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fravbront
Traveller
4 comments

Posted 13 years ago

We're planning on a trip to Istanbul, and after that a trip across Europe with us eventually ending up in Rome, and we think a ferry would be a good way of doing this.

On the interrail map, the only marked leaving place is from Igoumenitsa, on the East cost of Greece. I'm sure there is more ferries that go to Italy leaving from other places in Europe, like Ploce and Split.

Basically my question is, what are my options here, to go from Istanbul to Italy by ferry? Where would be the best place to depart from?

By best, I mean, combination of cheapest, quickest and easiest.


Thanks guys, really appreciate your help.

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Flo
Traveller
10723 comments

replied 13 years ago

Hi!

Cheapest are probably those ferries included in InterRail - you only have to pay port/fuel/season surcharges:
[b]Superfast Ferries/Blue Star Ferries:[/b]
* Corfu - Bari
* Igoumenitsa - Ancona
* Igoumenitsa - Bari
* Patras - Ancona
* Patras - Bari
[b]Minoan Lines[/b]
* Patras/Corfu/Igoumenitsa - Venice
* Patras/Igoumenitsa-Ancona

Then there are ferries on the routes
* Split - Ancona
* Zadar - Ancona
* Bar - Ancona
* Dubrovnik - Bari
* Bar - Bari
* Durres - Bari
* Split - Pescara

but they arent included in InterRail and you dont get a discount either. For fares please check at the relevant websites.

Cant help you more on deciding where to leave - as you have so many different possbilities on your way from Istanbul to the Adriatic coast. If you are InterRailing, going somewhere more up north probably is more interesting as you could visit Montenegro as well as Belgrade and the Croatian coast and would save the hassle with quite expensive supplements for Greek trains on the way from Thessaloniki to Athens.


Flo 8)

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fravbront
Traveller
4 comments

replied 13 years ago

Thats a terrific answer. Thanks very much. One further question though.

How long roughly would it take to get from Istanbul to Igou or Patras? I don't need an exact answer, but are we talking 3 days or 10 hours?

Are the trains in Greece of a reasonable standard/reasonably efficient? Are the train supplements very expensive?


As I said, thanks a lot, really helpful

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Flo
Traveller
10723 comments

replied 13 years ago

No problem, you're welcome. :)

Istanbul - Thessaloniki - Athens - Patras (no rail service to Igoumenitsa): ~25 h - Istanbul dep 2100 - Patras arr 2139

I'd consider the standard of IC trains as well as the Istanbul - Thessaloniki night train quite OK. Train supplements vary depending on quality of train and travelled distance:
[u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/greece/gr[/u]

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fravbront
Traveller
4 comments

replied 13 years ago

Any idea of a rough amount of how much that ferry would cost? The one from Greece to Italy?

The interrail ticket won't fully cover it?

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Flo
Traveller
10723 comments

replied 13 years ago

Hi,

I already mentioned the ferries which are included in InterRail - you will just have to pay port/fuel/seasonal surcharges, if you're going in August, I'd estimate ~30€ :)


Flo 8)

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baobab
Traveller
128 comments

replied 13 years ago

If you don't want to visit Athens or Patras and you don't have much time then it's better to go from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki by bus ( ~3 hours) and then by train to Istanbul.
But if you got couple of spare days Athens is nice to visit during summer (maybe hot but less crowded) so what flow suggested.