Greek islands are a popular summer destination and it’s easy to understand why: the sea, the sun, the whitewashed villages, the delicious food! Pins like this help as well, right? But when the time comes to sit down and actually plan a trip to the Greek Islands, logistic questions arise: which islands to choose when it’s the ideal period to visit, how do I get there and so on. I come across these questions ever so often so I decided to tackle them one by one:
1) When is it the ideal time to visit the Greek Islands?
If you like seeing lots of people, crammed streets, and overpriced hotels, then July and August are your thing (no really, there are people who like this kind of vacations). For me, June and September are the best months. In September (and even early October) the sea is warmer than June so that you know *wink, wink*
Related: Postcards from Amorgos
2) Which islands should I visit?
Now that’s a really good question! I know that all of you get “bombarded” by photos of picturesque villages and beautiful beaches and don’t know which island to choose. That was the question I had in mind when I wrote my post “Which Greek Island is ideal for you” which I strongly encourage you to read.
Related: 10 Greek Beaches you shouldn’t miss
3) How to get to the islands?
Most islands have international airports, so there are direct flights from Europe and of course from Athens. Here you can find a map of all Greek islands that do have airports. Smaller islands have ferry connections with nearby larger islands. For example, the Small Cyclades islands (Schinousa, Donousa, Koufonisi) are connected to Naxos. Now let’s tackle the islands in groups.
The Cyclades have very good ferry connections with Piraeus port (the vast majority), Rafina port (Andros, Tinos, and Mykonos) and Lavrio port (Kea and Kythnos). There is a metro line that connects Athens to Piraeus port, while for Rafina and Lavrio KTEL Attikis buses (regional buses) are your best bet. Their starting point is Mavromataion street. You can find the website here, but unfortunately, it’s only in Greek.
In order to visit the Dodekanese, I suggest you fly to Rhodes or Kos and then take a ferry. The Norther Aegean islands are also connected with Piraeus via ferry but it takes lots of hours, so it’s advisable to fly there.
Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos) are connected with Volos and Agios Konstantinos (a coastal town 170 km north of Athens) via ferry and flying dolphins (the latter sail only from Volos, are faster, do not take vehicles and cannot sail if it’s super windy).
The Ionian islands are connected with mainland Greece in the following way: Zakynthos and Kefalonia (and Ithaki) are connected with Killini (in the region of Ilia) via ferry. Lefkada is accessible by car and Corfu is connected to Igoumenitsa (major port in NW Greece) via ferry.
Related: 24hrs in Corfu Town
Heraklion and Chania in Crete are connected to Piraeus with the ferry which sails overnight butdoeso have day routes as well during weekends in the summertime. Ferry travel takes approximately 8 hours for Heraklion and maybe a little less for Chania. There are three ferry companies that sail to Crete: Minoan Lines (only to Heraklion), ANEK (to Chania and Heraklion) and Blue Star Ferries (to Chania and Heraklion).
Related: 2 days in Chania
4) Is island hopping possible?
Of course, it is, but it depends on which islands you want to visit as they are not interconnected. First of all check out the map of Greece to have an idea, where the different group of islands is located. I’ll give you some examples: Serifos-Sifnos-Milos are on the same ferry route. Santorini and Ios are on the same ferry route. Mykonos can be combined with Andros and Tinos (if you sail from Rafina). Paros and Naxos are also on the same route. But if you want to visit Milos and Naxos, for example, you have to return to Piraeus and then get on a different ferry.
You check out the websites Open Seas and Viva where you can look for connections between islands, and also book ferry tickets. It’s essential to determine which island(s) you want to visit beforehand, so as to plan your transportation accordingly (and determine downtime as well). Another website you can check for island hopping is FerryScanner.
I’m also linking to the websites of the 3 major ferry companies in Greece (for the Aegean sea, as the Ionian has only local routes): Hellenic Seaways, Blue Star Ferries and Aegean Speed Lines. This will give you an idea on ferry routes and if your island hopping is doable!
Pro Tip: One thing you should keep in mind is that not all vessels are equal in terms of amenities and of course modernity. There are older vessels that are cheaper but takes them longer to reach their destination and then there are the so-called High Speed vessels which have shorter trip time.
