic and whether the pass will save you much over the normal ticket prices before buying it.
@@GreeceTravelGuide Yes, it is only for Attica group ferries and it is only slow ferries. It is more interesting for trips to island far from Athens (Rhodes, Crete, etc.)
!!
Hate your canned glamor video clips
‘Canned glamor,’ huh? Not entirely sure what you mean, most of the clips are filmed by me and give an honest reflection of the places I've visited. I guess you can't please everyone, but thanks for watching and taking the time to offer feedback anyway :)