Tilos Travel Sells Open 2027 Ferry Tickets: Rules and Risks

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Under the name “Blue Friday 2027”, Tilos Travel is selling undated (open) ferry tickets from 1 November to 20 December 2026. They can be used on sailings between 1 March and 31 December 2027; an adult return costs €11 on Bodrum-Kos and Çeşme-Chios, €15 on Kusadasi-Samos and €40 on Fethiye-Rhodes (port tax extra). The price is low, but the tickets are non-refundable, and neither the 2027 timetables nor, for Turkish passport holders, the visa-on-arrival scheme after April 2027 are settled yet.

What happened?

According to the campaign terms on Tilos Travel’s website (read on 7 November 2026):

• Sale: 1 November to 20 December 2026.
• Use: sailings from 01.03.2027 to 31.12.2027. A ticket cannot be dated to a sailing outside this window.
• Prices (adult, return on a different day, port tax excluded): Çeşme-Chios €11 (the normal price the company shows is €50), Bodrum-Kos €11 (€45), Kusadasi-Samos €15 (€59), Fethiye-Rhodes €40 (€85).
• Port tax: on Fethiye-Rhodes it is paid at the port; on the other routes it is charged online when you date the ticket. The campaign page does not give the amount.
• Who can buy: adult, child and infant returns on different days. Same-day returns (day trips) and one-way tickets are excluded. Child and infant prices are not in the table.
• Dating the ticket: no date is chosen at purchase. You receive a voucher number by email and assign the date on tilostravel.com or by phone (+90 252 614 34 34). Each ticket can be dated once free of charge; after that there are no changes, refunds or transfers.
• Allocation: campaign passengers are limited to 40 per cent of capacity on each sailing, with possible extra restrictions on public and religious holidays. The company advises against dating late.

The general terms on the same page also say that “open-dated tickets are valid for 6 months”. The page does not make clear whether this applies to the campaign tickets; if you plan to travel later than March 2027, ask the company before buying.

Most 2027 timetables on these routes are not out yet. On 7 November the only 2027 sailing shown for Kusadasi-Samos in Ertürk’s booking system was on 1 April 2027 (Sea Star Samos, Kusadasi 08:00, Samos 17:00); on Bodrum-Kos nothing is listed after 28 April 2027. On Fethiye-Rhodes, Sea Star sailings are listed up to 31 October 2027. Details are on our 2027 ferry season start page.

What it means for travellers

• Real savings, no flexibility. A return for €11-15 is far below the 2026 summer fares on these routes. But once the date is set it cannot be changed, and there is no refund under any circumstances.
• The document risk is yours. Under the terms, passengers who cannot travel because of a visa or document problem get no refund and cannot reuse the ticket. The terms say holders of ordinary passports need a Schengen visa covering their travel dates; visa on arrival is not mentioned.
• For Turkish passport holders: the visa-on-arrival scheme for 12 islands runs until the end of April 2027, and there is no official decision on what comes after (we checked on 7 November 2026). The tickets can be used until December 2027, so if you date one to May or later you will need either a Schengen visa or a decision to extend the scheme. See our visa on arrival guide. Turkey’s departure fee for Turkish citizens is not included in the fare (Turkey departure fee).
• For other nationalities with visa-free access to Greece, the main points are the fixed date, the non-refundable fare and the port tax on top.
• Which boats: the offer applies to the Sea Star fast boats sold by Tilos Travel, which do not carry cars. For the company and its boats see our Sea Star page; for times and other operators see the Bodrum to Kos, Çeşme to Chios, Kusadasi to Samos and Fethiye to Rhodes guides.
• For comparison: according to an agent site, Ertürk is selling a €16 open return for the 2027 season on Çeşme-Chios until 11 November (“Muhteşem Cuma”), adults only, port tax extra, non-refundable. We could not find this offer on Ertürk’s own website, so confirm it with the company before buying. Normal fares are in our ferry prices overview.

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Tours and day trips

⏱ 9 - 11 hoursGetYourGuideBodrum: Roundtrip Ferry to Kos with Hotel PickupReturn ferry with optional hotel transfer in Bodrum and a host at the port; free time on Kos without a guide.See price →⏱ 10 hoursGetYourGuideFrom Marmaris to Rhodes Same-Day Return TourHotel pickup in Marmaris, return ferry and about five hours of free time on Rhodes.See price →

Before you go

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Where to stay, island by island

LesvosChiosSamosKosRhodesKastellorizo

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Sources

• Tilos Travel - Blue Friday 2027 campaign terms (Turkish, read 7 Nov 2026)
• Tilos Travel - Campaign tickets, routes and prices (Turkish, read 7 Nov 2026)
• Ertürk Lines - Kusadasi-Samos timetable and booking system (checked 7 Nov 2026 with two search windows)
• feribotseferleri.com.tr - Ertürk “Muhteşem Cuma” Çeşme-Chios offer (Turkish, 28 Oct 2026)
• Euronews Türkçe - Greece extends visa-on-arrival scheme for one year (Turkish, 31 Mar 2026)