Planning a Greek island-hopping trip? This Ferryhopper Greece booking guide walks you through searching routes, choosing the right boat, boarding with an e-ticket, and changing or cancelling without losing money to avoidable fees.
Quick answer: To book a Greek ferry on Ferryhopper, search your departure and arrival ports, pick a sailing (look for the QR icon if you want an e-ticket), enter passenger details exactly as they appear on your passport, and pay by card or Apple Pay. Your confirmation email tells you how you board. To change or cancel later, go to My booking with your email and Ferryhopper Greece code. Expect a €6 cancellation fee unless you bought FlexiCancel or Support Plus.
Ferryhopper Greece at a glance
| Details | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Ticket Price | Same base fare the ferry company charges; a service fee may appear at checkout |
| Cancellation Fee (Ferryhopper) | €6 per booking, waived with FlexiCancel or Support Plus |
| Change Fee (Ferryhopper) | Charged per modification request, waived with Flexi or Support Plus |
| Refund Amount | Set by the ferry company; most Greek operators give a full refund if you cancel 7 to 14 days before departure |
| FlexiCancel | 80% refund for any reason up to 24 hours before departure; must be added at checkout |
| Refund Timeline | Usually 2 to 7 business days, back to the original card |
| Where to Change or Cancel | My booking / My trips on the website or app |
| Switching Ferry Company | Only with Flexi; otherwise cancel and rebook |
| Boarding | Mostly e-tickets on phone; Fast Ferries requires a printed e-ticket |
| Arrive at Port | At least 1 hour before departure, earlier with a car |
| Paper Ticket Pickup (if required) | Ferryhopper office, Thessalonikis 147, Moschato, Athens, or port agencies |
Fees and policies above reflect Ferryhopper’s official website and help center as of October 2026. Ferry companies set their own refund rules, so check the specific operator at checkout.
Is Ferryhopper good for booking ferries in Greece?
Yes, for most travelers. The main advantage of Ferryhopper Greece is that it puts every operator on one screen. You see Blue Star, Seajets, Golden Star, Minoan, ANEK and the smaller lines side by side, which matters on routes like Piraeus to Naxos where a slow conventional ferry and a fast catamaran can differ in price by double.
It earns its keep on multi-island trips. You can book Athens to Paros, Paros to Santorini and Santorini to Crete in one booking, across different companies, and manage all three legs from the app. Booking each operator’s website separately means three accounts, three confirmation formats and three different change policies to track.
Where it falls short: it adds its own layer of fees on cancellations and changes, and if something goes wrong close to departure, you’re dealing with a middleman rather than the operator. More on that trade-off below.
How to book a Greek ferry on Ferryhopper Greece, step by step
Step 1: Search the route, then check indirect options.
On Ferryhopper Greece, enter your departure port, destination, and date. For Athens, check which port you mean. Piraeus handles most Cyclades and Crete sailings, while Rafina is closer to the airport and often quicker for Mykonos, Tinos, and Andros.
If no direct sailing suits your day, Ferryhopper Greece shows indirect routes that connect through an island hub. This is useful for less-served islands like Folegandros or Amorgos, where a one-stop route can beat waiting a day for the direct boat.
Step 2: Compare boat types, not just price.
The results list shows departure time, duration, operator, and fare. Two things to look at before you click:
- Ferry type. Conventional ferries (Blue Star is the big one) are slower but sit lower in the water and run in wind that cancels smaller catamarans. High-speed boats save hours but feel every wave. If you get seasick or you’re traveling in a windy month like August, when the tempest wind blows hardest, the slower ferry is often the smarter pick.
- The QR code icon. A small QR symbol next to the departure time means the operator issues e-tickets. No icon means you may need to collect paper tickets before boarding, which adds a stop to your day.
Step 3: Pick your seat or cabin type.
You’ll usually see deck or lounge seating (no reserved seat), numbered seats, business or VIP, and cabins on longer overnight routes like Piraeus to Crete or Rhodes. On a four-hour daytime hop, deck class is fine if you get on early. On a nine-hour crossing to Rhodes, a numbered seat or cabin is worth the extra money.
