Ayvalık to Lesvos Ferry 2026: Schedules, Tickets, Passports

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The ferry from Ayvalık to Mytilene, the main port of Lesvos, takes 45 to 75 minutes and runs all year: daily in summer, a few days a week in winter. In 2026 the two year-round operators are Jalem Tur (formerly Jale Tour) and Turyol. Leaving Turkey here means entering the Schengen Area, so check your passport and visa situation for both directions before you buy a ticket.

Quick answer

Crossing time: about 45 minutes on the fast sea buses and catamarans, about 75 minutes on Turyol’s car ferry Fokaia.
Season: year-round. Daily in summer; from late October sailings drop to three to five days a week.
Operators: Jalem Tur and Turyol all year. Ertürk Lines, Uğur Jale Lines and BADO added summer sailings in 2026 (BADO’s season ended on 27 September).
Documents: a passport valid for your Schengen stay, a Schengen visa if your nationality needs one, and a valid Turkish visa or e-visa if you plan to come back to Turkey.
Day trip: yes. Leave around 08:45–09:00 and return on the 16:30–17:45 boat, which gives you most of a day in Mytilene town. For Molyvos or Plomari, stay at least one night.

A shorter crossing from Dikili also exists; see our Dikili to Lesvos ferry guide. All routes are on the routes page.

Sailings and operators

Based on timetables published in October 2026. Winter days and times change often, so confirm with the operator before travelling.

Operator / vessel	Type	Duration	Departs Ayvalık	Departs Mytilene	Vehicles
Jalem Tur (Eşref Jale, Nazlı Jale)	Sea bus	~45 min	08:45	17:45 (16:30 from 25 Oct)	No
Turyol Fokaia	Car ferry	~75 min	09:00 (12:00 on some Oct Sundays)	17:45 (16:45 from 25 Oct)	Yes
Turyol Catamaran Kalimnos	Catamaran	~45 min	08:45 (Fri–Sun)	17:45 / 16:45	No
Ertürk Lines, Uğur Jale Lines	Passengers and vehicles	~1 h 30 min	Summer only	Summer only	Yes

Winter 2026 pattern: Jalem Tur sails daily until 18 October, Wednesday to Sunday from 19 October to 1 November, then Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through November and December. Turyol Fokaia runs Wednesday, Friday and Saturday in November; the Kalimnos catamaran runs Friday to Sunday until 29 November. Turyol’s December sailings were not yet on sale at the time of writing.

Sources disagree on how late into the season Jalem Tur’s car-carrying vessel Emine Jale operates. If you are taking a car, Turyol Fokaia is the clearest option for now, but ask about space in advance.

Clocks: Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year. Greece moves back to UTC+2 on 25 October 2026, so from then on the island is one hour behind Ayvalık. Check which local time your return departure is printed in.

Fares

Jalem Tur’s 2026 tariff (published June 2026) lists 35 € one way and 45 € return for an adult on the sea bus, 22.50 € one way for a child aged 6–12, and 10 € for an infant. On the car-carrying vessel, adult passengers pay 30 € (40 € return), a car 75 € (110 € return) and a motorbike 40 €. Turyol’s fares are listed at similar levels. Port fees are charged on top, and Turkish citizens also pay a departure levy. Fares vary by season, so check when you book.

Tickets and the port

Where to book:

Jalem Tur: online at jalemtur.com or at the ticket office on the Ayvalık pier.
Turyol: online at turyolonline.com, with a QR code ticket sent to your phone.
Aggregators such as Ferryhopper and Ferryscanner also sell this route.

Book early in July and August and around Turkish public holidays, especially with a car.

At the port:

Be at the Ayvalık pier at least 1.5 hours before departure. Passport and customs checks take time.
Swap your online booking for a boarding card at the counter.
Clear Turkish exit passport control and the X-ray check.
In Mytilene you go through Greek border control. Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has replaced passport stamps for non-EU travellers: on your first Schengen entry your fingerprints and photo are taken at the border, so allow for queues.

On the way back, be at Mytilene port at least 1.5 hours before departure as well. The terminal is in the town centre on the waterfront road.

