You 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.
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 |
There are several ferries per day from Athens to Syros (Ermoupoli) that take from 2 to 3.5 hours (depending on which ferry you choose), and it’s a relatively quick and easy way to travel to the island compared to the check-in process at the airport. As a rule of thumb, if the ferry to a Greek island takes more than 5 hours, then it’s better if you fly to the island.
You can always search directly from here for the available ferries to Syros:- Ferryhopper is the largest and safest 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)
READ ALSO
Keep reading…
ATHENS TO SYROS TIPS:
(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:
This is just an example of a ferry schedule!
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
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 this. It will be very clear in 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 does a Blue Star Ferry ticket cost?
For the latest prices always check theFerryhopperwebsite.
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 Airport 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 Flightsas 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 the same airline with a 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 take 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 airport 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 ΗΣΑΠ
In 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 are:
The X96 bus runs 24/7, and there is a bus every 30 minutes roughly (in Greece, time runs in a very strange way…so never expect something to be on time…that’s just a small tip from Greeks…you’d better get used to that unfortunately).
But there is an 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 that is just outside the bus stop (and also just outside 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…HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO CENTRAL ATHENS
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 the 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):
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.
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.
