Ferries between Italy and Greece

Ferries connect the Italian ports of Venice, Ancona, Bari, Brindisi with the Greek Patras, Igumenitsa and Corfu. Further information on ferries at ferries.gr

Truck companies, have special deals with the ferry companies. Their deal includes a free ticket for their co-driver. Many times the truck owners (the free ticket applies only if the truck owner is travelling and not a worker) travel alone so they still have the co-driver free ferry ticket. You can try to ask them on the ports, if you can have their free ticket. Just go a few hours before the ferry's departure.

• I tried getting a ride from Igoumenitsa to Italy for two days (May 2012) following these instructions. It can indeed be very hard to get into a conversations with the truckdrivers but the few that actually responded told me that this isnt possible. Maybe I was just unlucky but I lost my patience after two days and paied the 50 EU ticket to Bari. May 2012 - Thomas

Bari to Igoumenitsa

From Bari to Igoumenitsa you can go to the Ferry terminal in Bari(the right handside building as you go through the gates, you have to walk a bit to get to it). Just walk inside the building and ask truckers before they pay. After paying, the drivers/trucks have to wait in a car that is usually far from the terminal. For that there is a free shuttle they take to the car park.

There are two companies that do this route: SuperFast and Ventouris ferries. Supposedly SuperFast is way better quality service than Ventouris. The crossings leave in the evening, between 7pm and 9pm so try to be at the terminal around 4pmish to catch the drivers before they get their ticket. Crossing takes around 12 hours. You can get out from the ferry at Igoumenitsa on foot so you don`t need to stay with the driver or have a ticket after you`ve gotten inside. So it would be ok to just leave the driver if by chance you find that he's a creep.

For the first company(SuperFast), the girl working at the desk wouldn't allow a hitchhiker to be a co-driver on a truck but maybe you get lucky and someone else will be on the shift. For Ventouris they had no problems but even as a co-driver they asked me to pay 15 euro, which is not bad for an overnight crossing and a bed, but still too bad it costs. Note that this was a worker and not a truck owner. I did ask at the counter where I paid if there is any way when it wouldn't cost and they said no, always costs.

You will get cabin with two beds(+warm shower, flatscreen tv) one for the driver and one for you. They are bunk beds. If you're not comfortable with that you can just sleep in the common area or restaurant where there are other people sleeping also.