Ferry Travel & Covid-19

This page includes useful information on the requirements for boarding, the regulations and safety measures applied to ferry trips in the Covid-19 era.

Please note that as of Sunday, May 1, 2022, passengers traveling by ferry to the Greek islands or going island hopping between different islands don't need any Covid-19 documents.

For up-to-date information on the requirements, please visit our blog:

Apart from your ticket in a printed or e-ticket format, you should always have your ID card or passport or any other identity document with you, especially on international ferry routes. You may be asked to present the document to the ferry crew or port authority to confirm that you are the legal ticket holder.

If you have purchased discounted ferry tickets, you will be required to provide a document confirming that you are eligible for the specific discount (e.g. student card, ISIC card etc.). For more information please visit our 'Discounts' page.

You can get Covid-19 tests at many major hospitals in Greece, in medical centers across large cities, as well as at the Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport (Arrivals Level).

The cost for Covid-19 PCR tests is capped at €60, and for antigen (rapid) tests at €20. Some medical diagnostic centers also do home sampling for an extra fee.

You can also have a free rapid test in public sampling points organized by the National Public Health Organization (EODY). A list of all available public sampling points can be found here (page in Greek only).

Finally, you can buy a self-test (Coronavirus Antigen Rapid Test Kit) from pharmacies. The self-test kit cost is around €6. Availability in pharmacies might be low, so we recommend buying the self-test in advance and not counting on a last-minute purchase.

The ferry companies have received instructions from the Maritime Ministry in order to deal with the current situation and make sure that all passengers and ferry crew travel safely. Here are a few indicative measures that ferry companies apply for health and safety reasons:

  • All indoor and outdoor spaces are regularly and professionally cleaned with certified products. Tablecloths, sheets and other shared items are properly disposed, replaced and disinfected.
  • Some ferry companies in Greece have introduced contactless check-in and e-tickets to minimize contact with the crew and other passengers.
  • Hand sanitizers and bins are placed in all passenger and staff areas.
  • Crew members make sure passengers follow social distancing rules at all times during boarding, traveling and disembarkation. A minimum distance of 1.5m must be followed at all times with some exceptions related to families, people with disabilities, etc.
  • Covid-19 announcements are made through speakers and displayed on the ferry monitors. Passengers can also find useful information in coronavirus brochures.
  • Crew members have received hygiene and coronavirus prevention training.
  • Air-conditioning units are cleaned regularly and filtered fresh air is not recirculated.

Boarding refusal is possible if the passenger refuses the use of a face mask during the ferry trip.

Good to know: Covid-19 safety measures and travel restrictions in Greece are subject to change depending on the virus situation.

It depends on the port you are leaving from. Some major ports (e.g. Piraeus, Naples, Valencia, etc.) are quite big. This means you may have to walk for up to 30 minutes to get from the port entrance to the departure gate.
Arriving early enough means that you won't have to worry about missing your ferry. This is why we usually advise all travelers to arrive at the port at least 1 hour in advance, regardless of whether they have collected their paper tickets or checked in online, especially if you are traveling with your vehicle.

We would also advise you to check what gate your ferry departs from, where the gate is located and what is the estimated time needed to board at the specific port. Gate information is available at the port.
Please make sure that you allow enough time for check-in and other procedures, particularly on international ferry routes. It is important to note that if you arrive late for check-in or boarding, you may not be allowed to travel. In this case, you will most likely not get a refund.

If you arrive early at the port, you will most likely be allowed to board and you will have the opportunity to explore the ferry, find comfortable seats and spend some time relaxing on-board before departure!

Yes, you can travel in a cabin.

Please note that the limit for cabin capacity is up to 2 passengers except for families and travel companions (up to 4 passengers).
However, there are some ferry operators that no longer apply the above restriction and therefore, allow 4 passengers per cabin (ANEK Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines).

Yes, you can book a numbered seat (airplane type seats).
For this type of seats, a particular layout will apply in order for passengers to be seated sparsely and maintain distances from each other. Special markings will indicate where passengers are allowed to sit, while the seats directly next to the booked seat will remain empty.

Ferryhopper provides online ferry booking. Every request is served electronically, however, in special cases, customers can arrange an appointment by contacting the customer service team in advance. These cases are:

  • In case the customer requested a ticket change, the new paper coupon must be reissued.
  • In case the customer requested a ticket change but has already issued a paper coupon, they need to visit our office for the change process.
  • In case the customer requested a ticket cancellation, but paper coupons have already been collected.
  • In any other case that has been confirmed and the ticket has been issued by the customer service team.

It should be noted that access to the office is not allowed:

  • In case of purchase of new tickets
  • In any other case where no appointment has been approved by the customer service team.

Customers can make an appointment by selecting a suitable time for them through this calendar.

Looking for something else?

Haven't found an answer to your question? Please do not hesitate to send us a message or give us a call. Our customer service team will be happy to help.

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