How to Get to the Greek Islands from Turkey

by Tatiana
(Montreal, Canada)

Hi!

Attempting to build an itinerary for a family of five for a three week trip to Turkey and Greek Islands.

Our ideal trip is Istanbul, region of Izmir and Lycian coast and then Santorini and finish our trip with a week in Crete.

My question is; Is the best way to reach Santorini from Turkey via Kusadasi by ferry to Samos and then take another ferry from Vathy to Santorini and then to Crete?

Or is there a faster way? Can we take a ferry from other Turkish port towns further south like Bodrum and arrive in Greece in Kos Island?

If the above route is most efficient and ideal then would you recommend staying a day in Samos?

Lastly, we're thinking of renting a villa in Crete. Which area would you recommend the most?

Thank you so much!

Ferries to Greek Islands

The choice is yours and will depend on the month of your travel and the frequency of the ferry departures. IT will also depend upon the connection times. It is nice to have a good deal of time to enjoy the journey and stop in each port on each island, relax and stay the night, instead of rushing and trying to fit the connections of the ferries.

From Kusadasi you will need to take a ferry to Samos arriving at Vathy port after a 50 minute journey.

Then from Vathy in Samos you may take a second ferry to Mykonos, which is an 8 hour crossing.

Then from Mykonos you can take a third ferry to Santorini, which is a 3 hour journey.

Bodrum is located 160 km south of Kusadasi. If you leave from Bodrum, you can take the Bodrum Express for a 30 minute trip to Kos Town on Kos Island.

From Kos you can take a ferry directly to Santorini in a 5 and a half hour crossing time.

For more ferry info see this page...

Ferries to Santorini & Crete

We would suggest that you choose either the west of Crete or the east, in one week you cannot see the whole island.

See some more information about the west of Crete here...

And about the east of the island here...

If you choose the west of Crete, we can suggest Villa Rhodamanthys in a small village, a beautiful villa with sea views that sleeps six. This peaceful rural location is just 5 km from great beaches and 4 km from the fascinating Rethymnon Town, with its old zone full of Venetian architecture, narrow lane ways to explore and harbour side tavernas.

If you are headed for the east of the island, we can suggest Almond Tree Villa near Elounda village, this stylish cosmopolitan village of eastern Crete is close to Agios Nikolaos and sits on the wide Mirabello Bay.

More information about the suggested villas here...

Kalo Taxidi! Bon Voyage!