What this solves
The headline price on a ferry search result is the deck fare only. The real total for an island leg = ticket + airport transfer + time lost in transit. A flight that looks €60 is actually €120 (ticket + €45 taxi to JTR + €15 from JTR). This calculator gives you the apples-to-apples comparison and tells you which option wins by EUR, by minutes, and a balanced "best total" using 5-min-equivalent time value.
Calculator
How to read the result
Three cards: cheapest by EUR, fastest by minutes, best by weighted total. The weighted total assigns an EUR value to each minute of journey (default €0.40/min for 2-person booking = €24/hour, roughly the hourly rate of a mid-range Greek island holiday). Tweak your priorities by recognising which card you'd pick.
Total time includes door-to-door transfer on both ends: from hotel to port/airport (~20 min), boarding (~30 min), the crossing itself, and arrival to your hotel on the other side (~20 min).
Limitations
- Flight prices are reference mid-summer economy fares. Olympic Air and Aegean run 2-3 daily on popular legs; summer prices can spike 2-3x.
- "Best total" assumes time has a value (default €0.40/min/pax). Set your own hourly rate and decide — the math is the easy part.
- Cabin fare on conventional boats adds ~€40-€80/person for a 2-4 hour crossing; only worth it for overnight sailings.
- Baggage rules: ferries are unlimited; Aegean includes 8kg cabin + 23kg hold. Don't overpack for the flight option.
FAQ
Why is the flight not always the cheapest?
Because the ticket price ignores the airport transfer. Santorini JTR is 20-30 min by taxi from Fira (€15-€25 each way); Heraklion HER is 5-10 min from town. The Mykonos-Santorini flight is so short that the airport transfers make it more expensive than the ferry for solo travellers.
When is the catamaran worth the €60 premium?
If the conventional ferry takes 4+ hours and the catamaran takes 2, and you value your holiday time above €30/hour, yes. For families with kids, the catamaran's shorter crossing usually wins.
Are flights cancelled in bad weather?
Rarely — Greek island airports stay open in light Meltemi. The bigger cancellation risk is ferry strikes in summer. If you're flying Aegean with a tight connection, allow a buffer day.
Related tools
Sources
- Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air — published summer 2025 island-to-island economy fares.
- Seajets, Fast Ferries, Golden Star, Blue Star Ferries — deck and cabin fares for cross-Cyclades and Cyclades-Crete legs.
- On-site observation: 11 cross-Aegean legs in 2024-2025.
About this tool
Built because ferry search engines only show ferry prices; flight engines only show flights. The real cost of an island hop includes both, and the answer changes if you're one traveller versus four.
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Disclaimer
For informational purposes only. Fares change with booking window and demand; verify before booking. We are not affiliated with Aegean/Olympic Air, Blue Star Ferries, Seajets, Fast Ferries, or Golden Star Ferries.