Getting from Thessaloniki to Kythnos

If you are heading to Kythnos from Thessaloniki you are making your way from the second largest city in Greece to an island in the western Cyclades, on the opposite side of the country. It has over 60 beaches and a medieval village at Driopida that hardly anyone outside Greece knows about.

Getting there by air

Kythnos has no airport. The nearest airport is Athens International, around 30 kilometres from Lavrio. Thessaloniki has an international airport with daily connections to Athens. Flying from Thessaloniki to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio, around 30 minutes from Athens Airport, for the ferry to Kythnos taking around 1 hour 10 minutes and running up to 5 times daily in summer, gives a total journey time of around 3 to 4 hours. Lavrio avoids crossing the city to Piraeus entirely.

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 drive or taxi to Lavrio takes around 30 minutes from Athens Airport. The drive from Thessaloniki to Lavrio takes around 6 to 7 hours via the E75 motorway and is practical for travelers with a car heading to Kythnos.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thessaloniki to Kythnos. Kythnos is served exclusively from Lavrio on the southeastern Attica coast. Getting there means traveling to Athens and then taking a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry to Kythnos.

Your best option

Fly from Thessaloniki to Athens and take a taxi to Lavrio for the ferry across to Kythnos. The proximity of Lavrio to Athens Airport makes it one of the most convenient island connections from the airport in Greece at around 3 to 4 hours total. If you are traveling with a car, drive from Thessaloniki to Lavrio via the E75 motorway and take the ferry across to Kythnos.