As an environmentally conscious travel blogger, I love finding ways to travel that don't involve flying, so I was super happy to discover that there is a ferry from Genoa, Italy, to Tunis in Tunisia. It takes 24 hours, but the journey is an experience in itself. It feels like being on a disused, Art Deco-era cruise. Large empty pools are surrounded by groups of Italian-Tunisian men smoking shishas. Out-of-use bars, restaurants, and casinos become seating for families. I shared a cabin with three Tunisian women living in Europe, and our conversations are an eclectic mix of French, Italian, Arabic, and English. All of us were women traveling alone, and we got to know each other throughout the long journey. They also gave me tips on places to travel in Tunisia. This made the ferry ride a perfect intro to my trip. My cabin mates told me about Roman remains, maze-like medinas, and Berber villages with unique troglodyte architecture. Tunisia has all the charm of Morocco or Italy, with a fraction of the tourists. The dusty town of Djem holds a Colisseum almost as impressive as Rome's, and you will have the entire place to yourself. The deserts in the South have underground cave villages, where scenes of the Lars farm in Star Wars were filmed. In the north, charming towns hold medinas filled to the brim with tasty street food and handicrafts.
Last year, I went to Croatia as part of my Europe trip. I always visit Italy as well. It's a country I return to every time I'm in Europe. The year before, I travelled to Greece and flew there directly from Italy. However, Croatia is so close to Italy across the Adriatic Sea, and on this particular trip, I was heading to the south of Italy, to Puglia. I was travelling from Split down to Dubrovnik to explore the region's history, and I noticed that Dubrovnik is very close to Bari with the ocean. When you look at it on a map, it makes perfect sense. You can get flights from Dubrovnik to Bari, but you have to think about timing and convenience. When you're on holiday, especially if you're travelling through several European countries, you often end up taking a lot of flights, and sometimes it just gets too much. I try to limit my flights as much as possible for convenience. You have to factor in travel time to the airport, often around an hour, then waiting there for another two hours, followed by the flight itself, which can take one to two hours. Then there's disembarking and getting to your accommodation on the other side, all of which adds up to quite a few hours. This time, I decided to take a ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari instead. It's a direct ferry that runs during the day rather than overnight, and with ferries, you usually only need to arrive about 15 to 30 minutes before departure. That means no long waits at airports. Travelling by sea is also a wonderful experience, especially on a summer's day in June, July, or August. The ocean was stunning, and along the way you can see different ports, stretches of coastline, and countless other ferries and boats crossing the Adriatic Sea. I recommend looking up the specific ferry you plan to take and booking as early as possible so you can secure a window seat to enjoy the views. Many ferries also have an upper deck where you can feel the sea breeze, soak up the sun, and really take in the experience. For me, choosing the ferry was partly about convenience but also about cost. When you're travelling around Europe, you're often carrying a large suitcase, and that can get expensive with airlines, as luggage fees add up quickly. Ferries usually include luggage, often up to 30 kg, free of charge. So on this occasion, taking the ferry meant I could enjoy beautiful views, save money, and avoid the hassle of another flight, all of which made it a much smarter option.
That's just for people who waste time at the airport with their water-based and/or security/transfer time, which eliminates the flight advantage. For the Seattle-Victoria route (operated by Clipper), 2.5-3 hours of pier-to-pier travel compares favorably to the time spent flying, going through customs, and taking cabs, or enjoying scenic views along the way. In Europe, follow the same principle when fast ferries (such as those from Naples to Capri or the Amalfi Coast in the Greek Cyclades) are faster than short flights if you factor in airport time and waiting for baggage. When it comes to the journey, Norway's coastal express or Alaska's Inside Passage makes the trip worthwhile (with wildlife and fjords!), but I'll say no more, lest the rest of you make me sit in cramped coach seating. It may seem surprising, but book open-jaw airfare (which means flying into one hub and out of another) and link islands or coastal towns by boat; yes, there's backtracking involved, but you get an extra night to enjoy your destination. Pack soft duffel bags if you're booked into a small cabin, budget an extra day for weather and tide conditions (especially in Alaska), and check marine forecasts (via NOAA or Windy). If available, book porterage or luggage transfer services. Where it will lift you, midship if you're a swell-sufferer. Marine delays cover is essential to give you the flexibility.