What to carry: passport, boarding card, return ticket, any visas, and travel insurance. Minors travelling without both parents may need a notarised consent letter. If you bring a car, you need the registration in your name (or a notarised authorisation) and Green Card insurance that covers Greece.

Passports and visas

Leaving Turkey: you clear Turkish exit control in Ayvalık. Coming back counts as a new entry to Turkey. If your nationality needs a visa for Turkey and you hold a single-entry visa or e-visa, you may need a new one to return, even on a same-day trip. Check your visa type, or whether your nationality is visa-exempt for Turkey, before you go. The official source is evisa.gov.tr.

Entering Greece: Lesvos is in the Schengen Area. Non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a Schengen visa before they board; visa-exempt nationals can enter with a passport. Your days on Lesvos count towards your 90-day Schengen allowance.

EU citizens can travel with a passport or a national ID card.

The Greek “express visa” sold through ferry companies is a special scheme for Turkish citizens only (and their family members). It does not apply to other nationalities.

What to do on Lesvos

Mytilene town: a hilltop castle with Byzantine origins above the harbour, neoclassical buildings along the waterfront and an ancient theatre. The Theofilos Museum, dedicated to the naïve painter, is in the Varia district. This is the easiest area for a day trip.
Molyvos (Mithymna): about 59 km from Mytilene. A protected hillside village of stone houses with a castle at the top and a small fishing harbour below.
Petra: about 6 km from Molyvos. A Blue Flag beach and the 1747 church of Panagia Glykofilousa, reached by more than 100 steps cut into the rock.
Plomari and ouzo: about 39 km from Mytilene. The island’s ouzo town; the Barbayanni distillery and museum is free to visit, and an ouzo festival is held in June.
Olive oil heritage: the Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production in Agia Paraskevi occupies a communal olive press that worked from 1911 to 1967. Open daily except Tuesdays (10:00–17:00 from 16 October to 28 February, 10:00–18:00 the rest of the year).
Hot springs: there are thermal baths at Polichnitos, Eftalou near Molyvos, Thermi and Gera. Some close from time to time, so check before you go.
Skala Eresou: about 84 km from Mytilene on the west coast. A long Blue Flag beach close to Eresos, the village where the poet Sappho was born.
Petrified Forest: near Sigri, part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, with a natural history museum in Sigri.

Renting a car is the practical way to reach the north and west. KTEL buses link the main towns but do not run often.

Where to stay

For an area-by-area comparison and hotel picks, see our where to stay in Lesvos guide.

Mytilene: walking distance from the ferry, with plenty of restaurants. Best for one night or an early return.
Molyvos and Petra: beaches and village atmosphere in the north. A good base for two or three nights with a rental car.
Plomari: a quieter town on the south coast, for ouzo distilleries and swimming.
Skala Eresou: for a beach stay in the west. It is far from the port, so leave early on the day you sail back.

FAQ

Can I do Lesvos as a day trip from Ayvalık?

Yes. Take the 08:45 or 09:00 boat and return between 16:30 and 17:45, which gives you six to seven hours on the island. That is enough for Mytilene town, not for the far corners of the island.

Can I take a rental car from Turkey to Lesvos?

Turyol Fokaia carries vehicles all year, and Ertürk Lines and Uğur Jale Lines do in summer. You need the registration documents or a notarised authorisation from the owner plus Green Card insurance that covers Greece. With a rental car, ask the rental company first whether it allows the car to leave Turkey and can supply these documents.

Do I need to apply for anything before entering Greece?

EES registration happens at the border, needs no advance step and has no fee. ETIAS, the EU’s online travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is due to start some months after EES went fully live, so check its status on the official EU site before you travel. Nationals who need a Schengen visa must have it before boarding.

Will I need a new Turkish visa to come back?

Possibly, if your nationality needs a visa for Turkey and yours was single-entry or has expired. Check your visa conditions before you go.

Do ferries run in winter?

Yes, but not every day. In winter 2026 Jalem Tur sails four days a week and Turyol three days a week in November. Bad weather can cancel sailings.

What currency is used on Lesvos?

The euro. Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small cafés and villages.