Dont trust that – although it is technically true, it has some fine print. You can only get on with your train pass IF, and only IF, they have room. If the ferry is booked – too bad! We were stuck in Rostock (Germany) for TWO DAYS waiting to catch the "free ferry" to Helsinki. You cant "book" them either, you have to show up the day of the sailing, in hopes that there will be room.

I was SO mad! SO SO SO MAD! I wasted 2 days of my trip and 2 days of my train pass getting to and from Rostock from Berlin. We ended up flying there instead.

Long story short, dont be surprised if you dont get on. You might get luckier if you do it in the off-season. We tried in August, it was busy.

Yeah, as Solveig says, if they’re completely filled which doesn’t necessairly happen very often then find another ferry, and pay for the service. Keep in mind, they can’t just allow an unlimited of people on….safety reasons. Also, if you do get o;n the free ferry, you still have to pay port taxes. Eurail endorses Hellenic Mediterranean Lines and Adriatica. I’ve taken Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, and I highly suggest you adoid it. I’ve heard rumors that Blue Star Lines honors Eurail passes; if so, then go with them. They’re an excellent company. If not, go with them anyways, and dish out the money. Or go with on of the other great companies listed here: www.greekferries.com

Yes, rumor has it that the ferries between Italy and Greece that are free with the railpass are the worst choices. Passage is free, but there is a "high season surcharge" of 8 to 10 euros in June and July and 15 to 20 euros in August. Plus, there are some port taxes and you may want to pay extra for a stateroom and you’ll be using a day of the railpass.

According to the hardcopy 2004 Eurail traveler’s guide, Superfast ferries, Blue Star ferries and HML (Hellenic Mediterranean Lines) offer the free passage. This agrees with what’s on line as current information at eurail.com and raileurope.com — look for information on "bonuses" on those websites.

The information at railpass.com/new and "buy a railpass" at the top of this page indicates free passage on Adriatica di Navigazione and Hellenic Mediterranean and doesn’t mention Blue Star or Superfast.

I don’t understand the descrepancy as the bonuses are the same regardless of which site you use to buy the pass, so somebody’s wrong.

I took a Superfast ferry from Patras, Greece to Ancona, Italy last summer and was pleasantly surprised. We travelled during the peak season, but had no problem with overbookings, and all the check-in staff were friendly and helpful.

Free is a little bit of a misnomer. We also had to pay about 30 euros in surcharge and taxes (but it was much cheaper than flying). If you have a 1st class railpass, then you get a couchette bed. If you have a second class pass, its only good for deck passage, which means you spend the night on a deck chair or on the floor somewhere. I travelled on a nice night, so it wasn’t bad…but it could be more uncomfortable in inclement weather.

Superfast is one of the excellent companies.

It’s Hellenic Mediterranean Lines that should be avoided.

The companies on this website: www.greekferries.com are all very very good.

I went with the Eurail pass and took Superfast Ferries, but you can also use BlueStar…those are the only 2. I really liked the Superfast ferry. I went in June and had no problem getting a spot, but I think it is busier in July and August. I had a 1st class train ticket (only because I’m too old for the 2nd class) so I got the free couchette as well…which was really nice. It was bunkbeds and lockers with some of the cleanest showers I encountered in Europe. I did have to pay 30 euros in fees. I think the earliest you can get your ticket is 4 hours before boarding, so I would show up and get in line about 30 minutes earlier than that. Good luck.

Hi All

I have actually emailed Superfast Ferries just last week. I asked about free passage to Greece from Anacona & Bari. They’re reply: Yes a Eurail pass holder you are entitled to a free trip. Also included a dormitory with common shower & WC OR Air seats OR Deck seats.
Extra charges: Port Fees 6 Euros each
June-Sept middle season fee 15 Euros
July & August high season fee 30 Euros
Fuel Surcharge 10 Euros

Also you can book up to ONE WEEK PRIOR TO DEPARTURE

Also the Adriatica di Navigazione ferry service is NOT free or covered in any way this year by Eurail Pass. So railpass.com is wrong. I did email the ferry company and they replied ‘not this year’

DebraB: Thanks for posting what you found.

So which ferry lines accept the eurail pass this summer between Bari/Brindisi and Corfu?

quote:
So which ferry lines accept the eurail pass this summer between Bari/Brindisi and Corfu?

Check my post above where I mention Surcharges etc. for Superfast Ferries. They are covered with a Eurail Pass. When I emailed them I did mention I have a 1st class Eurail pass tho, so maybe it’s a good idea to email them yourself, if you have the 2nd class pass. Go to www.superfastferries… and click on ‘contact us’ I also understood that Bluestar Ferries do some of the runs for Superfast in the summer, so they are also covered by the Eurail Pass

I have a Eurail Flexi pass for my travels abroad this Summer. Hopefully a discount of sorts is honored for the ferry from Italy to Greece.. However, my question is this: Will is cost me a travel-day to use my pass for discounts, such as ferries?? Or only when my pass uses the rail system? Thank for the info DebraB!

The rule of thumb is that free travel, whether it’s on a train or some other form of transportation, uses a travel day of the rail pass. Using the pass to qualify for a discount does not. For discounts the pass only needs to be valid. Theoretically you can’t get a discount after your pass is expired or before you’ve had it validated, although it’s not usually checked that closely for a discount.

In the case of the Greece/Italy ferry, pass must be good for both Greece and Italy and it uses 1 travel day. It’s considered free travel as the pass covers the basic fare. The extra taxes, reservation fees, and high season surcharge are like a supplement or required reservation for a specialty train.

