Knowing the difference between the ferry companies and routes is one of the most confusing parts about planning an island hopping trip. So if you’re looking into traveling with Zante Ferries in Greece, we got you covered! Although Zante review can be helpful, it’s important to get a full breakdown of what to expect. We’ve sailed with them a few times over the years through the beautiful Western Cyclades. Here’s everything to know about Zante Ferries, including the timetable and helpful tips from our own experience.
5 Tips For Zante Ferries Greece
1. Where Do Zante Ferries Go?
Zante Ferries has two routes to check out for your vacation in Greece. The first is though the Cyclades, while the other is in the North Aegean Sea.
The Cyclades is the most popular island chain in Greece with destinations like Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, and Naxos. Here’s some fun ideas if you’re planning a Greek island hopping itinerary!
Our first time sailing with Zante Ferries was on a trip from Santorini to Milos. We discovered this Greek ferry company after a quick search filtering for our dates on this route.
The trip was quick and easy, and by traveling in off-season we paid only 19 Euros each. Here’s our complete guide for traveling from Santorini to Milos with Zante Ferries.
2. Booking Your Zante Ferries Tickets
We actually didn’t go directly to the Zante Ferries website to find our tickets. It’s easy enough to use a search engine like this one to compare companies, ticket prices, and ferry routes. You will be able to explore the different dates and travel times to see if Zante Ferries is the best option.
One thing to know is that not all ferry companies show their schedules in advance. This is due to the fact that they can change frequently depending on the season.
For our route, we were looking at the cheapest option to get from Santorini to Milos with a decent departure time. Many of the inexpensive slow ferries have late or overnight crossings which can make it difficult to get to our accommodation.
Some companies will send you an electronic ticket for your ferry trip. However, with Zante Ferries we had to go to a local office and have it printed out. We were told exactly where to go via email, but this is an important step to keep in mind.
Every year we notice the ferries in Greece update their systems more and more. Just be sure to double-check your confirmation after making an online booking to avoid any issues on the day of your departure.
Greece Travel Planning Tips
- ⛴ Use FerriesinGreece to compare routes & prices.
- 🛫 Skyscanner is the best for cheap flights.
- 📞 Get a Greece E-Sim before you arrive to stay connected!
- 🛌 Search Booking.com and Agoda to find places to stay. Also, Hostelworld if you’re on a budget.
- 🚙 Use Discover Cars to explore the islands with a car (as low as $15 a day!)
- 🤿 Find hundreds of activities using Get Your Guide in Greece.
- 🌙 Never travel abroad without insurance like SafetyWing.
- 🎒 Scan our Amazon packing lists, electronics gear & flight essentials.
3. What Exactly is a Slow Boat?
Zante Ferries is considered a slow ferry, but what does that mean for you? Well, the Zante Ferry trip from Santorini to Milos takes around 5 hours! For some travelers, that may be way too long and not how you’d prefer to spend your vacation time.
Alternatively, a company like Seajets does the same route in just over two hours. This is the most popular fast ferry in Greece and great if you’re looking to save some time on your ferry crossing.
Still, these tickets cost almost 100 euros compared to the €19 we paid from Santorini to Milos. We had an entire month to travel in Greece which allowed us more time than those on a shorter itinerary.
The vessels of Zante ferries are all large ships with an open deck to take in the views. There is also a snack bar to grab coffee or beer and seats outside around on the boat.
We really enjoy this aspect of island hopping in Greece. Yet, we totally understand if you’d rather just get to your destination on a fast ferry.
If you have a car, you can also take it on the boat to explore the Cyclades and stunning islands of the North Aegean. Take a look at the Zante ferries timetables to make an online booking and see what works for you.
4. Smaller Greek Islands With Zante Ferries
Another thing that we really like about Zante Ferries is that it stops at many of the lesser-known Greek islands. When searching for the different ferries on their website, it will show you the exact stops along your chosen route.
This can be an amazing way to find other islands that you might not have heard about or considered visiting. It’s easy enough to add on 2 or 3 nights to your ferry schedule before continuing on to the more popular destinations.
These smaller islands have ended up being some of our absolute favorites in Greece! A few that we highly recommend are Ios, Folegandros, Milos, and Sikinos.
5. Bringing a Vehicle on the Zante Ferry
As we mentioned, you can bring a car onto Zante Ferries in Greece! Just know that the costs can add up quickly depending on the vehicle type.
One popular option is to rent a car from the Greek mainland and take it with you through the islands. Some travelers even bring a campervan on board to save money on hotels!
From our experience, it’s much better to wait until you get to each island to rent a car or motorbike. Here’s some easy tips for renting a car on Milos if you’re heading there! Usually, the extra charge to bring your car hire on the ferry just isn’t worth it.
It makes much more sense to pick up your rental when you get to your destination. Many times, you will only need it for one or two days anyway as the islands are small enough for day trips. You can even use bus services on islands like Santorini if you’d rather not drive.
You can also check out the ferry schedules with other companies if the Zante Ferries timetable isn’t working out. Prices can fluctuate depending on the season, and you may find one is far cheaper than another to take a vehicle aboard.
Would We Use Them Again?
Overall, we’ve had a great experience and hope you can see that in our Zante review. They run on time, have good routes through the Cyclades islands, and offer some of the cheapest ticket options during high season.
The inside of the ships aren’t anything to write home about, but we’ve always had a comfortable journey outside taking in the views. Sometimes the slow ferry services in Greece can leave you underwhelmed when booking for the low prices. However, we would definitely use the Zante Ferry again!
Now that doesn’t necessarily mean we would pick it over a cheaper ticket or better travel time with another company. We’re happy to sail with all the different slow boats in Greece if our itinerary allows for it. One that we use all the time is Blue Star which you can read about here.
If you’re on a tight schedule you may want to look elsewhere. Yet, for the best deals, we highly recommend using Zante Ferries Greece!
Have any questions about this article or want to share your own Zante review? Let us know in the comments below.
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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I plan to visit Greece and would love to experience riding the Zante Ferry! Five hours is too short for me; I truly enjoy the scenery of the sea, so I believe it’s a win-win situation. Thank you for sharing the additional information. It has made me even more excited, especially knowing that the ferry stops at many lesser-known Greek islands. More adventures!
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You’re welcome! Thanks for reading