1001 ways to book your island hopping trip with Ferryscanner

Being resourceful means knowing how to find different ways to use the same tool. Our travelers are always coming up with new ways to get the most out of Ferryscanner and its features!

Our ferry comparison platform includes a Multiple Routes function that lets you search for several tickets on different dates and across different ferry routes. Perfect for an island-hopping trip around Greece, Italy, or even Thailand! And today, we’ll share a few of the most creative ways to book several journeys and make the process faster, easier — and even cheaper! Plus, we’ll list the most popular routes for island hopping.

Article overview:

• The classic island-hopping trip
• Booking a frequent journey
• Planning a road trip with completely different routes
• Discovering lesser-known destinations
• Planning more than one trip at the same time
• Popular island-hopping ideas across the world
• More tips for using Ferryscanner’s Multiple Routes feature

1. The classic island-hopping trip

The most classic way to use Ferryscanner’s Multiple Routes is to plan an island-hopping adventure you’ll never forget! Whether you’re in the Canaries, the Greek islands, the Gulf of Thailand, or the Balearics, if your goal is to see as much as possible, building a trip itinerary with Multiple Routes is just as clever as it is useful.

Greece is the perfect destination for an island-hopping trip! Book your ferries with the Multiple Routes feature and start discovering each Greek island’s special identity. Source : iStock.

Let’s say that, for your next trip, you want to discover the beauty of the Greek islands departing from Athens. No problem! The Multiple Routes feature lets you add stops, and by default, the destination from your previous leg becomes the origin of the next one.

Get to travel to Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and back to Athens in just one booking! Source: Ferryscanner.

2. Booking a frequent journey

Multiple Routes also gives you the option to book a repeated trip in advance. And that can be extremely helpful if you’re looking, for example, to travel back home regularly. Let’s take the beautiful Isle of Wight for this real-life example!

Through the ferry window: serene views and a reflective journey onboard of Red Funnel, the ferry company connecting the Isle of Wight with the continent. Source: Freepik.

Picture this: you’ve lived on the Isle of Wight all your life and, as your child is about to turn 18, they tell you they want to study at Southampton Solent University. You reach an agreement: they can go to the university of their choice, but they must come home every weekend. Instead of booking the weekly return crossing (and perhaps to make sure they really do come back every Friday), you plan all the month’s trips at once: 8 journeys on the Isle of Wight-Southampton ferry route.

As a result, your child comes home every weekend as agreed; you book ahead and get the best prices; and you only have one booking to make! Most ferry companies also have weekly schedules with the same departure time on a said day. You can make sure to always take the 6pm ferry on a Friday to never wonder the departure time.

3. Planning a road trip with completely different routes

The key to a road trip is combining preparation with improvisation! Source: Pexels.

One detail people often forget when using the Multiple Route feature on Ferryscanner, is that the routes and destinations don’t have to match from one journey to another. You can absolutely book a crossing from Dublin to Liverpool, then another from Capri to Naples, if that’s what you feel like doing. All within the same booking.

This is especially useful when you’re organising a road trip where most of the journey happens on land, with only a few ferry legs — and in very different places.

How about a little Scandinavian road trip? Your goal: explore all the countries of Northern Europe in a campervan. To do that, you start in Denmark, make a short detour into Norway, continue through Sweden, and finally reach Finland before heading down to the Baltic states.

Get the journey going wether on land or sea! Source: Ferryscanner.

Scandinavian countries are very well connected by sea, making it easy to combine stunning landscapes on land with the practicality of ferry travel. You can plan your route in advance — even across multiple countries — on the dates that suit you best!

4. Discovering lesser-known destinations

Haven’t planned your itinerary yet? What if you let Multiple Routes help you shape it? When you enter your departure port, the app automatically suggests possible destination ports — a great way to discover islands you’d never heard of before! Combine this approach with a bit of research on these new destinations, and you might end up with a surprisingly original itinerary.

We took a chance at it, starting our surprise journey from Naples, Italy. Departing from Naples, the Multiple Routes suggestions guided us as you build your route : Ponza, then Casamicciola, Ventotene and Ischia to finish. And just just like, we created semi-spontaneous trip to explore the Pontine Islands!

Petite île des Pontines au large de Naples, Ponza est le parfait décor pour les contes et légendes antiques. Source: Pixabay.

5. Planning more than one trip at the same time

If 2026 is shaping up to be a busy travel year for you, the Multiple Routes feature can help you reduce the number of separate bookings while keeping everything organised. You need to attend a wedding on a small Greek island in January?You’re planning to spend two weeks in Thailand in March? And you’re thinking of visiting your brother in Italy in the summer? No problem!

With a single booking, you can keep track of all your crossings — no matter the country, destination, or time of year. A bit of planning, a few clicks, and you’re all set: your 2026 is ready to begin, with plenty of great trips ahead!

[Maybe here a photo crated by Maria with the three destinations mentioned above and a ferry “line” connecting them all together]

Popular island-hopping ideas across the world

Island-hopping is about opening yourself to the unique culture of each island you visit. Your travel light, but what you bring home (your memories!) will bear with you forever. You can decide where you want to go, but you can never really know what’s expecting you there… And that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Our travellers always come back with amazing stories to tell, whether they’ve been to the Greek islands, the Canaries, or the Gulf of Thailand! Here are some of the best island-hopping tours you can plan with Ferryscanner:

The Cyclades

Located in the South of the Aegean sea in Greece, the Cyclades are one of the most well-known location to island-hop. There, you’ll find famous islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Paros or Naxos.

But even though you definitely want to visit these, we suggest you also glide over to smaller, less busy islands like Folegandros, Tinos or Serifos. Many of them don’t even have an airport and can only reach by boat! It means less tourists, and quieter islands, too.

