The question comes up in almost every summer booking: “can I take the car on the ferry?”. The short answer is yes. The useful answer is that there are three conditions, and one of them — the written approval — is the one people forget, which is where problems start.
Is it allowed?
Yes, provided it’s agreed in advance. The reason it isn’t automatic isn’t commercial but insurance-related: rental agreements define a geographic area of cover, and ferry transport is treated separately. A vehicle sitting on an island without declared approval may be considered outside the terms of hire, with everything that implies if it’s damaged.
The written approval
It’s a simple process: tell us at booking which island you’re going to and for how long, and we issue written approval along with the agreement. It costs nothing. It just has to happen beforehand, not by phone from the quayside as you’re boarding.
Keep the approval with the registration document and the insurance certificate. In a check or an incident, it’s the paperwork showing the vehicle is legitimately where it is.
The vehicle ticket
The vehicle’s ticket is separate from yours and you book it, alongside the passenger tickets. The price depends on the destination and on the vehicle’s length — which is why a van costs noticeably more than a small car.
In summer, vehicle spaces sell out far earlier than passenger seats, particularly to the Cyclades. Book early. And check which gate your ferry uses in the guide to the port gates, because vehicle loading closes before foot boarding.
When taking the car is worth it
The arithmetic is simple and usually resolves into two scenarios:
- One island, one week: taking the car usually wins. You pay two vehicle tickets and keep the car you already know.
- Two or three islands: every hop adds a vehicle ticket. It’s often cheaper to leave the car in Piraeus and rent locally.
Vehicle type matters too: for a van or a nine-seat minibus the tickets are considerably dearer, which shifts the balance towards renting on the island.
Practicalities at loading
- Arrive early. Vehicle loading closes thirty to sixty minutes before departure.
- Leave the car in first gear or in P, handbrake on. The crew will tell you anyway.
- Take what you need for the crossing with you. The garage is locked and you can’t get back in at sea.
- Don’t leave valuables in the car. The same rules apply as in any car park.
