Middle East - Anthony Ham [549]
The main crossing point between northern Cyprus and Turkey is between Taşucu (near Silifke, in Turkey) and Girne on the northern coast of northern Cyprus; Akgünler Denizcilik (www.akgunler.com.tr) makes this journey. You can also travel between Alanya (Turkey) and Girne with Fergün Denizcilik (www.fergun.net), or between Mersin (Turkey) and Gazimağusa (Famagusta), on the east coast of Northern Cyprus, with Turkish Maritime Lines ( 324-231 2688) in Mersin.
If you have a multiple-entry visa for Turkey, you should be able to cross over to Northern Cyprus and back again without buying a new one. However, if your visa has expired, you should anticipate long queues at immigration.
Greece
Private ferries link Turkey’s Aegean coast and the Greek islands, which are in turn linked by air or boat to Athens. Services are usually daily in summer, several times a week in spring and autumn, and perhaps just once a week in winter. Please note that all the information that follows covers travelling to Greece from Turkish cities and towns.
Daily boats operate from Ayvalık to Lesvos (Greece) from June to September, with two weekly services from October to May. Çeşme is a transit point to the Greek island of Chios, 10km away across the water; in summer, there are five weekly ferries to Chios, and at least two weekly services in winter. Buy your ticket from any travel agency at the harbour.
All Kuşadası travel agencies sell tickets to the Greek island of Samos; a daily boat runs from April to October. There may be more-frequent departures in summer.
There are daily ferries between Bodrum and Kos (Greece), with daily hydrofoils (except Sunday) servicing the same route from May to October. Two weekly hydrofoils also link Bodrum with Rhodes (Rhodos) in summer. From Marmaris, catamarans to Rhodes sail daily in summer and do not operate from November to mid-April. Buy your ticket in any Marmaris travel agency.
There are also services between Datça and Rhodes, and between Kaş and Kastellorizo (Greece).
Car-ferry services operate between Greek ports and several Turkish ports, but not to İstanbul.
Italy
From Çeşme (Turkey), situated about 85km west of İzmir, Marmara Lines (www.marmaralines.com; 2½ days) ferries run twice weekly to Brindisi via Corfu and Patras in Greece (once weekly in winter). Marmara Lines also connects Ancona in Italy from Çeşme between April and November (2½ days). Turkish Maritime Lines (www.tdi.com.tr, in Turkish) also operates twice-weekly ferries between Brindisi and Çeşme.
Car-ferry services operate between Italian and several Turkish ports, but not to İstanbul.
Russia & Ukraine
There are also a handful of routes over the Black Sea to Turkey. Ferrylines (www.ferrylines.com) is a good starting point for information about ferry travel in the region.
Ferries travel between Trabzon (Turkey) and Sochi in Russia three times a week, while UKR Ferry (www.ukrferry.com) has a comfortable, 36-odd hour weekly service crossing the Black Sea between Odessa and İstanbul. Another weekly service runs between Sevastopol and İstanbul; for more information, check out www.aroundcrimea.com.
Sudan & Saudi Arabia
The Nile River Valley Transport Corporation ( in Aswan 097-303 348, in Cairo 02-575 9058) runs one passenger ferry per week between Aswan in Egypt and Wadi Halfa in Sudan (16 to 24 hours). Options include 1st class with bed in a cabin, an airline seat and deck class. To board the ferry, you must have a valid Sudanese visa in your passport.
Telestar Tours ( in Cairo 02-794 4600, in Suez 062-332 6251) runs an irregular service between Suez (Egypt) and Jeddah (about 36 hours). Once in Jeddah, you can arrange an onward ticket to Port Sudan. Note that getting a berth during the hajj is virtually impossible. There’s a daily fast ferry that runs between Hurghada and Duba (three hours), though prices and schedules vary depending on the time of year.
For more information, try International Fast Ferries Co ( 065-344 7571; www.internationalfastferries.com)