The ferries going to Greece from Italy
To summarize the possibilities there are 5 ferry companies that offer ferries from Italy to Greece. If you want to make the right choice on these ferries and routes there are a few things you really need to know, we listed the things you really need to know under the map with all possible routes.
The ferry companies that you can choose from are Anek Lines, Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines, Ventouris Ferries, and Superfast ferries. (That last one is from Anek lines)
The cities you can leave from Venice, Ancona, Bari, and Brindisi.
These ferry lines are easily compared through our partners. Also, be sure to check the booking comparison engine below.
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Booking trips from Italy to Greece
Travel tip: Book early
On the busier days, ferry boats can quickly become fully booked. The earlier you book, the greater the chance that you will have a place on the desired crossing.
Also on this page
The things you need to know
- The ferries from Italy to Greece are, in most cases, old ferries that should have been renewed or abandoned long ago.
- Most reviews from travelers about these crossings tend to be negative to very negative.
You can, however, make the right choices to make sure your experience is positive:
- When you can book a ‘fast' ferry: Go for it. Our booking engine got all possibilities listed, so focus on these routes as fast as possible as the fast ships are new and have much better reviews. This is not the same for many ferry routes around the world, so this is unique for the connections between Italy and Greece.
- It's worth spending money on a large cabin, especially in high season (July / August), as these ships can be over-booked in high season, and you'll otherwise have to spend the entire trip on the floor of a dirty vessel. And no, this isn't a sales pitch. You'll be extremely happy after doing and experiencing this; trust us on this one!
- If you travel with pets, book a ‘cabin with pets'; this is much better than the kennels.
- The shorter trips are much better than the long ones in terms of the experience and happiness of travelers. When you drive a little further and then take the ferry (Brindisi vs Venice, for example), you'll probably have a much better total travel experience.
- Lower your expectations, and focus on getting from A to B instead of ‘Why is the diner not so good on this ship‘. It is what it is, and these ships will not be renewed very soon. If you want to travel by luxurious ferries, go from Kiel to Oslo. (and spend five times as much…)
From Ancona to Greece
Ancona Harbor
Ancona ⇔ Greece
Ancona-Patras
Ancona-Corfu
Ancona-Igoumenitsa
From Bari to Greece
Bari if of course a good place to match your Greece trip with as Bari is a nice place to stay and leave from.
From Bari, you can travel to the normal harbors that get you from Italy to Greece, but you can also travel to Sami / Heraklion.
Bari ⇔ Greece
Bari-Igoumenitsa
Bari-Corfu
Bari-Sami
Bari-Patras
From Brindisi to Greece
When you travel from Brindisi you'll have the shortest travel time, for many travelers this also brings a rather positive travel experience compared to other crossings from Italy to Greece.
Brindisi ⇔ Greece
Brindisi-Igoumenitsa
Brindisi-Corfu
From Venice to Greece
Venice ⇔ Greece
Venice-Igoumenitsa
Venice-Patras
To Conclude: ferries from Italy to Greece
If you want to book the best ferries to Greece from Italy: Book fast ferries and get yourself a nice cabin. That's the way to enjoy these crossings!
Personally, we would rather book a trip from Brindisi and/or Bari vs the longer trips from Ancona and/or Venice.
And do avoid getting seasick on these trips, there are many ways to prevent this as you can read in our guide: How to prevent seasickness on ferries.
I hope you enjoyed our guide! You can help us by bookmarking this page or sharing it with others, thanks in advance =)
Frequently Asked Questions
The fastest way to reach Greece from Italy is about 7 hours the slowest way is from Venice and then you'll be sailing for 33 hours.
The starting price is approximately € 80. Though this one is difficult to reach. Expect about € 300 to € 400 if you go by car.
I would probably go for the Brindisi-Igoumenitsa route. This one is cheap, fast and people seem to like this one.
Ferry talk: Share your questions and opinions
Ask, answer, and explore ferry routes with the community's expertise!
As you said, You might need to recheck how you make a map here; it doesn't give a good overview.
The most important thing I want to know is what port from Italy is closest to Greece. And in this case that is Brindisi. That's the port I'll use for my trip. Need to drive far then in Italy. (I'll arrive from the UK, need to travel with Camper to Crete)
Hi Nexus,
From Brindisi to Patras is a great connection if you want to eventually travel to Crete (from the UK) , What a trip that is going to be.. If you have made the trip be sure to drop us a few pictures of the ferries, we love to have more media on Greek ferries!