If you are looking on what’s the best way to go from Cesme, the port of Smirni (Izmir in Turkish) to Chios (Sakiz), then search no more as this is the Ultimate Guide for 2022
Forget politicians. Sometimes they think countries are a chess board and people a toy they own. Pff!
A very common day or short stay trip is Chios to Cesme to visit Smirni and vice versa (Izmir to Sakiz, which is Chios in Turkish). Many Greek and Turkish tourists do this trip daily. It is also a very good opportunity for other nationals to visit two countries in one go.
So, ideally, especially for those staying long enough (definitely more than 7 days in Chios), at least a day on the other side of the Aegean is a good change.
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The only way to get from Chios to Cesme (Smirni) is with a ferry boat from the port of Chios.
The only way to get from Cesme to Chios is with a ferry boat from the port of Cesme.
The journey takes about 35 minutes and there are several ferries you can take throughout the day.
You can always check the timetables and find the ferry that suits you on Let’s Ferry Website.
In general, it doesn’t take more than a 2 hour ferry to travel between the Greek islands of the Northern Aegean, the complex that Chios belongs. But Smirni and Turkey are closer than this.
Traveling to the Aegean islands (like Mykonos, Patmos, Ikaria or Samos that connect to Chios) is a whole different story as these are longer journeys and you need to dedicate a few hours to complete them.
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Let’s start by the obvious because we receive some crazy (can I say stupid?) questions on this: There is no plane connection between Chios and Smirni since the ferry boat journey is only 35 minutes. By the time you go on board and grab a coffee you are already on the other side.
Also, there is no bridge connecting the two places either. There could be in a parallel world, but not in this one.
Anyway, the ferry is pretty convenient and very reliable.
So let’s see all the available options to get from Chios to Smirni or vice versa (Cesme – Sakiz), shall we?
OPTION 1
Go to the port of Chios (or Cesme) and book your ticket (to Cesme or Sakiz respectively) from a local agency. They are many and you cannot miss them.
OPTION 2
Check Let’s Ferry and book online!
You can book your ferry ticket from Let’s Ferry but you have to pick up the ticket print out, from the departure port.
There is one company that has so far listed their timetable for the summer of 2022. It is Sunrise Lines and the ferry on the schedule is San Nicolas The ship has a closed area as well as an open deck.
However, in weeks to come and closer to Easter, the timetables of the summer come up and the options are a lot. Before Covid-19 hit the planet, if I am not wrong, there were 4 or 5 ferry boats doing the route from Chios to Cesme (to go to Smirni) and from Cesme to Sakiz (Chios). Now, after two summers of no to few options, it looks like more and more agencies will get back to business.
San Nicolas ferry, Chios – Cesme
On this one you shouldn’t rush if you are not the organised person that wants everything in place in advance. You will find tickets to both destinations even on the same day (safer 1-2 days earlier so you can pick the most suitable time for you).
I’m hoping you’re not scared by ferry boats otherwise you will not be able to visit a second country in one vacation period. As for myself, I have this feeling of excitement when I ‘feel’ the ferry slowly departing from the port while I am sitting in it. To be honest, I get a miserable feeling when I leave Chios to go back to Athens…