Independent Samos Island Day Trip From Kusadasi

This tour is about the coach collecting you from your hotel 6:45am and bringing you to the Kusadasi port. The driver shows you where to exchange your ticket for your ‘boarding pass’ and from that point you are in your own. After collecting your boarding pass, you find your way through passport control and then to the waiting area for the ferry boat. The ferry boat arrives and then your ticket (boarding pass) is inspected before boarding. The journey takes about just over an hour. On arrival at Samos, you once again go through passport control after which you enter Samos. Once here, what you do is up to you. (I guess that’s the idea of independent tour). You may need to get a taxi ride to different parts of the island. We went to Pythagoreio which was beautiful indeed and our cab driver Theologos was simply amazing. He spent time explaining things to us and suggesting things for us to do. Check the return time because sometimes the ferry boat returns to Samos just once and make sure to return to the port by 3:00pm and queue for the boat to return to Kusadasi. On return to Kusadasi, the coach will be waiting to take you back to your hotel. It may be best to check prices for the boat trip to Samos independently plus the transfer to and from your hotel to best evaluate the value of this tour package.

Jet 2 experience, half day to Samos which included bus transfer from the hotel to the port and back to the hotel. Paid £104 for 2 people. The ferry boat transfer takes about 1 hour and 15 min. We set off from the hotel at 7:30 am, and following the indications of the bus driver we walked to the entrance of the port with the ticket receipt provided by the Jet2 rep. It was around 8 am. At that point we were told we needed boarding cards which had to be provided by a travel agency nearby. We had to walk back and joined a long queue from the path all the way up the steep staircase which lead to the agency( Meandes travel). By the time we got our boarding passes it was 8:45 and the ferry boat was due to set off at 9 . We managed to get through passport control and boarded the ferry boat. We arrived in Samos at around 11 as it set off with a bit of a delay. The worst was at the arrival in Samos as you have to queue again for passport control: I have an Italian passport ; Europeans had to follow a separate queue from the British and my husband has a British passport. I asked if we could be allowed in the same queue but we were denied joint entry. The Eu passport holders were let in first whereas the British had to wait until all the others passed. By the time my husband passed through checkpoints it was 12 pm. I waited for him a good half hour before we were able to explore the island. The island itself is pleasant and has lots of history but without a car it is expensive to go round by taxi. We visited the archaeological museum at 10 euros each and the visit was quick. We also caught a taxi to the Temple of Hera at 15 euros both ways. The museum was closing in 20 min but we still bought tickets at 10 euro each to be disappointed by the poor condition of it( without a guide is like walking round rocks). The ferry boat back to Kuşadasi was at 6 pm but people were already queuing at 4:30 pm. It was a tiring trip, no proper information given regarding the lengthy process of passport checks and the need to change the receipt into boarding passes. To enjoy more of the island it would be better having a car and more time at your disposal.

Very well organized. Samos definitely worth visiting. Lots to do, if you don't mind walking. Beautiful town and area.