⛴️ Cyclades island-hopping idea

1. Take a plane to Santorini, and stay there for a few days, just enough to soak into the traditional Greek ambiance.
2. Take a ferry from Santorini to Sikinos. Enjoy some of the country finest wine at the winery Manalis, and don’t forget to visit the church of Episkope.
3. You can then go to Ios directly from Sikinos. Known to host a vibrant nightlife, Ios is slightly turning into a more refined and quieter island with much more to offer.
4. Ready to go? Hop on a ferry from Ios to Naxos, and get to know an island with a strong hold on history and ancient times. Take a look at our Naxos guide on your way there!
5. Some rumours are just true: Mykonos is a beautiful island you don’t want to miss during your Cyclades island-hopping trip. Take a boat directly from Naxos to discover its colourful life, and see with your own eyes what makes it so special. You can fly home directly from there.

The Eastern Canaries

Close to the Moroccan shores, the Canary Islands offer a stunning diversity of landscapes, climates and unique cultures! They are part of Spain, but have they own way of life, atmosphere and rythme. With 7 main islands, the Canaries are a great option for some island-hopping, especially if you’re fond of nature, volcanos and tropical forests.

⛴️  Eastern Canaries island-hopping idea

1. Start your journey by in Tenerife, and rent a car at the airport if you really want to make the most of the trip. The Canaries have many mountains and hills. Drive around the Teide, visit Masca and some of the most beautiful black sand beaches of the archipelago.
2. Next stop, Gran Canaria. Take a ferry directly from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Agaete, near Las Palmas, the capital of the Canaries. Take a least 3 full days to explore Gran Canaria. It’s got great surfing locations, and the unique Maspalomas Dunes.
3. Then, hop on a ferry to Fuerteventura to drive along the stunning Cofete Beaches with a chain of mountains in the background. You can then go North to the volcano and the Corralejo desert.
4. Last, but not least, Lanzaorte. Take a ferry from Fuerteventura to Arrecife to get to know the Timanfaya National Park and all the islands’ most beautiful beaches before leaving the car at the airport and going home, with new Canarien memories.

If you’d like to know what the Western Canarien islands have in store for you, read our article to plan your road trip around the Canaries!

The Gulf of Thailand

Located in Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Thailand is home to some of the country’s most beautiful islands, known for their turquoise waters, palm-fringed beaches and relaxed tropical atmosphere. While each island has its own personality, they all share a laid-back way of life influenced by Thai culture, cuisine and traditions. With several easily connected islands, the Gulf of Thailand is an ideal destination for island-hopping. Perfect for travellers seeking beaches, snorkeling, lush landscapes and a slower pace of life.

⛴️ Gulf of Thailand island-hopping idea

1. Start your journey in Koh Samui, the main transport hub of the Gulf of Thailand. Rent a scooter or a car to explore the island’s lush interior, waterfalls like Na Muang, and some of the most beautiful beaches such as Chaweng Noi and Lipa Noi. Don’t miss the Big Buddha and the scenic viewpoints around the island.
2. Next stop, Koh Phangan. Take a ferry directly from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan. Beyond its famous Full Moon Party, the island offers quiet beaches, yoga retreats, and great snorkeling spots. Spend at least 2–3 days exploring both the lively south and the relaxed northern bays.
3. Then, hop on a ferry to Koh Tao, a paradise for divers and snorkelers. Swim in crystal-clear waters, explore vibrant coral reefs, and enjoy stunning viewpoints like John-Suwan and Mango Viewpoint.
4. Last, but not least, return to Koh Samui or continue your journey to the mainland. Take a ferry from Koh Tao to Koh Samui before heading back home, carrying unforgettable tropical memories from the Gulf of Thailand.

More tips for using Ferryscanner’s Multiple Routes feature

Planning a trip is always about being organized and making the most out of what you find online. Ferryscanner helps you with everything ferry travel, and that’s why we come up with the best features for it! Here are a few extra tips to help you complete your booking and get creative with the of Multiple Routes feature on Ferryscanner.

Have all your ferry tickets in one place: on your phone! Thanks to the Ferryscanner App. Source: Ferryscanner.

🛂 Passenger and vehicle details are saved across all crossings

When you book with Multiple Routes, you only need to enter passenger and vehicle information once for everyone travelling with you. That said, for bookings that include multiple trips, keep in mind that some passengers or vehicles might not be joining every leg.

🧭 You can select up to 10 routes

Multiple Routes bookings can include up to 10 different routes. In most cases, that’s more than enough to cover every stop on an island-hopping trip or a committed road trip! If it’s not enough, you can always place another booking.

🗺️ The interactive map

You might not be familiar with the geography or surroundings of your destinations — and that’s totally normal! But don’t worry: whenever you search, whether it’s a one-way trip, a return ticket, or a multi-destinations booking, an interactive map summarises your crossing(s) to help you visualise your journey.

From Athens to all the Greek islands, prepare your island-hopping trip and get a speak peak of it all with the interactive map. Source : Ferryscanner.

This way of using Multiple Route is perfect for planning an amazing trip, with one single booking for all your crossings. Not bad!

Ferryscanner: the best app for multi-destination trips

See all of your bookings in one convenient location.

Every great adventure starts with good planning. And when you’re travelling through multiple destinations, it’s best to stay organised and avoid mixing things up — especially if your itinerary includes more than one country.

Ferryscanner’s Multiple Route feature is your best ally for organising your crossings and building the ultimate island-hopping trip. And our travellers have definitely understood that!

These are the ideas we’ve shared with you in this article to make your booking easier — whether you prefer to do it on your computer through our platform or on your phone with our app!