Getting from Athens to Skiathos (and return)

Skiathos Town & HarbourSkiathos is part of the Sporades Islands, which have a totally different atmosphere than the popular Cycaldes . The islands in this group are fertile, with pine forests on the sides of the mountains all the way down to some of the best beaches in Greece. Skiathos is the best known of this group of islands and the easiest to get to.

>>read more about Mamma Mia! The Movie was filmed on Skopelos and Skiathos islands

Quick summary

There are direct flights year round connecting the capital to the island of Skiathos. In about 45 minutes you’ll arrive to the destination. A cheaper option is to travel by bus to the port of Agios Konstantinos and then take a ferry to the island. The total travel time is about 4-5 hours but you have to take into account the ferry schedule.

Flights from Athens to Skiathos

Skiathos is served by an airport (JSI) located north east of its capital city. The only airline operating flights between Athens and Skiathos is Olympic Air. The travel time is 45 min. In late August 2012, the single fare starts at €87.64, including the taxes. There are daily flights until end of October, then the flights are every other day.

>>book a flight to Athens

Bus and Ferry from Athens to Skiathos

125x125Ferries to Skiathos depart from Agios Konstantinos*. So , first, you need to take the bus from Athens to Agios Konstantinos. Buses leave from Terminal B, located near Omonia (Liosion Street, nr. 260). It can be easily accessed from Syntagma Square on city bus 024. The bus to Agios Konstantinos departs quarter past every hour and the travel time is 2h 15 min. Tickets can only be bought at the bus station.

>>read more about Bus Travel in Greece

During the summer, the following ferries connect Agios Konstantinos to Skiathos:

  • 9:45 a.m., Fri, Sat, Sun, Jul 7 to Sept 9
  • 9:45 a.m., Mon to Thu, Jul 9 to Sept 6
  • 11 a.m. daily, until Sept 9
  • 5 p.m., daily except on Sun, until Sept 8
  • 7:45 p.m., Sun, until Sept 9

On the way back, catch one of the following ferries:

  • 9:15 a.m., daily except on Sun, until Sept 8
  • 4:30 p.m., Mon to Thu, Jul 7 to Sept 6
  • 5 p.m., Fri to Sun, Jul 7 to Jul 9
  • 5:30 p.m., Sun, until Sept 9
  • 6:35 p.m., daily, until Sept 9

The travel time is 2h 45 min. The cheapest deck seat is €29 one way (Hellenic Seaways)

Note:* You can also find the port spelled as Agios Constantinos, especially on the online booking sites.

Driving from Athens to Skiathos

Instead of taking the bus to Agios Konstantinos, you can rent a car and drive there. The total travel time is 4 hours, including the ferry crossing. Do consider that it’s more expensive to cross with a vehicle than as a pedestrian.


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Note: the article was first published in September 2011. Updates (prices and schedules) have been made as of June 2012.

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