Child fares need an adult added first. Children normally get 25% or 50% off standard fares, and discounts usually apply to economy seats only.
Step 4: Enter passenger details carefully.
Type names exactly as they appear on passports. Ferry tickets in Greece are issued in each passenger’s name, and Ferryhopper’s standard fix for a misspelled name is to cancel and rebook. Domestic crews are often lenient with small typos, but discounted fares and international routes are stricter.
Give a phone number you’ll have on you. When sailings get cancelled last minute for weather or strikes, ferry companies text passengers directly.
If you hold a loyalty card such as Seasmiles (Blue Star, ANEK, Hellenic Seaways) or Seajets Sea Club, add it now. You can’t add it after booking.
Step 5: Decide on add-ons before you pay
This is the step most people rush, and it’s the one that decides how painful a change will be later. Flexi and FlexiCancel can only be added at checkout. Once the booking is done, you can’t buy them.
- Flexi / Flexi Plus: lets you change date, time and even switch to a different ferry company without Ferryhopper’s change fee. You pay only any fare difference.
- FlexiCancel: cancel for any reason up to 24 hours before departure and get 80% back, with the €6 cancellation fee waived. Cancel earlier (often 14 to 30 days out) and you may get up to 100%. The FlexiCancel fee itself is non-refundable.
My take: skip both if you’re booking Blue Star on a standard fare more than two weeks out, since the operator already refunds in full if you cancel early enough. Buy FlexiCancel if you’re booking Seajets or a promotional fare, or if your plans depend on a flight that might move.
Step 6: Pay and check the confirmation email
Ferryhopper Greece takes Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, and Apple Pay and processes transactions in euros. If your card is in another currency, your bank’s exchange rate applies, and Ferryhopper Greece isn’t responsible for rate differences between booking and refund.
Your confirmation email is the document that matters. It lists your Ferryhopper Greece code, reservation and ticket numbers, and your boarding method for each leg. If you booked two operators, read both sections. Boarding can work differently for each.
No email? Check spam first, then use the resend option on the My booking page.
How boarding works with a Ferryhopper Greece ticket
With Ferryhopper Greece bookings, your boarding method depends on the operator, and the confirmation email spells it out. The common ones in Greece:
- E-ticket: show the QR code on your phone at the ramp. Most Greek operators use this.
- Printed e-ticket: Fast Ferries requires you to print it. Don’t skip this.
- Online check-in: some operators ask you to check in on their website first, then download your boarding pass.
- Paper coupons: pick up printed tickets at the Ferryhopper Greece office in Moschato, Athens (Mon to Fri 10:00 to 18:00, Sat 10:00 to 15:00), from authorized port agencies, or at the ticket booth at your gate, which opens at least an hour before departure.
Bring your passport or ID regardless. Crew can ask for it, and if you booked a student, youth or resident discount, you need the supporting card too. If you’re flying in from abroad, add these documents to your international trip checklist so nothing gets left at home.
Get to Piraeus at least an hour early, more with a car. The port is huge, and walking from the metro to some gates takes up to 30 minutes. In Mykonos, big ferries use the New Port at Tourlos, not the Old Port. Santorini has one ferry port, Athinios, a steep drive below Fira. Our Santorini travel guide covers getting from Athinios to your hotel.
How to change a Ferryhopper booking
To change a Ferryhopper Greece booking, go to My booking, enter your email and Ferryhopper code, and click Make changes to your booking. Online, you can change:
- Trip date and time (same ferry company only, unless you have Flexi)
- Seat or cabin type
- Vehicle size or type
Depending on the operator, you’ll see one of three paths. Modify trip processes the change instantly after you pay the fare difference plus Ferryhopper’s modification fee. Request trip modification takes your payment, then a support agent completes it and emails you. Modification via chat applies to some operators; during business hours it’s handled live, outside hours you’ll get an email reply within 24 hours.
Edge cases worth knowing
- Changing within a few hours of departure. Some operators block changes close to sailing. Your fallback is the ticket office or agency at the departure port, listed in your confirmation email.
