Ferries Operating Between Greece and
Turkey
Barry and Margaret
Williamson November 2011
For far too many years, no
ferries have sailed between Turkey and the mainland of
Greece (or vice-versa). As many as 15 ferries operate between ports on
the Turkish mainland and a number of nearby offshore Greek
Islands. Most of these ferries carry only passengers and are
used by holidaymakers in one country to visit holiday resorts
in the other.
All these ferries are absurdly expensive
given the short distances they cover.
We know of only four such routes that carry
vehicles
The Turkish port of Ayvalik to the Greek
island of Lesvos
The Turkish port of Marmaris to the Greek Island of
Rhodes
The Turkish port of Bodrum to the Greek Island of
Kos
The Turkish port of Cesme to the Greek
Island of Chios.
Only the last ferry, Cesme-Chios, carries large
vehicles and it runs daily throughout the year. But it is expensive: for
example, a motorhome up to 7 metres in length with 2 passengers would cost
€160 (£140) for a 45 (forty-five) minute journey!
The other three ferries have very little space for cars and are a
tight fit for a motorhome.
Regular ferries sail from the Greek Islands to the port of
Piraeus, just south of Athens, typically overnight. Some of
the ferry lines place a restriction on the size of the
vehicle.
In 2011 Rose and Alf Walshaw took a ferry
from Chios to Cesme and return, but that was a very small one.
Their story is at: http://www.magbaztravels.com/content/view/1183/30/
Two chilling
pictures of their Chios-Cesme ferry can be
seen at:
http://www.magbaztravels.com/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=26&page=view&catid=610&PageNo=1&key=3&hit=1
and
http://www.magbaztravels.com/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=26&page=view&catid=610&PageNo=5&key=55&hit=1
Don Madge writes that he took
the Marmaris-Rhodes ferry with a 7-metre A-class motorhome in 2003 and
describes it as 'exciting'. He recommends the following
website:
http://ferries-turkey.com/ferry-routes/turkey-greece/turkey-greece-index-en.html
Another good source of information is Tom Brosnahan's Turkey Travel
Planner:
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/trans/Ship/GreekIslandFerries.html
Which links you to:
http://www.feribot.net/feribot/
This website has an interactive planner that lets you know
which ferry goes where and whether or not you can take a
vehicle.
The best place to get live up-to-date information is http://www.ankertravel.net/. Anker travel is in
the Turkish port and holiday resort of Kusadasi. They can be emailed through
their website or telephone: +90 256 612 45 98. They speak good English.
In
winter, things are a bit more uncertain than what passes for
normal.
Please Contact
Us with your information and experience.
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