Ferry vs flying between islands, what’s better?

[blopez34]

I’ve always been a ferry guy when it comes to Greece, something about pulling into a port and seeing the island come into view just feels right. But this trip is a little different because I’m traveling with someone who gets pretty motion sick, so now I’m seriously considering flying between islands instead.

Curious what you guys think, ferry vs flying, what’s actually better?

I know ferries are part of the whole island-hopping experience, and they’re usually more flexible, but I’ve also had a couple rough rides when the water wasn’t calm. On the flip side, flights seem quicker and smoother, but maybe more hassle overall.

If you’ve done both, what would you recommend, especially in a situation like this? Is flying the smarter move, or are ferries still worth it if you plan carefully?

 

[Xpisto]

We have done both ways of travel between islands and found the one issue with air travel is to make sure you are there early. Why? because if you are late . less than half hour before flight time you can be replaced by a standby and have to wait for a later flight. Most flights leave every hour so it is not a long wait. One of our daughter has a problem with motion sickness but had no problem on the ferry from Santorini to Crete. I think the ferry with less motion is the high speed one. I would chose the ferry if you wanted comfort and had plenty of time

 

[k_tsoukalas]

I’ve done both quite a bit, and honestly, in your situation, I’d probably mix the two depending on the route. Some ferry rides are smooth and part of the magic of Greece, especially when you’re pulling into places like Santorini or Paros at sunset. But when the winds pick up, certain routes can get rough fast, especially on the smaller high-speed ferries.

If motion sickness is a real concern, flying between the longer distances might save a lot of stress. Sometimes the airport hassle is worth it just to avoid spending hours feeling miserable on the water.

One thing I’d recommend is looking at the specific ferry type before booking. The larger conventional ferries tend to feel much steadier than the fast catamarans. Personally, I still think at least one ferry ride is worth experiencing if the weather looks calm.