Island hopping by ferry: how to plan routes, tickets and timings

Island hopping looks simple on a map: a chain of islands, a line between them, one a few nights each. In practice the line is a set of ferry timetables, and those do not always connect the way the map suggests. Some crossings run daily, some a few times a week, and some only in summer. The trip works when you plan the ferries first and the islands around them.

Start with the connections, not the islands

Pick the islands you want, then check how they connect. Not every island links directly to every other. In many island groups, ferries run in a pattern around one or two main ports, and getting between two small islands may mean going back through a larger one.

Do this before you book anywhere to stay:

1. Write down the islands in the order you would like to visit them.
2. For each leg, find out whether there is a direct ferry, how often it runs, how long it takes and which days.
3. If there is no direct link, find the route through a larger island, and add that to your time.
4. Adjust the order until the legs make sense.

This often means changing the order, dropping an island, or adding a night in a port you had not planned to stay in. That is normal, and it is much easier to change on paper than after you have booked rooms.

Well-known examples of areas where ferries are the main link include the Greek islands, the Aeolian Islands off Sicily, the Balearic Islands, the Croatian coast and its islands, the Canary Islands, and the islands of Thailand and the Philippines. The timetable details change, so use the operator's website or the port's own information for your dates. If your route follows a coast, the Croatia and Greece guides show how those island chains fit into a longer trip.

Different boats, different trips

Ferries are not all the same. Know which kind you are on, because it affects time, comfort and reliability.

• Large conventional ferries carry cars and passengers and are the slowest option, but they usually cope best with rough water. They often have a seating area, a café and an open deck.
• High-speed boats and catamarans are faster and are common between nearby islands. They can be uncomfortable in rough seas, and in strong wind they are sometimes cancelled when larger ferries still run.
• Small local boats and water taxis link small islands and beaches. They tend to be flexible but depend on the weather and the season.

If you get seasick, ask a pharmacist before you travel, sit near the middle of the boat and at the lowest level, keep your eyes on the horizon, and eat lightly before sailing.

Booking and timing

Whether to book in advance depends on the route and the season.

• Book ahead for popular routes in busy months, for overnight crossings, and for any ferry that carries a car or a campervan. Plan a campervan trip covers vehicle crossings in more detail.
• On quieter routes and in the off-season, you may be able to buy at the port. Check that the ticket office is open the day you want to travel.
• Foot passengers can usually be more flexible than vehicles.
• Allow extra time at the port. Check-in often closes before departure, and queues can be long in summer.

Do not plan a flight home on the same day as a ferry from the farthest island. Ferries are delayed or cancelled by wind and sea conditions, and a spare day on either side of a flight protects you. If something does go wrong, the steps in flight delayed or cancelled apply to missing a flight because of a late boat too, so read your ticket terms and your insurance.

Weather and the buffer day

The weather decides what runs. Strong wind is the usual cause of cancellations, and some seasons are windier than others. Ask your accommodation or the port office what is typical for the area at your time of year.

Build slack into the plan:

• Keep one flexible day in the middle of the route, or at least not an important booking on the day after a crossing.
• Do not book non-refundable tours for the morning after a sailing.
• Have a plan B for each crossing: a different time, a different port or a night's extra stay.
• Check the forecast and the operator's notices the day before and the morning of travel.

Pack for the boat

Keep a small day bag with you on board, because your main luggage may be stowed in a different part of the ship.

• Passport or ID, ticket and phone
• Water, a snack and a layer, since decks are windy
• Sun protection for an open deck
• Any medication you may need
• A plastic bag or two for wet things

Heavy bags are awkward on small boats and steep gangways, so pack lighter than you would for a flight if you can.

Keep the whole route in one place

Island hopping creates a lot of small bookings: a ferry on Tuesday, a room on the second island for three nights, another ferry on Friday. They are easy to lose, and the time of one affects all the others.

Add each ferry with its time and confirmation so anyone in your group can find the departure port. Costs can go in with them, in any currency.

Your next step

Open a map, write down the islands and look up the ferry between each pair. Once the legs fit together, book the crossings that need booking, and only then the places to stay.