Getting from Thessaloniki to Antipaxos

If you are heading to Antipaxos from Thessaloniki you are making your way from the second largest city in Greece to a tiny island just south of Paxos in the Ionian Sea, on the opposite side of the country. It has beaches of a quality that would be famous if they were anywhere more accessible.

Getting there by air

Antipaxos has no airport. The nearest airport is Corfu. Thessaloniki has an international airport with seasonal direct flights to Corfu in summer. Flying from Thessaloniki to Corfu and then taking the ferry from Corfu to Paxos, which takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, followed by the sea taxi from Gaios to Antipaxos, which takes around 15 to 20 minutes, gives a total journey time of around 3 to 4 hours when the direct service is running. Check the Thessaloniki to Corfu schedule as direct flights are seasonal.

Take the train, bus or drive

Thessaloniki is connected to Igoumenitsa by road, taking around 4 to 4.5 hours via Ioannina and the E65 motorway. From Igoumenitsa the car ferry to Paxos runs daily and takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, followed by the sea taxi to Antipaxos. This avoids Athens entirely and is a natural approach at around 6 to 7 hours total.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thessaloniki to Antipaxos. No mainland Aegean port is connected by sea directly to any Ionian island. Getting there by road and sea means driving to Igoumenitsa for the car ferry to Paxos. Note that the Corfu to Paxos ferry does not carry vehicles so Igoumenitsa is the only option for travelers with a car.

Your best option

Drive from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa via Ioannina and the E65 motorway, then take the car ferry to Paxos and the sea taxi across to Antipaxos. It avoids Athens entirely and is the most natural approach at around 6 to 7 hours total. If you prefer to fly, fly from Thessaloniki to Corfu when the direct seasonal service is running and take the ferry across to Paxos. Antipaxos is most rewarding as a day trip or overnight from Paxos rather than a standalone destination as facilities on the island are almost nonexistent.