Getting to Alonnisos through Thessaloniki (Updated July 1, 2010)
There are typically 3 - 4 departures from Volos to the Sporades each day during the summer season, with the latest in 2010 leaving at 7:30PM, so it's possible you get to Alonnisos the same day if your bus from Thessaloniki arrives in Volos prior to 7:00pm for example.
Once you get your luggage squared away at the Thessaloniki airport you'll need to hail a taxi to take you to the KTEL bus station in the city. The airport in Thessaloniki is quite small all told, so finding the taxi line is quite simple. You just walk out the arrivals door and you'll quickly spot the line of folks waiting. Once it's your turn for a ride, ask the the taxi driver to take you to the "stathmos KTEL." Or, in Greek say "thEH-lo na pA-o o stathmOs KTEL parakalO" (I want to go to the KTEL station please.) If he looks at you like he didn't understand, then add "yia to leh-o-for-EE-o na Volo" (for the bus to Volos). [Note that the capital letters in the phonetic Greek I just used are for emphasis.] If you're lucky and the taxi driver speaks English, just tell him you need to go to the KTEL bus terminal to catch a long distance bus to Volos.
KTEL Bus Station in Thessaloniki
The KTEL bus station can be a bit confusing as there are numerous ticket counters. Look for the one that has the city of Volos listed. In my experience few of the counter folks speak English, but some do. If the person you encounter one who does not, just say "thEh-lo na pA-o na Volo parakalO" (I want to go to Volos please). When asked for the number of tickets you need it's probably best to just hold up the appropriate number of fingers! The price of each ticket should be around 13 Euros, but could be more since prices never go down in Greece. After buying your ticket(s), ask the counter person precisely what number departure area the bus will leave from as there are many buses in the barn-like structure. Once you have your tickets, be sure to proceed to the boarding area about ten minutes before departure. If you have a long wait and are interested in something to eat, there are some fast food places in the terminal that offer a pretty good selection of Greek food. Once you're on the bus, you can figure it will take about 2 and half hours to reach Volos. When you arrive in Volos, please note that the bus station is just a few blocks from the departure pier for boats to Alonnisos, so if you take a taxi the fare should be inexpensive.
Making a Boat Reservation from Volos to Alonnisos
When you have completed the reservation the site will bill you for the tickets, but will not actually provide you with them. Instead, you will receive a confirmation email that instructs you to take your reservation confirmation to the Hellenic Seaways representative in Volos (called "Sporades Travel", operated by Dimitrios Bartzopoulos). This travel agency is located directly on the Volos waterfront, so it's really easy to spot. Once there you will need to present the ticket confirmation form you received via email from Hellenic Seaways. They also may ask you for a passport for identification. When you have your ticket(s), if the boat is leaving shortly I recommend you promptly proceed to the boarding area which is across the street from the travel agency.
Staying in Volos
If the arrival time of your bus is such that you are unable to connect with the last boat of the day to Alonnisos, please check the Category Archives (to your left and up) under "Hotel in Volos" for information regarding the properties I recommend.
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Posted by Jeff Maziarek at 2/8/2009 9:39 PM 
Categories: Getting to Alonnisos from Thessaloniki
Tags: Hellenic Seaways Volos Alonnisos Thessaloniki KTEL bus
Categories: Getting to Alonnisos from Thessaloniki
Tags: Hellenic Seaways Volos Alonnisos Thessaloniki KTEL bus
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