So, is it the general consensus for Eurail pass holders (looking to save a buck) to travel to Corfu from Bari, or is anything available from Brindisi? I noted on SuperFastFerries’ website that they only offer a "night ferry" voyage to Corfu is the summer. From Brindisi, is it possible to cross during the day? Or perhaps that is not recommended…

First off, look carefully at WHICH rail pass. The 17 country eurail pass usually isn’t your best option. A select pass for 3, 4 or 5 "expensive" countries plus point to point tickets for short trips and trips in countries (like Italy and Greece) where rail travel is cheap is often a better deal.

Second, look at flying to and from Greece. Saves time and maybe money. You might find cheap flights and then be able to buy a cheaper rail pass — fewer days and covering fewer countries. Also, compare the price of the ferry ticket to a day of the railpass and the extra it will cost to buy a pass that covers Greece and Italy.

Overnight ferry is usually a good option as you’re sleeping on the boat instead of wasting an entire day on the boat.

We are planning to go from Naples to Athens. Some questions:
1. Where is the best place to get a ferry? that is, leaving Italy and arriving in Greece- considering price, time and comfort.
2. What is the best transportation once we arrive in Greece to get to Athens? How far is it from the ferry to Athens?
3. What are the ferries like? What is an "airline-type" seat – does it lay all the way back so you can lie down on it? Are the floors the kind you could bring a sheet and lay on? Is there room enough to lie on the floors- are they clean enough to lie on?
4. Are there any cheap airlines (like RyanAir) that go to Greece from Italy?
Would really appreciate any help

Response to 4.

Using http://www.skyscanner.net some cheap flights can be found Milan-Athens via EasyJet. I’ll probably hop on one of those flights this summer to get back from Greece. There’s no way I want to take the ferry twice, regardless of quality. The flight is a mere 1.5hrs!! If you need to save time, you can’t argue with that, especially when it only costs 40 odd euros.

jenniek

4. There’s also Alpi Eagles, which offers service from Venice Marco Polo (VCE) to Athens Elefthérios Venizélos-Spáta (ATH). Definitely check the website that Nuke suggests, and also visit the airfares forum.

1. There are 4 Italian port cities from which ferries leave for Greece: Venezia (Venice), Ancona, Bari, and Brindisi. Most backpackers go from Brindisi, which is the closest. Eurail only covers leaving from Bari and Brindisi. (Actually, I’m not too sure about Bari). Brindisi is the closest to Greece and then Bari. Both are in Italy’s Puglia region. Further north is Ancona in central Italy’s Marche region. Furthest is Venice.

There are 3 port-cities in Greece where most ferries from Italy arrive: Pátra (Patras), Kérkyra (Corfu), and Igoumenítsa. Most ferries visit some combination of these towns. Corfu and Igoumenítsa are the closest to Italy, but Pátra is the major hub on Greece’s west coast.

2. Depending on which city you arrive in. If you’re headed straight for Athens, then take the fery to Patras, and then bus or train (most people prefer the intercity bus, which I also suggest. The national railway system is under major overhaul, and until the new Patras-Athens line is completed in a few years the current system is slow and aging.) It will be about 3 hours to Athens. However, for people arriving in Greece from Italy, I highly suggest not to head stright for Athens, and to instead break up your trip by staying a few days on Greece’s west coast. Not only because the Brindisi/Bari-to-Athens commute will be very long, but because you will also be passing by some of Greece’s most scenic and amazing places, and it’s a pity to pass them up. Corfu is a very convenient stop that will be on your way, and I highly suggest you make a stop there, then continue on your way to Athens.

3. Check out my 6th post on this thread: http://www.eurotrip….
As I’ve stated here, the ferry industry was forced to reinvent itself over the past 10-15 years due to growing demands from Greek consumers whose purchasing power is rising (and who remain the backbone of the ferry industry’s customer base), as well as the increasingly competitive tourism industry, EU deregulation, ferries being replaced by tunnels and bridges on the small distances, competition with Greece’s growing airline industry, and a host of additional reasons. So, expect most ferry companies to be top-notch. That said, there still are some bad apples left. So, stick with the mainstream ferry companies, all of which are listed here: www.greekferries.gr

What to expect: airline seating was pretty common on most ferries. Those are being phased out now, and are now to be found either on older ferries or on high-speed ferries. High-speed ferries operate in the Aegean between Athens and the Cyclades, generally not to/from the Dodecanese and Crete, nor between Italy and Greece. Today’s conventional ferry ships have lounges, restaurants, and food courts, as well as outdoor decks some with swimming pools and tanning chairs. Generally speaking, here’s the experience I’ve had: The "deck" class is the lowest-price ticket which means you hang out in the food courts, the "deck-class" lounges, and anywhere outside the ship (although if you’re doing overnight, it gets cold outside, and everyone moves inside to the food courts and deck-class lounges). Almost all backpackers do deck-class, and if you’re with (or meet) a group of backpackers, it’ll be fun. They probably won’t let you lay down though in most of the ship’s areas, as that’s a safety hazard. A step above deck-class is the ticket that allows you access to some of the lounges which have couches to lie on, but these too can get crowded during the height of tourism season. And, a step above that, is the ticket that buys you a cabin to sleep in. Keep in mind, if you do get a cabin, that this is a ferry, not a cruise-ship, so they will be clean but very basic. No matter what your ticket, there are TVs throughout teh vessel to keep you amused…although it will be Greek channels. (It’ll be fun to watch Greek news and sitcoms or some quite racy mini-series, or -occasionally American films subtitled in Greek, or Brazilian soap operas dubbed in Greek. Many ferries also have a monitor that shows a map and the ship’s current location)

Take a look at:
www.greekferries.gr
www.superfastferries…
www.anek.gr
www.maritimeway.com
www.minoan.gr
www.bluestarferries….

Just a correction on the Superfast Ferry link, it is
www.superfast.com

Best of Luck!