Surat Thani island hopping guide.

The closest and busiest of the three, served by the most frequent departures. Raja Ferry's vehicle ferries dock at Lipa Noi and run roughly hourly from about 05:00 to 19:00; Seatran Discovery's roll-on/roll-off ferries run a similar all-day schedule to Nathon Pier at about 1.5 hours; Lomprayah's foot-passenger catamaran is the fastest option at around 45 minutes to an hour, but sails only a couple of times a day.

Reached from Don Sak in around two hours on Seatran Discovery or Lomprayah, usually with a brief stop at Koh Samui first. The distinctive alternative is the overnight sleeper boat direct from Surat Thani town's Ban Don Pier to Thong Sala - a 6-7 hour crossing that departs around 23:00 and arrives near dawn, long favoured by backpackers and Full Moon Party arrivals.

The furthest of the three and usually the last stop on a Don Sak ferry's run, after calling at Koh Samui and/or Koh Phangan. Lomprayah's catamaran is the fastest way in from the mainland; slower Songserm and combined ferry-and-onward-boat routings also serve Koh Tao and are usually the cheapest option if time isn't tight.

Don Sak Pier sits about 68km east of Surat Thani town on the coast toward Koh Samui, and is the main roll-on/roll-off terminal for the islands. Raja Ferry is the only operator that reliably carries cars and motorbikes, running close to hourly through the day - the practical choice for anyone relocating with a vehicle or a full load of moving boxes.

Seatran runs large passenger-and-vehicle ferries from Don Sak on a similarly frequent all-day timetable to Raja, docking at Nathon on Koh Samui and continuing on to Thong Sala on Koh Phangan on many sailings - useful if Phangan is the final destination and a direct-ish single ticket is preferred over transferring.

The fastest way across for foot passengers, but with only a couple of sailings a day rather than Raja/Seatran's near-hourly schedule - book ahead rather than turning up and hoping. Lomprayah also runs the fast onward legs between the islands themselves (Koh Samui-Koh Phangan in about 30 minutes, Koh Samui-Koh Tao in under two hours).

A genuinely different option from the Don Sak day ferries: a sleeper boat leaving the Tapi riverside Ban Don Pier in the heart of Surat Thani town, arriving at Thong Sala before sunrise. No food or drink is sold on board, so bring supplies. Walk-up tickets are usually available on ordinary weeknights, but book ahead during the Full Moon Party week or Thai public holidays.

URT is about 25km west of town and served by more than a dozen daily flights from Bangkok (both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang) on AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air. From the airport, Phantip Travel runs a shared shuttle bus into town and on to Don Sak Pier for around 100 THB - the fastest realistic route in from Bangkok when time matters more than cost.

Overnight trains leave Bangkok's Bang Sue Grand Station most evenings (the roughly 19:50 departure is a common recommendation) and take 9-11 hours to reach Surat Thani's Phun Phin railway station, arriving in time to connect with the morning ferries. Note that Phun Phin station is about 15km from Surat Thani town itself, not downtown - factor in a short taxi or songthaew ride to Ban Don Pier or onward transport to Don Sak.

Travel agents in Bangkok and along Khao San Road sell joint train-plus-bus-plus-ferry tickets that bundle the overnight train, the transfer from Phun Phin, and the ferry crossing into a single booking - often simpler and not much pricier than arranging each leg separately, and worth it for a first trip.

Heading to Koh Samui or want a car/motorbike on the ferry: Don Sak, Raja Ferry. Want the fastest crossing and are traveling light: Don Sak, Lomprayah. Heading straight to Koh Phangan on a budget and don't mind an overnight crossing: Ban Don Pier's night boat. Continuing on to Koh Tao: any Don Sak operator running the full Samui-Phangan-Tao line, timed around the connecting leg.

Don Sak Pier is about 68km east of Surat Thani town and is the main vehicle-and-passenger ferry terminal for Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, with near-hourly daytime departures on Raja Ferry and Seatran Discovery. Ban Don Pier is in Surat Thani town itself, on the Tapi River, and is best known for the overnight sleeper boat direct to Koh Phangan.

The most common route is a ferry from Don Sak Pier, about 68km from town - Raja Ferry and Seatran Discovery both run frequent roll-on/roll-off crossings (roughly 1.5 hours) to Koh Samui, while Lomprayah's faster catamaran (about 45 minutes to an hour) sails a couple of times daily. Many bus and minivan operators sell a through-ticket that includes the transfer from town to the pier.

Yes, from Don Sak Pier. Raja Ferry's vehicle ferries are the standard way to bring a car or motorbike across to Koh Samui; Seatran also carries some vehicles. The Lomprayah catamaran and the Ban Don night boat are foot-passenger only.

It's a basic, functional option rather than a comfort-focused one - a shared sleeping deck, no food or water sold on board, and a 6-7 hour crossing overnight. It remains popular with budget travelers and Full Moon Party arrivals because it saves a night's accommodation and lands early in Thong Sala, but book ahead in peak weeks since it can sell out.

By air into Surat Thani Airport (URT, about a dozen daily flights on AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air), or by overnight sleeper train from Bang Sue Grand Station to Phun Phin railway station (9-11 hours). Combined train-bus-ferry through-tickets, sold by travel agents, are usually the simplest way to book the whole journey to the islands in one go.