ALONNISOS-BLOG.PONDERCENTRAL.COM: Getting to Alonnisos via Athens through the Mainland Port of Volos

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Getting to Alonnisos via Athens through the Mainland Port of Volos

If you are unable to book a flight from Athens to the island of Skiathos as the point of departure by boat to Alonnisos, and, you also find that there is no space available on boats leaving from the port of Agios Konstantinos to the Sporades islands, you also have the option of taking a long distance bus from Athens to the mainland port of Volos (pictured to your right) as the departure point. With this option, you will need to book passage on a hydrofoil boat from Volos to Alonnisos via the Hellenic Seaways website, or as an alternative via another hydrofoil boat called the Speed Cat 1 that began operating during the summer of 2009. Booking with either of these companies is discussed later in this post.

To Volos via Long Distance Bus

To reach Volos by bus, from the airport you will need to take the X93 bus (Click here for more information about this bus/its fare cost) to the Bus Terminus B bus station in Athens (Click here for more information about this bus station [or "O stathmos," in Greek], and to see the latest long distance bus schedule for buses departing from Bus Terminus B click here. The total time it will take you to get to Volos from the airport via bus X93 and from Bus Terminus B to Volos will be perhaps as much as 5.5 hours, but could be more based on traffic conditions.

The cost for the next segment to Volos on the KTEL Bus to Volos is 24.7 Euros per person. If, based on your travel schedule your arrival in Volos is too late to connect with a hydrofoil boat to Alonnisos (the last Hellenic Seaways departure is typically at 6:30PM and Speed Cat 1 only has a morning departure from Volos), you will obviously need to book a hotel in Volos for that evening. To assist you in this regard please review the Category Archives on this page under "Hotel in Volos" for information regarding properties I recommend.

One other note, in addition to bus X93 from the airport, you can also reach Athens City Centre via the Metro Train line. Ask the information desk at the airport for directions to the on-site Metro station (it's on the lower level). If you do take the Metro, you'll also need to ask what stop to use in order to facilitate the most direct access to Bus Terminus B for your next travel segment to Volos. Please note that a one-way ticket on the Metro is approximately 6 Euros, and that travel via train gets you to the city centre in perhaps half the time.

To Bus Terminus B via Taxi

If you aren't as much concerned about cost as you are about comfort and speed, you also have the option of taking a taxi from the Athens Airport directly to Bus Terminus B for your bus to Volos. The cost of the taxi fare to the bus terminal is roughly 45 Euros. While this is clearly more expensive than bus travel, if you're in a hurry to meet a bus departure time or simply want more comfort, then this is a great option for you.

With respect to a recommended taxi driver, on several occasions both my in-laws and other friends with homes on Alonnisos have used the services of a driver named Spiros Halkides. All have reported complete satisfaction with his services. In addition, I had the pleasure of being driven to the bus terminal in the summer of 2009 by one of Spiros' associates, Vangelis, and he provided great service as well. Here is Spiros' contact information: Telephone: 30-2109944771(H) & (30)-6944285686 (MOBILE) [Note that 30 is the country code for calling Greece.] To visit Spriros' website click here. To contact Spiros via email, click here. (Please note, in Greek, when you speak about someone you use the "s" at the end of their name, for example, "I know Spiros." However, when you actually contact Spiros directly, you call him "Spiro.")

Making a Boat Reservation from Volos to Alonnisos using Hellenic Seaways

If you do intend to reach Alonnisos by boat from Volos, then prior to your trip you need to reserve and pay for boat tickets in advance. The Hellenic Seaways website is fairly easy to navigate, just be sure to choose your language of choice at the upper right of the screen, then select "Online Booking" at the right side of the screen and follow the prompts. In the summer there are typically three to four departures per day from Volos to the Sporades islands (including 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 may also 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.

Making a Boat Reservation from Volos to Alonnisos using Speed Cat 1

As indicated earlier, in addition to Hellenic Seaways, you have the option of using the services of a hydrofoil boat called the Speed Cat 1 (see photo to your left) that began service in the summer of 2009. This boat is comparable in size to the Flying Cat mentioned above, and is quite nice inside. We used it when we left Alonnisos to return home in September of 2009, and were pleased with the comforts on board. During 2009 the Speed Cat 1 had a departure from Volos to Alonnisos every morning at 8:30. To learn more about this boat (including its schedule), visit the Speed Cat 1 website and for English click on the British flag in the center of the screen. Please note that this company does not offer on-line booking but instead requires passengers to deal with travel agencies in the ports it serves. When you visit the website click on the "Contact" tab and you'll find a list of the various port agents (i.e., travel agents) along with their phone numbers and web addresses (where available).

To contact me via email with any questions regarding this post click here.