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.