Getting from Volos to Ioannina

If you are heading to Ioannina from Volos you are making your way from a city on the Pagasetic Gulf at the foot of the Pelion peninsula to a city in the mountains of Epirus in northwestern Greece, on the western shore of Lake Pamvotis with the Pindos range behind it and the Vikos Gorge, one of the deepest in the world, an hour away.

Take the ferry

There is no ferry to Ioannina. It is an inland city with no sea connection. Getting there from Volos means driving west across central Greece to Ioannina, which takes around 3 to 3.5 hours from Volos via the E92 motorway through Trikala and the Pindos mountains. This is one of the most natural road connections between the two cities and avoids Athens entirely.

Getting there by air

Ioannina has its own airport with connections from Athens. Volos has a small airport at Nea Anchialos with limited connections from Athens. Driving from Volos west to Ioannina via Trikala gives a total journey time of around 3 to 3.5 hours and avoids Athens entirely. The airport is just 4 kilometres from the city centre. In Greece, airlines do not operate direct inter island flights.

Your best option

Drive from Volos west to Ioannina via Trikala and the Pindos mountains. At around 3 to 3.5 hours it avoids Athens entirely and is the most direct and natural road approach. The drive through the mountains is a scenic one. Having a car makes this route effortless and gives you flexibility to explore the Zagori villages and Vikos Gorge from Ioannina.