Getting from Thessaloniki to Karpathos

If you are heading to Karpathos from Thessaloniki you are making your way from the second largest city in Greece to a long mountainous island in the southern Dodecanese, on the opposite side of the country. It has a strong local culture and the extraordinary village of Olympos in the north where centuries-old customs are still very much alive.

Getting there by air

Karpathos has its own airport with daily connections from Athens. Thessaloniki has an international airport with daily connections to Athens. Flying from Thessaloniki to Athens and then Athens to Karpathos takes around 1 hour 15 minutes on the second leg. Total journey time is around 3 to 4 hours. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the train, bus or drive

Thessaloniki is connected to Athens by train, taking around 4 to 5 hours, and by KTEL bus, taking around 5 to 6 hours. From Athens the Piraeus to Karpathos ferry runs around 3 times a week and takes around 13 to 20 hours. Flying from Thessaloniki is considerably more practical than the combined train and ferry journey for most travelers.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thessaloniki to Karpathos. Getting there by sea means traveling to Piraeus for the ferry to Karpathos.

Your best option

Fly from Thessaloniki to Athens and then fly from Athens to Karpathos. It is the fastest and most practical approach at around 3 to 4 hours total. If you are traveling with a car, drive from Thessaloniki to Piraeus via the E75 motorway and take the Piraeus to Karpathos ferry, which takes your vehicle and arrives in around 13 to 20 hours depending on the route.