The Secret Greek Island Ferry Pass You Need to Know!

Did you know there’s Greek ferry pass worth considering if you’re planning on visiting two or more islands this summer? Great news for island-hoppers.

For 2022 the price of the basic Greek Islands Pass (available through Interrail/Eurail) is under €100.

That means you can visit 3 Greek islands (and return to Athens) for just €90. Bargain!

Or is it?

Let’s have a closer look and figure out whether this ferry pass is worthwhile for you or not.

Pretty port of Kamares on Sifnos. — Sifnos

How Much Does the Ferry Pass Cost?

For 2022, the 4-day domestic pass costs:

Eurail (for non-EU citizens) – $100
Interrail (for EU citizens) – €90

What Is The Greek Island Gerry Pass?

If you’re thinking ‘huh, I haven’t heard of this pass before‘, that’s because it has only existed since 2016 and you’re unlikely to have come across it unless planning a pan-Europe rail trip.

That’s because the Attica Group Ferry Pass is also known as the Eurail Greek Islands Pass or Interrail Greek Islands Pass.

Before 2016, you technically could buy a Greece section for your Interrail/Eurail pass but it only included trains – which is not worth it in Greece (there are only a handful of lines and you’re unlikely to use them much as a tourist).

But you don’t need to be travelling around Europe by rail to use this pass. In fact, you don’t need to go anywhere near a train.

Who Is The Attica Group?

This pass is offered by the Attica Group, a collection of several of the biggest Greek ferry companies.

DOMESTIC – Blue Star and Hellenic Seaways ferries
INTERNATIONAL – Superfast and ANEK Lines for ferries between Greece and Italy (see more on this below)

But is it worth it?

What does it cover?

Who does it work best for?

Or are you still better off paying for single tickets as you go?

Boat anchored near a beach on Karpathos island. — Karpathos

What Does The Ferry Pass Cover?

What does your €90 get you?

In a nutshell:

unlimited trips over 4 days within 1 month
on any Blue Star or Hellenic Seaways ferry
standard deck class tickets
domestic Greek ferries only (there is a separate international ticket if you’ll be using Greece-Italy ferries)
foot passengers only – no vehicles
discounts for those under 28, kids under 11 and the over 60s

What Doesn’t It Cover?

trains
non-Attica Group ferries
ferry routes in the Ionian islands
transfers of any kind

Upgrades are available but these only refer to the type of ticket on the ferry, not to the type of ferry. For example, you can upgrade from a deck ticket to an airline-style seat or to a cabin on long overnight ferries.

HOWEVER for these long journeys, it can often be cheaper to fly than to upgrade to a cabin. I’ve found flights to popular airports likes Rhodes, Santorini and Heraklion for as little as €15, which is less than the cabin upgrade will cost you. So I recommend checking Skyscanner for cheap flights first.

For more information on ferry types and the best way to get between islands, check out my comprehensive Guide to Greek Island Hopping

Which Islands Are Included?

The complete list of islands that you can visit (subject to route changes) using the pass is:

AEGEAN ISLANDS – Chios, Fourni, Inousses, Ikaria, Kavala (mainland), Lemnos, Lesvos, Psara, Samos.
CRETE – Heraklion, Chania.
CYCLADES – Andros, Anafi, Amorgos, Donoussa, Folegandros, Ios, Iraklia, Kimolos, Koufonissia, Kythnos, Kea, Paros, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Santorini, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros, Schinoussa, Tinos,
DODECANESE – Astypaleia, Kasos, Keros, Kos, Kastellorizo, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros, Patmos, Rhodes, Symi, Tilos.
SARONIC ISLANDS – Aegina, Agistri, Ermioni (mainland), Poros, Porto Heli (mainland), Hydra, Spetses
SPORADES – Alonissos, Skopelos, Skiathos

This is most of the major ferry routes in the Aegean, however the pass doesn’t cover any routes in the Ionian islands (Corfu, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Lefkada, Paxos, Antipaxos).

Apart from that, the only destinations not covered are generally the tiny ones where you’ll need to take smaller local ferries instead. The ticket prices for these routes tend to be pretty cheap though.

But bear in mind that not all of the above routes are daily sailings. It’s likely on popular routes in particular that the pass won’t cover the most frequent or the fastest ferries. Frequencies vary by route and season.

