You basically have only one way to get from Athens to Ios: by ferry because there is no airport on the island. There are several ferry options so I am explaining below which ones are the best and most efficient.
Since, there are no flights to Ios island, I believe that the Best Way to get from Athens to Ios is by taking the fast ferry from Piraeus Port.Here are all the options you have basically:
| How Long It Takes | Cost* | |
| Ferry (from Piraeus port) | 4 to 7 hours | 53 to 85 euros |
| Ferry (from Rafina port) | 5 hours | 76 euros |
You can always search directly from here the available ferries to Ios:
- Ferryhopper is the largest and most safe website in Greece to book your ferry tickets from Athens to Naxos, but you can also use it just for checking timetables and prices between Athens and all Greek islands.
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It’s obvious that whatever I am explaining in this post also applies to the return trip from Ios to Athens.Keep reading…
ATHENS TO IOS TIPS:
Ok, so let’s see all the available options from Athens to Ios (that also apply to the return trip from Ios to Athens):
(but always check your ticket as this may change)
Athens to Ios Ferry Schedule
The Ferry Schedule from Athens to Ios is only announced a few months before the actual dates of the trips, which means that the times for the busy summer months of May, June, July, August and September are only announced around February or March of the same year.
However, there are not that many changes usually as there are often ferries that depart sometime in the morning and go through several islands.
Here is an Example of a Ferry Schedule from Athens to Ios in September from Ferryhopper:
For the latest Ferry schedule, always check on Ferryhopper.
The winter ferry schedule is less frequent with probably 1-2 ferries daily.
BLUE STAR FERRIES
Bluestar Ferries are the biggest you can take to go to Ios and are the most stable but also the slowest (7 hours to arrive)
No matter how bumpy or windy it is, you won’t feel much on Bluestar Ferries, but in case there are strong winds the Greek Port Authorities may not allow any ferries to depart for safety reasons.
Almost all ferries from Athens to Ios, visit other islands before they arrive at Ios, which can give you a very good glimpse of some other Greek islands too before they arrive at their destination. You don’t get to see much but it’s nice to feel like you are on a small cruise!
The best way to check for the available Blue Star Ferry times schedule is to visit the Ferryhopper website.They run all 365 days per year and there are basically 1 ferry per day from Piraeus port to Ios.
Check the exact timetables on Ferryhopper.
Where can you book Blue Star ferry tickets from Athens to Ios?
I highly recommend you book your ferry tickets online through Ferryhopper before you even land in Greece. It is the easiest and safest way to guarantee you are going to get a seat. In fact, for July, August and September, I recommend you book the ferry tickets online at least 1 month in advance. To be honest, you will always find a seat on a ferry but if you are planning to get your vehicle on the ferry, then you need to book very well in advance as there are limited spaces for cars and motorbikes in their garages.
BE CAREFUL THOUGH:
As long as the email you receive from Ferryhopper has a barcode on it, you will be fine to enter the ferry with these ones. It will be very clear on the email you will receive from them, though. Otherwise, you will get instructions on how to get the printout ticket, as some smaller ferry companies don’t have a barcode system on their tickets (very old-fashioned indeed…). This is not a problem, however and all you have to do is to go to a kiosk outside of the ferry itself and people there will print out the ticket for you. Ferryhopper will give you instructions on where to go exactly.
How much the Blue Star Ferry ticket cost?
For the latest prices always check the Ferryhopper website.
FLIGHTS TO IOS
There are no flights to Ios as the island does not have an airport. If for some reason you want to fly, you should fly to Santorini and then take a ferry from Santorini to Ios that takes less than 1 hour to arrive to Ios.
HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO PIRAEUS PORT
X96 bus takes between 50 mins to 80 mins (depending on the traffic) to go to the Athens ferry port (Piraeus) and the X96 bus route to Piraeus ferry port is the following:
This is how to get from the Athens Aiport Exit to the X96 and X95 bus stops just outside of the airport:Ios Ferries depart from E9 Port Gate so you have to stop at the bus station which is called: STATION ISAP (this is also a metro station).
Or in Greek : ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ ΗΣΑΠIn case you feel lost you can just ask the bus driver (they always speak english if you speak with a very clear accent like an italian mafioso in a way… ????)
But in reality, you will find some brand new GPS screens showing you where you actually are:
But there is a X96 bus every 20-30 minutes, so there will be one for you too!
For the X96 bus, you have to buy tickets from a kiosk which is just outside of the bus stop (and also just outside of the airport, just follow the “Bus” signs in the airport).For adults the Athens bus ticket (called “ATH.ENA) costs 6 euros and for kids (under 6) it costs 3 euros.
You can also take a taxi from the Athens airport to the Piraeus Ferry port which costs 50-60 euros but it’s really not recommended because it’s not worth it in my opinion…
The X96 bus is pretty fast and it costs only 6 euros!Also, BE CAREFUL:
Sometimes the X96 Athens Airport Buses say: “AEROLIMENAS-PEIRAIAS”
Don’t get confused.This is a Greek version of saying: “Airport – Pireaus” , so it’s the same really…
HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO RAFINA PORT
The easiest and cheapest way to get from Athens aiport to Rafina port is by taking a KTEL bus.These are different buses than the blue ones (like X96 or X95) and the bus stop is just across the street from the airport exits (see picture above). You can buy the ticket on the bus from the driver and it costs around 3 euros (there might be a slight difference every year).
The timetables for the bus Athens Aiport to Rafina are on the following table but you should always check the official website of KTEL Buses for the latest timetables:
HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO CENTRAL ATHENS
To go from Athens Airport to Syntagma Square (the most central point in Athens), you have to take either the metro from the airport (it’s actually overground for some stations and then it goes underground) or the bus X95 which will take you to Syntagma Square within 30-40 mins.
The X95 bus stop is next to the X96 bus stop and the tickets are exactly the same and are sold from the same kiosk.
This is Bus X95 route (from Athens airport to Syntagma square – central Athens):
You can also take the metro line 3 to get to Syntagma Square from the Athens Airport.Check on this link the timetables for Athens metro lines
These are the timetables of Athens Metro Line 3 to and from the Airport (there is a train every 36 minutes):
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Ios?
The ferry ride to Ios is usually 4 hours with the fast ferry (Seajet) but it can also be up to 7 hours with the slower but cheaper ferry (Blue Star Ferry).What is the best way to travel from Athens to Ios?
The best way to travel from Athens to Ios is by the fast ferry from Piraeus port because it is relatively quick and easier than any other option.
Is it better to fly or ferry to Ios?
There is no airport in Ios so you are only left with ferries. Otherwise, I would suggest that you fly to Santorini and then take a 40-minute ferry from the to Ios.
CONCLUSION
You basically have only ferry options to get from Athens to Ios as there are no flights to the island (no airport on Ios). My honest recommendation is to take the fast ferry that takes around 4 hours to reach the island.
For me, the best way to check timetables and even book your ferry tickets online has been Ferryhopper for the last few years, and I highly recommend it to everyone looking to get a ferry to Ios from Athens.
