Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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."

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.

[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.