Whilst buses usually arrive and leave with alarming punctuality, the same cannot be said for ferry services between or around the Greek islands. Delays are common as Greek captains will refuse to sail in all but the calmest sea and think nothing of cancelling a sailing on the smallest pretext, say a fishing expedition. If you use the ferries be prepared to spend hours on the quay side watching boats bobbing in the bay waiting for your boat to arrive or leave. Plan any island hopping with care and never rely on a ferry to get you to an airport on time. That said, the main island routes are a pleasure to sail.
Ferries are plentiful, tickets are relatively cheap and the bigger boats motor along at a fair link.
Indeed, the larger ferries can be close to luxurious with ample bucket seats, air conditioning and well-stocked bars. Expect hard wooden seats, no toilet facilities and a stomach churning ride if the seas get rough. A BAD TURN Greek maps can be a bit of a joke. The main roads are fairly accurately marked in the more populated islands but minor roads routes often bear no relation to the real thing. Major roads turn out to be minor roads which in turn end up as rough tracks or even goat tracks.