- Changing at the port office. It works, but once you do it, Ferryhopper loses access to that booking and can’t help with any further change, cancellation or refund. Ask the port office for written confirmation.
- Switching from Blue Star to Seajets (or any other operator). Not possible as a change without Flexi. You’d cancel the original booking and book fresh, which means cancellation fees.
- Converting to an open ticket. Some operators let you turn a dated ticket into an open-date one, valid for 3 months to a year, with the same company only. Open tickets are generally non-refundable afterward, so only do this if you’re sure you’ll travel with that operator again.
- Adding someone. Book a new ticket for an extra adult. For a child or infant, contact support by chat; Ferryhopper waives its €6 fee and you pay only the fare.
How to cancel a Ferryhopper Greece booking and get a refund
Go to My booking on the website or open the trip in the app, and submit a cancellation request. Ferryhopper Greece needs to receive it inside the operator’s cancellation window plus a processing buffer, so don’t leave it to the last afternoon.
How much you get back
Two numbers decide your refund:
- The ferry company’s policy. Most Greek operators give a full refund if you cancel 7 or 14 days before departure, with the percentage dropping as you get closer. Blue Star, for example, refunds standard fares fully 7+ days out and drops to 50% within the final 12 hours.
- Ferryhopper’s €6 fee per booking, deducted unless you bought FlexiCancel or Support Plus.
So a €120 booking for two people on Blue Star, cancelled ten days ahead, typically returns €114. Cancelled the night before, you’d lose half the fare plus the €6.
Promotional and special-offer fares are usually non-refundable. Some operators let you change the date or convert to open, but you’ll pay the difference up to the standard fare.
Refund timelines
Ferryhopper Greece refunds go back to the card you paid with and usually show up within 2 to 7 business days. During weather disruptions, when Ferryhopper has to coordinate with the operator, it can take longer. If it’s late, ask chat support to chase accounting.
If you already collected paper tickets
This is the trap people don’t see coming. If your operator issued paper coupons and you’ve collected them, you must physically return them to get a refund. Photos and scans aren’t accepted. Your options:
- Hand them to a local travel agency that works with the operator (listed in your confirmation email). They stamp and cancel them.
- Drop them at Ferryhopper’s Athens office.
- Post them to Ferryhopper, Thessalonikis 147, Moschato 183 46, Athens, Greece. Use registered post; Ferryhopper Greece isn’t responsible for tickets lost in the mail, and the refund policy that applies depends on when they receive the tickets.
The simple rule: if you might cancel, don’t collect paper tickets until you need them.
Cancelling close to departure
If you try to cancel in the app very close to sailing time, it may show no refundable amount, even when the operator’s policy says you’re still owed something. Contact chat support to check, or if you’re already at the port, go to the local agency.
What happens if your ferry is cancelled for weather or a strike
Weather cancellations in Greece are common in July and August when the meltemi blows, and fast catamarans get pulled first. If the operator cancels for weather, you can usually swap to a ticket of equal value or cancel for a full refund. Refunds aren’t automatic. Message the Ferryhopper Greece chat team so they process it.
For operator-caused cancellations (a technical fault, for example), you’re entitled to a refund, or the operator may offer an alternative sailing at no cost. If that alternative doesn’t work, Ferryhopper Greece can claim a full refund on your behalf.
Strikes get announced through the port authority, and Ferryhopper notifies affected passengers. If a strike is coming and you haven’t collected paper tickets, don’t collect them. If you can shift dates, aim for the day before, since schedules can stay messy for a day or two after.
No notification and the route still bookable online usually means your sailing is running.
Ferryhopper Greece vs booking direct with the ferry company
| Feature / Aspect | Ferryhopper | Booking Direct (e.g. Blue Star, Seajets) |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | Same base fare as the operator; service fee may apply | Operator’s fare, no middleman fee |
| Compare Operators | All on one screen | One company per site |
| Multi-Operator Trips | One booking, one app | Separate bookings per operator |
| Cancellation | Operator refund minus €6 | Operator refund only |
| Switch Operator on a Change | Yes, with Flexi | No |
| Last-Minute Help | Chat support, then port agency | Operator’s own office and staff |
| Loyalty Points | Supported if added at booking | Native |
Book with Ferryhopper if you’re island-hopping across two or more operators, you want one place to see live ferry tracking and disruption alerts, or you value the option to switch companies via Flexi.
