Getting from Symi to Athens

If you are heading to Athens from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the capital of Greece and the gateway to everything it connects to.

Take the ferry

There is a direct overnight ferry from Symi to Piraeus running via Rhodes and several Dodecanese islands, taking around 15 to 18 hours. It is a comfortable connection with cabins available that delivers you to the port in the morning. From Piraeus the metro takes around 20 minutes to central Athens. The service runs several times a week and suits travelers with a vehicle particularly well given that Symi itself is car-free and vehicles are kept in Rhodes.

Getting there by air

Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, which takes around 50 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes and runs multiple times daily, and then flying from Rhodes to Athens takes around 55 minutes in the air. Total journey time is around 3 to 4 hours and is considerably faster than the overnight ferry for most foot passengers.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens. At around 3 to 4 hours total it is the fastest and most practical approach for foot passengers. Note that Symi is car-free so if you are traveling with a car it would already be in Rhodes, from where you can take the direct overnight ferry to Piraeus, which takes your vehicle and arrives in the morning with the day ahead. From Piraeus the metro connects you directly to central Athens in around 20 minutes.