Getting from Chios to Katerini

If you are heading to Katerini from Chios you are making your way from one of the most overlooked islands in the northeastern Aegean to a city at the foot of Mount Olympus on the Pierian coast of northern Greece, with the mountain rising steeply behind it and the beaches of the Pieria coast below.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Chios to Katerini. Katerini is a mainland city with no ferry connection. Getting there by sea means taking the overnight Chios to Piraeus ferry, which runs around 3 times a week and takes around 9 hours, and then driving or taking the KTEL bus north to Katerini, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens via the E75 motorway. The total journey takes the better part of two days.

Getting there by air

Katerini has no airport. The nearest airport is Thessaloniki, around 70 kilometres to the north. Chios has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Flying from Chios to Athens and then Athens to Thessaloniki, followed by a bus or drive to Katerini taking around 1 hour, gives a total journey time of around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Fly from Chios to Athens and then fly to Thessaloniki and take the KTEL bus or drive south to Katerini. It is the most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, take the overnight ferry from Chios to Piraeus and drive north via the E75 motorway to Katerini, which takes around 4 to 4.5 hours from Athens.