The ferry pass has recently changed from 4 journeys to 4 days which is handy if there’s a trip you need to take which involves changing ferries (as long as it’s on the same day).

Price Comparison vs Single Tickets

Let’s look at some single ticket prices for Blue Star ferries (2022 prices) on two island-hopping routes for comparison.

I use the Ferryhopper website for checking schedules as it has by far the easiest interface to use. Ticket prices are regulated by the government and vary by route rather than demand.

Piraeus – Mykonos – Santorini – Piraeus

Piraeus – Mykonos €38
Mykonos – Syros €15
Syros – Santorini €38.50
Santorini – Piraeus €40.50
Total – €132

Piraeus – Kos – Rhodes – Patmos – Piraeus

Piraeus – Rhodes €65.50
Rhodes – Kos €23.50
Kos – Patmos €20
Patmos – Piraeus €39
Total = €148

You can see that you make a decent saving on both of these routes!

The BIG Problem with the Ferry Pass

Whilst the pass covers nearly all the islands you might want to visit, it doesn’t necessarily cover all the connections between them.

Particularly high-speed or hydrofoil connections.

So if you have a set itinerary in mind you will need to check to see if Blue Star or Hellenic Seaways can fulfil that itinerary.

For example, there is no direct connection between Santorini and Mykonos through the Attica Group. These are the two most popular islands in Greece. The only way to do this with the Pass is to go via another island (such as Syros).

There is also no Attica Group connection between Crete and Santorini.

You will find more frequent sailings if you don’t limit yourself to the companies in the group.

People dining under a tree on a beach on Pserimos island — Pserimos

What if I want to travel on more than 4 days?

Your pass entitles you to a 30% discount on extra journeys with the Attica Group within the month.

Does the pass guarantee me a seat?

No. You must still make a reservation. This is free and you can do it by email or phone as well as at the port.

If you will be travelling in high summer (late July/August), over Greek public holidays, on really popular routes, or if you have a really inflexible schedule, then you may wish to reserve your tickets in advance. Otherwise, it’s not really necessary and you can do it at the port.

Travelling From Italy?

If you’re coming into Greece via ferry from Italy then you can use the International version of the ticket.

With this pass you are entitled to:

2 trips to/from Italy on the Superfast Ferries or ANEK Lines
4 domestic ferry trips with Attica Group ferries
transfer between Patras and Piraeus included

The international pass is priced at €176 (or $195).

For comparison, high season prices for a one-way journey with Superfast in 2022 are looking something like this:

Ancona-Patras €95
Venice-Patras €115

Are you likely to go to Italy and back? If you are then I definitely recommend getting the pass.

If not then I recommend doing the math on the individual ticket savings. It no longer grants you an extra trip within Greece. You can cover some big distances with this version of the pass!

Is it worth it?

To sum up – you should definitely consider getting the pass if you’re thinking of taking:

3 or more medium-length (3-8) hour car ferry journeys
2 or more long/overnight (9+) ferry journeys
1 long plus two medium ferry journeys

Basically the longer the distances the bigger the savings for you.

THE FERRY PASS IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF:

you’re on a budget
you have a flexible schedule and itinerary
you want to visit many islands in the Aegean
you have your eye on some islands that involve long ferry journeys

THE FERRY PASS IS NOT FOR YOU IF:

you want to travel on the fastest ferries
you have a strict itinerary in mind
you want to visit Santorini and Mykonos only
or you want to visit the Ionian islands

Passes are still paper-based and MUST be validated by an Attica Group official before you set sail and you must write the date for each crossing in your pass. Don’t forget that bit – otherwise, you’re liable to pay full fare.

Click here to buy your Eurail Ferry Pass (non-EU)

Click here to buy your Interrail Pass (EU citizens)

15 Best Greek Islands for Beaches

10 Stunning Greek Islands (That Aren’t Santorini or Mykonos)

10 Best Greek Islands for Nature

10 Best Greek Islands for Watersports

10 Best Greek Islands for Foodies

10 Best Greek Islands for Solo Travel

10 Best Greek Islands for Couples

10 Tiny Greek Islands Not to Miss

Enjoyed this post? Click to save to Pinterest: