Travelling by Ferry to the Greek islands

Lots of my friends ask me how they can get to a particular Greek island. This is usually quite easy. There are many ferry boats leaving every day from the port in Pireaus and from the port in Rafina to the islands. During the winter months, it may not be so easy however, as there are fewer boats and the weather can cause delays and even cancellations. It's always a good idea to check with a reliable ferry schedule. One of these is in the weekly Athens English newspaper, The Athens News, which you can find at all the kiosks. The Athens News comes out every Friday and has a good page of information listing what boats are sailing. If you want to see an easy at-a-glance comparison of all the ferries that may be going to just one island, as well as the price of each companies tickets, check out this site: www.fantasticgreece.com I thought this was the most helpful thing when I wanted to go to Chios this summer because I was able to pay for my ticket with my credit card. This was not the case however, when I wanted to come back to Athens from Chios. When I got to Chios and wanted to buy a return ticket from one of the local travel agencies, they told me that they didn't work with the credit card companies and I had to pay cash! Luckily I had money with me after my holiday was over!!! I recommend that you book your ferry tickets on-line and then all you have to do is pick up your tickets at the port. Very easy and no stress.