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.
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.
Hi there, As a Senior Charter Broker for Luxury Yacht Charter Croatia, I work with travelers every day who are deciding whether to fly from airport to airport — or explore Croatia by sea. In nearly every case, the yacht experience wins out. Our most popular itinerary covers Split - Brac - Hvar - Korcula - Mljet - Lopud - Dubrovnik in one seamless journey (https://yachtchartercroatia.com/itineraries/split-dubrovnik). Trying to recreate that route by plane would mean multiple short flights, transfers, and hotel check-ins — and travelers would still miss hidden spots like Mljet National Park, Pakleni Islands, and quiet anchorages that yachts can easily reach. Instead of spending precious hours in airports, guests wake up each day in a new harbor, swim off the yacht's stern, and dine in fishing villages where planes simply don't land. The journey itself becomes part of the adventure. For many guests, the perfect solution is to fly into Split or Dubrovnik, then board a yacht for a week-long cruise. This saves time on the long haul while delivering the authentic Adriatic experience. If you need a more detailed answer, please let me know. Kind regards, Aljosa
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.
There are many situations where traveling by boat makes more sense than flying, especially when you factor in cost, convenience, and the richness of the experience. For example, in Europe, ferries between Greece's islands or across the Baltic often beat flights when you consider airport transfers, security lines, and baggage fees. A ferry from Athens to Santorini may take longer than a short flight, but it allows travelers to enjoy the Aegean, move freely on deck, and arrive directly in the port town without extra transfers. Similarly, in Scandinavia, overnight ferries between Stockholm and Helsinki double as both transport and accommodation, saving travelers the cost of a hotel night. Boats also shine when accessing remote or scenic destinations. Sailing through the Mekong Delta or taking a Nile cruise offers cultural immersion that no flight can replicate. In the Caribbean, yacht charters allow travelers to hop between islands that may not even have airports, making the sea route the only practical option. For travelers seeking a richer journey, a smart approach is to combine flying with sailing. Fly into a hub city, then switch to a ferry, river cruise, or yacht charter for the regional leg. This hybrid model maximizes efficiency while still delivering the slower, more immersive pace of boat travel. Ultimately, boats aren't just about getting from point A to B—they transform the journey itself into part of the destination.
Back when I was working between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, boats were often a smarter choice than flights. The ferry ride was cheaper, quicker door-to-door, and you skipped the long airport security lines. I've also taken routes in Southeast Asia where sailing let me carry more goods without extra airline fees, which reminded me of how we save buyers money at SourcingXpro by consolidating shipments. The experience itself is calmer too, you can actually relax instead of rushing. For travelers, I'd say mix both—fly into a hub, then take a ferry or charter to nearby islands. You get efficiency plus an experience you'll actually remember.
I've run a pontoon and jet ski business on the Gold Coast for years, and there's one situation where boats absolutely destroy flights - island hopping and coastal exploration within 50-100km ranges. When families want to hit multiple spots like Stradbroke Island, the Broadwater, and secluded fishing spots in one day, a boat gives them complete control over timing and stops. The math works out perfectly for groups of 6-8 people on our pontoons. While flights to nearby coastal destinations can run $200+ per person plus transfers, our full-day packages with BBQ gear and fishing equipment work out to around $80-100 per head. Plus you're not dealing with baggage restrictions, security lines, or fixed departure times. Where boats really shine is the door-to-door convenience. I've had customers who flew into Gold Coast Airport but then spent their entire holiday on our pontoons exploring waterways that planes simply can't access. You get BBQ facilities, fishing gear, and the freedom to anchor wherever looks good - try doing that at 30,000 feet. The sweet spot I've found is coastal routes under 4 hours where the journey becomes part of the experience. My floating pontoon storage system lets us operate from different launch points, so groups can literally design their own multi-stop adventure rather than being locked into airline schedules and airport locations.