Getting from Symi to Skiathos

If you are heading to Skiathos from Symi you are making your way from one of the most beautiful harbour towns in the Dodecanese to the most cosmopolitan of the Sporades group, in the northern Aegean. It has a lush green coastline, an international airport and some of the finest sandy beaches in the northern Aegean.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Symi to Skiathos. The two islands are in different island groups with no sea connection between them. Getting there means 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 and then Athens to Skiathos, or driving from Piraeus to Volos or Mantoudi for the ferry to Skiathos after taking the overnight ferry from Rhodes. Note that as of 2026 there are no departures from Agios Konstantinos to Skiathos.

Getting there by air

Skiathos has its own international airport with daily connections from Athens. Symi has no airport. The nearest airport is Rhodes. Taking the ferry from Symi to Rhodes, flying from Rhodes to Athens and then Athens to Skiathos takes around 40 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 5 to 6 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and fly from Rhodes to Athens, then fly from Athens to Skiathos. It is the fastest and most practical approach. If you are traveling with a car, take the ferry from Symi to Rhodes and board the overnight Piraeus to Rhodes ferry in reverse, arriving at Piraeus and driving to Volos or Mantoudi for the ferry across to Skiathos.