If you’re planning a trip through the Dodecanese Islands then Dodekanisos Seaways is a great ferry option! Normally, we stick to larger ferries which are super inexpensive. However, on our most recent visit to Greece, we traveled from Astypalea to Kos with this company for the first time. As you’ll see in this article, there were a few things that surprised us along our journey! Here’s some helpful tips from our own experience with Dodekanisos Seaways, and what to know about their Express and Pride ferry lines.
Dodekanisos Seaways Routes
The first thing to know about Dodekanisos Seaways as that they only sail through the Dodecanese islands group. There is a great map we’ve placed below that shows exactly where they go.
Is this your first time using the ferry in Greece? Then you might be looking into traveling from Rhodes to Kos or other daily crossings.
While these are two of the most visited islands in Greece, know that Dodekanisos Seaways makes stops at plenty of lesser-known islets as well. Spending time on the more remote islands have been some of our favorite travel experiences!
If you have time, we recommend adding a place you may not have heard to your itinerary. One popular choice is to fly into the largest Dodecanese island of Rhodes, and start exploring from there. A few more that we highly recommend are Symi, Patmos, Samos, and Astypalea.
→ Astypalea Greece: Why It’s the Greek Island You Can’t Miss!
Dodekanisos Express vs Dodekanisos Pride
There are the two different boats to know about before using the Dodekanisos Seaways line. Dodekanisos Express and Dodekanisos Pride are both high-speed vessels that will take you between the islands quickly! There is also Panagia Skiadeni in their fleet, but we haven’t had the chance to try it yet.
The Dodekanisos Seaways website is super easy to navigate. It allows you to search traveling one way or round trip, and filter through the different travel dates to find the best route.
You can even look far in advance to compare their weekly sailings. This is the simplest way to find the departure time that works with your Greece island hopping itinerary.
If you’re still considering which boat to take, then do a quick search here. This is how we find out what ferries are running before heading to the official Dodekanisos Ferry website.
Another thing we liked about traveling with Dodekanisos Seaways ferries is that they take off early in the morning. With some of the larger boats like Blue Star (which is also a shipping company), the least expensive boats often sail overnight. As you can imagine, this isn’t always the most convenient way to island hop!
They also will send you electronic tickets via email when booking online. This way you can have them on your mobile phone instead of having to print them at a local office.
Why We Booked this Ferry
On our last visit to Greece, we started in the Cyclades and ended up on Paros. Read about more of our favorite islands in the Cyclades here!
We then took Blue Star ferries from there to Astypalea, moving over to the Dodecanese island chain. Our goal was to make it to Kos where we would take one final ferry to Turkey to see the famous Turquoise Coast.
From Astypalea, we found that our best option was to jump on Dodekanisos Seaways. It was our first time traveling with the company so we had no idea what to expect.
We have now been to over 20 Greek islands, and used everything from cruise ships to ferries to get around. Popular companies like Blue Star and Seajets are usually fine, and we don’t have an allegiance to any specific company. Typically, our decision comes down to the times, routes, and ferry tickets.
Most of the ferries we’ve taken in the past have been large slow boats as they are usually the cheapest. That’s why we were a little surprised when we saw the Dodekanisos Pride pull into the ferry terminal. The high-speed catamaran was much smaller than we expected, but oh did it look fast!
Another thing that threw us off was it was about 30 minutes late to arrive. From our experience, this is very uncommon in Greece as the ferries are very efficient. In fact, if you aren’t careful, you could totally miss your boat with how quick they pull in and out of the ports.
Just know that inclement weather conditions and strong wind can cause delays in the off-season. It wasn’t an issue for us at all on our trip with Dodekanisos Seaways. However, if you need to make a flight (or another ferry connection) be sure to give yourself enough time.
→ When’s the Best Time to Visit Greece? Month to Month Breakdown
Astypalea to Kos on Dodekanisos Seaways
We almost always sit outside on the ferries in Greece to take in the amazing views. Yet, on this route, the Dodekanisos ferry travels too fast for it actually be enjoyable.
We got window seats so we could still look outside as we passed by the other islands. The chairs were really comfortable with this Greek ferry company which was a nice change up from other fast boats we’ve been on.
One advantage of taking the ferries in Greece is catching a glimpse of new islands along the way. Whenever we pulled into a port (en route to our final stop) we would take the opportunity to go outside and see the view. The only problem with this is you might be temped to get off and see every one of them!
Unlike the many short trips with Dodekanisos Seaways, our route from Astypalea to Kos took two hours. Our adventure through the south-eastern Aegean Sea ended in Kos, where we jumped off and strolled right into the main town.
→ Greek Island Ferries: The 12 Most Important Questions Answered!
Would We Use Dodekanisos Seaways Again?
Definitely! Aside from the late pick up time, we had a really good experience traveling with Dodekanisos Seaways. We never complain much about the ferries in Greece as we almost always go for the cheapest option.
Still, we appreciated that the Dodekanisos Pride had comfortable seating, convenient travel times, and it was easy to book tickets. We also loved that they post their summer schedule in advance so you can plan ahead! This is especially important in the summer months as the small fast ferries do have limited capacity.
We picked Dodekanisos Seaways as it made the most sense to get from Astypalea to Kos. The faster journey times come with a higher ticket price than the slow ferries, but would happily use them again for an alternative route.
The only negative thing about high-speed boats in Greece is that you’re not able to sit outside. Still, this just got us to our destination faster so we could have more time to enjoy Kos.
You should first use this site to compare the different ferry types and see what works for your itinerary. From there, you can head over to their website to view Dodekanisos Seaways timetables. If you’re traveling in the Dodecanese islands on vacation then they’re definitely worth checking out!
Have any questions about this article or want to share your own tips for using Dodekanisos Seaways? Let us know in the comments below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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