Getting from Thessaloniki to Skyros

If you are heading to Skyros from Thessaloniki you are making your way from the second largest city in Greece to the most remote of the Sporades group, in the northern Aegean, relatively close in geographic terms given both sit in the northern part of Greece. It has two completely different landscapes, a dramatic hilltop Chora and a wild volcanic south, with its own native horse breed and one of the most extraordinary carnival traditions in Greece.

Getting there by air

Skyros has its own small airport with connections from Athens running around twice a week. Thessaloniki has an international airport with daily connections to Athens. Flying from Thessaloniki to Athens and then Athens to Skyros gives a total journey time of around 4 to 5 hours. Check the Athens to Skyros schedule carefully as the service runs a limited number of times per week. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Take the train, bus or drive

Thessaloniki is connected to Kymi on the eastern coast of Evia by road, taking around 4 to 4.5 hours via Lamia and Halkida. Skyros is connected to the mainland only via Kymi, and the ferry from Kymi to Skyros takes around 1 hour 40 minutes and runs 2 to 3 times daily. This avoids Athens entirely and is the most natural approach at around 5.5 to 6 hours total.

Take the ferry

There is no direct ferry from Thessaloniki to Skyros. Getting there means driving to Kymi for the ferry to Skyros or flying to Athens and then Skyros.

Your best option

Drive from Thessaloniki to Kymi via Lamia and Halkida and take the ferry across to Skyros. At around 5.5 to 6 hours total it avoids Athens entirely and is the most natural approach. If you prefer to fly, fly from Thessaloniki to Athens and then fly to Skyros, checking the schedule carefully as flights run only a limited number of times per week. If you are traveling with a car, the Kymi ferry takes your vehicle directly to Skyros port.