Greek Island Hopping, 17th: "The Island Hoppers Bible." (Independent Traveller's Greek Island Hopping) [Paperback]

Thomas Cook Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Series: Independent Traveller's Greek Island Hopping | Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Now in its 17th edition, this annual favourite is bigger and better than ever. Loved for its distinctive style and honest tell-it-how-it-is commentary; relied on for its comprehensive coverage of all the islands and how best to travel to and between them; and trusted for the accuracy of its material – Greek Island Hopping is the ‘island hopper’s bible’ that readers keep coming back to again and again.

· Covers all the islands as well as Athens and all mainland ports.
· Island Ratings, colour 3D-view sightseeing maps, 100 colour photographs
· Regular online updates available at www.greekislandhopping.com

This is the only guide that describes all known ferries, hydrofoils and tour boats, with over 230 route maps. It shows the location of over 1800 places to stay and provides street maps for most of the smaller islands.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"I have just returned from an extremely enjoyable month of travelling in Greece with a copy of your Island Hopping book for company. I also took my boyfriend but your book was much more useful ..."
"Far more useful than the whole rack of budget travel books"

Online Updates @ www.greekislandhopping.com

· Covers all the islands as well as Athens and all mainland ports.
· Typical Summer Timetables for all ports.
· Island Ratings and colour 3D-view sightseeing maps.
· The ONLY guide that describes all known ferries, hydrofoils and tour boats, with over 230 Route Maps.
· Itineraries for new island hoppers.
· The ONLY guide that shows you the location of over 1800 places to stay (and 190 windmills).
· this book offers you your ONLY chance to obtain street maps for most of the smaller islands.
· Regular UPDATES via the best island hopping site on the web.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"… those who go Greek island hopping… can never be said to be lacking a challenge. For Greece is a country apart. Thanks to good international ferry links and a very competitive domestic ferry system… it offers the best island hopping in the Med."

Product Details

• Paperback: 776 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Cook Publishing; 17th edition (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841576603
• ISBN-13: 978-1841576602
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,836,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required for island travel., March 25, 2007

By 

John Nordin (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greek Island Hopping, 17th: "The Island Hoppers Bible." (Independent Traveller's Greek Island Hopping) (Paperback)

Everybody is always asking "is there a ferry to...?" And the answer is usually the same: if you can't stand on the dock itself and inquire, do the next best thing and read this unique, comprehensive book.

The book gives the schedule for every island and for the various mainland locations. You also get an overview of the various route patterns. This is especially valuable given the somewhat random nature of the schedule of Greek ferries. The route patterns and timings are key for planning a general strategy to serious island hopping.

Beyond this basic information, the annual guide offers wonderful gossipy reviews of individual boats, companies, and the changing picture of ferry travel from year to year. There are also little intros to the various islands. These island reviews are notable for detailed maps of the port cities showing where the boats land and the location of selected hotels. Note that: many islands have more than one location for the boats to dock. You could wind up a hundred yards or more away from where you need to be. With this guide you'll not be surprised.

Even ferry schedules published on site in Greece are notoriously "selective" in their accuracy, so how good can this book be? Obviously, I've not checked everything, but for the (very) few journeys I and my friends have taken, it has proved accurate.

So I would absolutely rely on this for planning a trip, but in no way rely on it day to day when I was in Greece. Go to the ferry agents or perhaps to the dock itself. Double check WITH THE SPECIFIC COMPANY YOU ARE USING, because what company A tells you about Company B is next to useless. Bear in mind that schedules do reduce in the off season.

Bottom line: this book is essential. Rough Guides call it "superb, user-friendly."

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars its alright..., October 24, 2007

By 

Samantha Smith (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Greek Island Hopping, 17th: "The Island Hoppers Bible." (Independent Traveller's Greek Island Hopping) (Paperback)

I purchased this book because it had the best ratings/price of all the Greek Island books on amazon. However, I wasn't very happy with it. For my trip (backpacking around Eastern Europe with a focus on Greek Islands), I wouldn't recommend it.

1) It was too big and heavy.
2) Only a few photos amidst lots and lots of text.
3) It wasn't even that useful. There are only a few pages on the most popular islands while some of the other islands had even less coverage. It attempts to cover all the bases (giving little summaries on hostels, hotels, camping, sights, etc.) but the info was very tip-of-the-iceberg, aka I could have found all that information on the internet
4) The section on the ferries isn't helpful AT ALL.

Basically, with internet available almost everywhere nowadays, I don't think it's necessary to buy this heavy of a guidebook. I would highly recommend choosing hostels/hotels based on websites and reviews. As for activities, you should be able to find info online, then copy/paste it and create your own customized guidebook, so you don't have to lug around hundreds of pages on islands you know you'll never reach.

5.0 out of 5 stars All that I expected and more..., December 15, 2007

By 

Ann E. Waananen "Computer Instructor" (Paradise Valley, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greek Island Hopping, 17th: "The Island Hoppers Bible." (Independent Traveller's Greek Island Hopping) (Paperback)

[Review by husband Jack] This book was advertised as being detailed and informative. It is that and more. Every Greek Island (and Turkish) that anybody would want to visit ... and then some ... are discussed in detail including transportation, features, geography, and history. We are pleased that we purchased it.