You basically have 2 ways to get from Athens to Syros: by ferry or by plane. I am explaining below which one is the best and most efficient method, depending on your situation.
I truly believe that the absolute Best Way to get from Athens to Syros is by taking the fast ferry from Piraeus port.Here are the 2 options you have basically:
| How Long It Takes | Cost* | |
| Ferry (from Piraeus port) | 2 to 3.5 hours | 45 to 70 euros |
| Flight (from Athens Intl. Airport) | 35 minutes | 100 to 250 euros |
You can always search directly from here the available ferries to Syros:
- Ferryhopper is the largest and most safe website in Greece to book your ferry tickets from Athens to Syros, but you can also use it just for checking timetables and prices between Athens and all Greek islands.
- Booking.com Flights has all the available options for flights from Athens to Syros (JSY is Syros’s airport code) with all possible airlines (Aegean, Olympic, Sky Express)
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It’s obvious that whatever I am explaining in this post applies to the return trip from Syros to Athens as well.
Keep reading…
ATHENS TO SYROS TIPS:
Ok, so let’s see all the available options from Athens to Syros (that also apply to the return trip Syros to Athens):
(but always check your ticket as this may change)
Athens to Syros Ferry Schedule
The Ferry Schedule from Athens to Syros 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 usually ferries that depart sometime in the morning and go through several islands.
Here is an Example of a Ferry Schedule from Athens to Syros 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 a day.
BLUE STAR FERRIES
Bluestar Ferries are the biggest you can take to go to Syros and are the most stable but also the slowest (3.5 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 Syros, visit other islands before they arrive on an island but Syros is usually the first island they arrive at!
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 2 ferries per day from Piraeus port to Syros: one in the early morning and one in the afternoon.
Check the exact timetables on Ferryhopper.
Where can you book Blue Star ferry tickets from Athens to Syros?
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 SYROS
The best and cheapest website to book or search for flights to Syros is Booking.com Flights, as it has all the available options.
A few useful info to have in mind when booking your flight to Syros:
- Syros Aiport on Google Maps
- Athens Airport Code is : ATH (Athens)
- Syros Airport Code is: JSY
- Every plane that lands on Syros, takes off after 40 minutes to fly back to Athens.
- The exact times of the flights change and they are not the same throughout the year, so make sure you get the right times from Booking.com Flights as it will give you all the available flights immediately.
- There are more flights from Athens to Syros between April – October (high season)
- If you book your tickets well in advance (6 months) you could probably find some very good deals with return tickets.
- The cost of the flight from Athens to Syros may come up to 250 euros during the high season (April-October)
- Aegean Airlines (Olympic Air is basically the same airline with different brand name)
- Sky Express
There are no direct international flights to Syros as its airport cannot accommodate those.
The only flights that it serves are to and from Athens only.
In my honest opinion, it’s not worth flying to Syros and you should only choose it instead of the ferry, if you get sea sickness. The time you will spend going to the Athens airport (2 hours in advance) and the whole check in process, is not worth it in my opinion. The fast ferries only get 2 hours to get to Syros and they are much hassle hassle-free than taking a flight.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:Syros Ferries depart from E7 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 away… ????)
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 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 Syros?
The ferry ride to Syros is usually 2 hours with the fast ferry (Seajet from Piraeus) but it can also be up to 3.5 hours with the slower but cheaper ferry (Blue Star Ferry).What is the best way to travel from Athens to Syros?
The best way to travel from Athens to Syros is by the fast ferry because it is relatively quick, easier and cheaper than going through the hassle of another flight.
Is it better to fly or ferry to Syros?
It is better to take the fast ferry to Syros because the fast ferry takes around 2 hours, which overall is probably less time than you’d spend with the plane (including the check-in process and security) and after all flying is way more expensive.
CONCLUSION
You basically have 2 options to get from Athens to Syros: by plane or by a ferry. My honest recommendation is to take the fast ferry instead of flying because a flight costs around 2 times a fast ferry ticket and you won’t be saving much time, to be honest.
If you do take the ferry, make sure you have plenty of movies loaded on your tablet, crosswords and books in hand… (it’s also a good idea to have some food with you because even though there are some snack shops they might not have everything…).
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 Syros from Athens.