Related: The essential guide to Santorini, The essential guide to Mykonos, The essential guide to Naxos
5) Do I have to book ferry tickets and accommodation beforehand?
As far as ferry tickets go, I’d say yes especially for popular destinations like Mykonos and Santorini. A friend of mine almost didn’t get from Heraklion to Santorini because he hadn’t booked tickets in advanced and the ferry was full (that happened at around 23rd of June. On a Monday).
As for accommodation, you can definitely get away with not booking in advance especially in early June and September. I personally tend to be proactive with booking in advance. You can find the vast majority of hotels on Booking and off course holiday homes at Airbnb.
You can find my posts about the Greek islands right here. On a side note I started a Facebook page for my blog, where I’m not only going to share my posts but also share travel related inspiration and tips as well as lifestyle inspiration and tips! You’re more than welcome to join me there as well!!
Now let me know, what specific information about visiting and getting around the Greek Islands would you like to know?
I'm Anna and this is my lifestyle and travel blog! 
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures. It’s making me want to go back to Greece now – economic crisis notwithstanding!
Well thank God the crisis hasn’t affected our beaches and weather!! (they hold up really well :))
Thanks for all the tips! I never would have thought the water would be warmer in September. I’m definitely not into crowds, though sometimes it’s unavoidable.
Silly Medley: Lifestyle and Travel
oh yes it is much warmer even that August! The weather is not so hot also, so September is an ideal month!
This was a great guide, very thorough and informative. I’ll have to pin it for later too!
Glad you find it informative and hope you’re going to put it in good use one day!!
Great tips in here! Thanks for all the info. Like you said, planning a trip to Greece can be overwhelming with all the options. Our Greek friends visited us about two months ago and now we really want to go (lets just say her cooking is amazing).
Indeed so many options about traveling to Greece! It’s nice that you have Greek friends and they cook well…that way you don’t have to look for the “best” restaurant for Greek cuisine!
I’ll hang on to this info for my own future use. It came a bit late for my brother, who left for Crete yesterday. Great stuff here – thanks!
you’re welcome! I’m sure your brother will have fun in Crete!
Oh how I love the Greek Islands! This post is perfect for anyone looking to go. Wanting to head back ASAP now!
The islands are beautiful, aren’t they? I hope you’ll have the chance to visit again!
Fab post, I visited Kolymbia in Rhodes last August and it was simply beautiful! I’d love to visit more Greek islands!
you definitely should! there’s so much to see+explore!
OOh I will definitely need to save this! Hopefully my mom and I are doing a cruise there next June!! 🙂 This is great! #MondayEscapes!
I loved the Greek Islands, though was many years ago that I visited but getting about then didn’t take more than planning your travel for a couple of days in advance and there were always people touting their accommodation as you got off the ferry.
With the economic crisis in Greece right now, I hope that many people still visit the islands and Greece in general! 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up with #WeekendWanderlust!
Well despite the crisis we do take care of visitors in our country! Our natural beauty is not affected by the crisis!
Really informative post to somewhere where I mean to go but never quite make it – I guess right now their tourism industry may suffer but I hope it bounces back as it really deserves too #mondayescapes
Amazing and useful post!!! I was planning to go to Santorini this year and had many doubts you answered on this post. It is great to know all that to be prepared! Such a great idea to share this with your readers!!
Thank you so much for linking up once again with #MondayEscapes 😀
Another great post! I think one of the reasons why I have yet to visit Greece is because I’m not quite sure how to get there… so many islands so little time lol. This post is perfect for people like me!
We visited a few of the bigger islands, but decided to take a flight over instead of using the ferry because we were short on time. Next time, I’ll try the ferry service over.
Excellent guide, I’m saving it for future reference because I’ve always wanted to see the Greek islands! 😀
Nice! Island hopping is one of my favorite types of trips, and island hopping in the Greek islands is high on my bucket list. My last post was on island hopping in Panama (http://bit.ly/1es8paI).
Good tip on booking ferries beforehand – we almost missed a flight in Croatia because we had assumed we could do it later.
This is so helpful! thanks for sharing your experience. Greece is a at the top of my list right now and I want to make sure I go around a few islands rather than seeing just one. xx