• The two main Cretan ferry companies are ANEK Lines, represented in the UK by Viamare Travel (020 7431 4560) and Minoan Lines, represented here by Magnum Travel (020 8360 5353).

Both run services from Pireas to Crete, generally sailing overnight in 7-11 hours. Both companies run from Italy to the Greek port of Patra where coaches wait on the quayside for the three-hour coach journey to Pireas. The crossing from Italy takes 20-30 hours and there are daily services in summer. ANEK's Italian ports are Trieste and Ancona, while Minoan Lines sail from Venice and Ancona. All the ships are large ferries with cabins, restaurants, sun decks, swimming pools, etc, and this is normally a very relaxing part of the journey.

The Italian ports can be reached from the UK by train - the easiest routes are probably the overnight services from Paris to Venice, or Bologna where you change for Ancona. The total journey time is 4-5 days, including some time for sightseeing in Paris and Venice.
Geoff Hamer

• If time is no problem, drive to Ancona and take the car ferry to Patras. The usual route would then be on the motorway to Athens and ferry from Piraeus, but driving in Athens is like finding yourself in Le Mans race with fewer rules. So I would go from Patras through the Peloponnese (don't miss Bassae - a beautiful temple and fewer tourists than Delphi) to Gythion. Here you can get a ferry via Kithira to Crete. You will arrive at Kasteli, in the north west corner of Crete which is the quietest and most attractive parts of the island.
Antoinette Moses