Getting from Spetses to Ioannina

If you are heading to Ioannina from Spetses you are making your way from a car-free island in the Saronic Gulf to a city in the mountains of Epirus in northwestern Greece, on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis with the Pindos range behind it and the Vikos Gorge, one of the deepest in the world, an hour away.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Spetses to Ioannina. Ioannina is an inland city with no sea connection. Getting there means taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus, which runs up to 10 times daily and takes around 2 to 3.5 hours, and then either flying from Athens to Ioannina or driving northwest via the E65 motorway, which takes around 6 to 7 hours from Athens.

Getting there by air

Ioannina has its own airport with connections from Athens. Spetses has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens. Taking the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus and flying from Athens to Ioannina gives a total journey time of around 4 to 5 hours. The airport is just 4 kilometres from the city centre. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the Saronic ferry from Spetses to Piraeus and fly from Athens to Ioannina. It is the fastest and most practical approach. The KTEL bus from Athens Kifissos terminal to Ioannina runs several times daily and takes around 6 to 7 hours, which is worth considering if you prefer not to fly the second leg. Note that Spetses is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would be at the mainland port of Kosta, from where you can drive northwest via the E65 motorway to Ioannina, which avoids Piraeus entirely and takes around 5 to 6 hours.