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The closest airport to the island is Athens International Airport (AIA).  

You should plan to arrive at the Island of Spetses on Monday 14 September 2020 and depart on Sunday 20 September 2020.
We recommend that you book an afternoon flight on 22nd as it can be difficult to reach Athens airport before noon.

Arriving at Athens International Airport, you have the following ways of reaching the Island on Spetses:

Travel plan 1 (cheaper, but longer)

1a. Fly to Athens International Airport
1b. Get from Athens Airport to Piraeus Harbour - 1-2 hrs
1c. Take a hydrofoil/catamaran to Spetses Island - 2-3 hrs
1d. Get from Spetses Harbour to Spetses Hotel - 15 min.		 Travel plan 1 and 2(c)From one of our department's previous Spetses Summer Schools (2009)
Travel plan 2 (faster, but more expensive) - if four people or more are travelling together, the cost is not much more expensive that for Travel plan 1.

2a. Fly to Athens International  Airport
2b. Take a taxi to Kosta - 3 hrs
2c. Take a water taxi from Kosta to Spetses Hotel - 15 min.

Travel plan 1

Travel plan 1b. Athens International Airport to the Port of Piraeus
From Athens Airport, you can choose one of the following means of transportation:

suburban railway - 1 hr 
metro - 1 1/2 hrs 
bus - 1-1 1/2 hrs, depending on the traffic
taxi - 1-1 1/2 hrs, depending on the traffic

Suburban railway from Athens Airport to Piraeus
The suburban railway line connects Athens International Airport directly with Piraeus port every hour. It leaves on the hour at :09 (from 6:09 am to 22:09) and the trip takes about one hour. The railway station is right next to the metro station and in front of the port.

Get off at the train terminal at Piraeus, and to your left you see the sea after you exit the terminal.

Timetable (at the bottom of the page)
Tickets - online or at a booth

Metro from Athens Airport to Piraeus
Take the metro line 3 ("blue line") towards Aghia Marina. There is only one metro line from Athens International Airport.
At the Monastiraki/ΜΟΝΑΣΤΗΡΑΚΙ station, you must change trains to line 1 (the "green line") to Piraeus/ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑΣ.

The Metro from the Airport runs every 30 min. Tickets are available at the airport’s train terminal station. Stamp your ticket in the machine at the gate to the train platform before boarding the train.

From the train terminal at Piraeus, you have to walk for a couple of hundred meters (to your left, as you see the sea upfront after you exit the terminal).

Map of Athens Metro

Bus from Athens Airport to Piraeus
The X96 Airport Express bus leaves directly outside the arrivals area of the airport (between doors 4 and 5). Take this bus nearly to the end of the line, at Piraeus harbour. Get off at the bus stop "ΠΛ.ΚΑΡΑΙΣΚΑΚΗ" (Karaiskaki Square).

Walk towards the sea, enter through a large iron gate to get to the harbour area.

The Airport-to-Piraeus bus departs every 20 or 30 minutes. Tickets from the the Bus-Ticket kiosk next to the bus just outside the Arrivals area of the airport.

Taxi from Athens Airport to Piraeus
The most convenient (and most expensive) way of travelling.
There are taxis outside the arrivals hall of the airport.

More information about how to get from Athens airport to the harbour (Pireaus)


Travel plan 1c. The Port of Piraeus to the Island of Spetses

Hydrofoil/catamaran (Flying Cat or Flying Dolphin) from Piraeus to Spetses
Price: ca. Euro 40. Travelling time: 2-3 hours (depending on the number of stops on the way)

There are two different hydrofoil companies:

• Euroseas-Eurofast-1 (1-2 daily trips to Spetses) - approx Euro 33

• Hellenic Seaways (5-6 daily trips to Spetses) approx Euro 37

Tickets can be bought online or you can buy the ticket when you arrive at the harbour as there is a ticket office by the hydrofoil. Except for a few busy weekends during the year, there are not normally any problems getting a ticket.


There are normally 4-5 hydrofoils/catamarans a day from Pireaus to Spetses. Departure times for, for example, Monday 16 September 2019: 8:00, 10:00, 13:30, 15:45 and 18:30.

Normally the hydrofoils/catamarans leave gate "E8" - ARGOSARONIC (or sometimes between gate E8 and E9).

Travel plan 1d. Spetses Harbour to Spetses Hotel
walk, take a bus, water taxi, horse buggy or taxi - 1.1. km  
From the Spetses harbour ("Dapia") to the Spetses Hotel (1.1 km)

By foot (recommended): it takes about 15-20 min. to walk the distance along the water (see map ). This is a beautiful walk and can be recommended if you do not have too much luggage. Sometimes the hotel picks up the luggage of their guests at the harbour. Look out for a mini van with "Spetses Hotel".

By bus. The bus stop is by the harbour in front of the Poseidonion Hotel (to the right when you get off the boat). Stops at Spetses Hotel. Very cheap. Does not run very often. See timetable by the bus stop.

By water taxi. The water taxis are very close to the hydrofoils and ask them to sail straight to the pier of the Spetses Hotel. Fairly expensive, but if several people share, it is not too expensive.  A water taxi takes up to 8 people.

By hourse buggy. Takes up to four people - but only two-three people with luggage. The buggies are parked by the harbour in front of the Poseidonion Hotel.

By taxi. There are a four taxis by the harbour. They go around the town to take you to the hotel, as cars are not allowed in the centre of the town.		 By foot from the harbour to Spetses Hotel
Google map - by foot


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Travel plan 2. Athens Airport by taxi to Kosta (across from the island) + water taxi


Price: Euro 250-300 (taxi) 
Travelling time: 3 hours (about 210 km)
You can take a taxi from Athens Airport to Kosta (Costa). Kosta is the closest point on the mainland to the Spetses island.

You can book a taxi in advance (or mini bus if your are more than four people travelling together) from Michael Nakis Taxi. It is a good idea to agree on the price beforehand. We recommend that you arrange with the driver to make a short stop half way during the trip for a refreshment to see the Corinth Canal.

Water taxi from Kosta to Spetses Hotel
Price: about Euro 30
Travelling time: 15 min
Take a water taxi from Kosta directly to the pier of Spetses Hotel. There are water taxis waiting at the pier at Kosta. They have fixed prices per taxi (not per person).
Taxi Athens airport-KostaGoogle map - by taxi

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