Book direct if your whole trip runs on a single operator (Blue Star alone covers much of the Cyclades and Dodecanese), you think you’ll cancel, or you want the operator’s own staff handling problems on the day. A common traveler approach is to use Ferryhopper for planning and price-checking, then book single-operator routes direct.
Pros and cons of Ferryhopper Greece for ferry bookings
What works well
- Every major Greek operator in one search, including indirect routes through hub islands
- Multi-leg, multi-company trips in a single booking
- E-tickets in the app for most operators, plus ferry tracking
- Online self-service changes for most operators
- Flexi lets you switch operator, which booking direct can’t
What to watch
- €6 cancellation fee and per-request change fees
- Changes made at the port lock Ferryhopper out of your booking
- Flexi and FlexiCancel can’t be added after booking
- Paper-ticket refunds require physical return of the coupons
- Near departure, a middleman adds a step when you need fast help
Ferryhopper Greece tips that save money and hassle
- Book conventional ferries late, fast boats early. Big ferries rarely sell out outside August weekends. Seajets and other high-speed boats with limited seats can, so book those two to four weeks ahead in peak season.
- Filter for e-tickets. Choosing a sailing with the QR icon avoids a paper ticket pickup and the return-to-refund problem.
- Check discounts you qualify for. Under-26, over-60, student and ISIC discounts exist on many routes, mostly in economy. Bring proof.
- Add your loyalty number at checkout. Seasmiles discounts apply to passenger and vehicle tickets on Blue Star, Superfast, ANEK and Hellenic Seaways.
- Leave buffer on connection days. If you’re catching a flight from Athens, don’t take the last boat back the same day. One weather cancellation and you’ve lost the flight, and neither Ferryhopper Greece nor the operator covers it. When you price flights home, our Kiwi.com review explains how self-transfer bookings handle delays.
Final thoughts on Ferryhopper Greece
Ferryhopper Greece is the easiest way to compare every operator and book multi-island trips in one place. Pick e-ticket sailings, enter passport names carefully, decide on Flexi or FlexiCancel before you pay, and keep a day of buffer before any flight. For single-operator trips you might cancel, booking direct can save you the €6 fee.
FAQs
1. Does Ferryhopper charge a booking fee?
Ans: The base ticket price matches what the ferry company charges. Ferryhopper says a service fee may be added to cover operating costs, and it shows at checkout before you pay. Ferryhopper also charges €6 to cancel a booking and a fee per modification request, unless you bought Flexi, FlexiCancel or Support Plus.
2. Can I cancel a Ferryhopper ticket for a full refund?
Ans: You get whatever the ferry company’s policy allows minus €6. Most Greek operators refund in full if you cancel 7 to 14 days before departure. With FlexiCancel, Ferryhopper Greece also waives the €6.
3. How long does a Ferryhopper refund take?
Ans: Usually 2 to 7 business days to your original card. Weather-related refunds can take longer.
4. Do I need to print my Ferryhopper ticket in Greece?
Ans: Usually not. Most Greek operators accept e-tickets on your phone. Fast Ferries is the exception and requires a printed e-ticket. Some operators still issue paper coupons, which you collect before sailing.
5. Can I change my ferry to a different company on Ferryhopper?
Ans: Only if you added Flexi or Flexi Plus at checkout. Otherwise you can change date and time with the same company, or cancel and rebook.
6. What happens if I booked through Ferryhopper Greece and change my ticket at the port?
Ans: The change usually works, but Ferryhopper loses access to the booking. Any later change, cancellation or refund then goes through the operator or port agency.
7. Is Ferryhopper Greece legit?
Ans: Yes. Ferryhopper Greece is an Athens-based booking platform that issues tickets on major Greek operators including Blue Star, Seajets, Minoan, ANEK and Golden Star, with a physical office in Moschato for ticket pickup and returns.
