From the airport to the city centre NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
Several islands of the North Aegean have an airport with international connections, but most of them are domestic airports with connections to Athens. For the moment, only the international airport of Skiathos offers direct flights to France, via Paris-Orly (in season). You will have to stop over in Athens to reach the airports of Skyros, Lemnos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Ikaria from France. Charter flights to the rest of Europe are well developed: as these change frequently, it is possible that in the future more islands of the North Aegean will be served by direct flights from France.
The airports of the region receive flights from Athens almost every day in season, even several times a day for the largest islands like Lesbos, and more rarely the rest of the year. In season, some of these airports also receive flights from Thessaloniki. On most of the islands that have an airport, bus services shuttle more or less regularly with their city centers for a few euros. Otherwise (in Lemnos in particular), and unless you rent a car there, you will have to take a cab to get there.
Arrival by boat NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
The inhabited islands of the North Aegean are all connected by a more or less regular boat service. Large ferries run between Piraeus (the port of Athens) and the islands described in this guide, except for Thassos and Samothrace in the north and the Sporades in the west, which are not connected to Athens by boat. These ferries carry passengers and vehicles. This connection can take place once a week for the smaller or more isolated islands, and up to once a day for the larger islands. The frequency of these ferries also depends on the season, with more boats in summer. Blue Star Ferries, sometimes in partnership with Hellenic Seaways, is the main company serving the North Aegean. These companies also operate some - less frequent - connections from the ports of Kavala and Thessaloniki, in the north of the country.
During the season, Seajets or Flying Dolphin hydrofoils connect the islands of the Sporades, with the exception of Skyros. Similarly, the hydrofoils of Dodekanisos Seaways connect Samos, Ikaria and Fourni to the Dodecanese islands. They are faster and more expensive than the ferries and when the sea is bad, they also shake a bit more. They offer very little space for cars - if any at all on some catamarans.
For both types of boats, you can book your tickets in advance, either online(http://openseas.gr) or at the travel agencies that line the ports. Tickets can be picked up one hour before the boat's departure at the boat company's ticket office on the pier.
There is also a network of local boats and caiques that shuttle between neighboring ports, sometimes connecting little frequented or isolated islands. This is the case between the ports of Kavala/Keramoti and Thassos, between Alexandroupoli and Samothrace, between the Sporades islands and Evia, or between the big islands and their satellite islands (Lemnos and Aghios Efstratios, Chios and Psara, Samos/Ikaria and Fourni). These boats are operated by locals, mostly in season, but sometimes all year round in a less regular way. Prices are low, as are the routes, which often allow for a day trip. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the trip, either on the boat or at the port. The small ferries take passengers and vehicles while the caiques only take pedestrians.
Finally, fast catamarans or hydrofoils operate in season between the islands and are faster.
Public transport NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
The KTEL bus network is not uniformly developed on all islands. There are regular buses and city buses that provide year-round travel on the larger islands that are less dependent on tourism, such as Samos or Chios. On the other islands, buses are not very frequent or even non-existent out of season. In summer, buses usually stop at the main sites of an island, and this, in a more or less regular way. Some islands do not have a bus system at all. You will sometimes find a taxi-boat system: these are small motorized boats that act as buses to beaches that are inaccessible by land. This is the case in Samothrace and Skiathos for example.
Bike, scooters & co NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
The North Aegean and Greece in general are not very interested in the fate of cyclists. As a result, don't expect to find specific infrastructures for cycling.
In almost all the islands, you can rent motorcycles or scooters and live the myth of freedom on the handlebars. However, this is not always recommended in the region, as the islands of the North Aegean are rather large and not all roads are easily passable by two-wheelers. In any case, do not imitate the locals and wear a helmet... on your head! The roads are not always well maintained, the wind blows strongly and an accident can happen quickly: without a helmet, the insurance will not cover you. Many rental companies do not insist on wearing a helmet, so ask specifically for one.
Important information: the classic French B license includes the driving of scooters up to 125cc. However, some rental companies will refuse to let you have a scooter (even a 50cc) if you do not have a special motorcycle/scooter license or if you cannot prove that you have taken the two-wheeler training that is now mandatory in France. Again, in case of an accident, the Greek insurance may not cover you. The national legislation is quite unclear on this subject, but a growing number of rental companies do not want to take the risk anymore.
With a driver NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
To get around without a car, you can get into other people's cars! The cab is the official and paying version of the practice: all the most visited islands have cab centers; the smaller or less visited islands sometimes have only a handful of drivers who can help out but are relatively expensive. The unofficial and free version of the practice is hitchhiking, which is not very common on the islands, with a few notable exceptions in the North Aegean, including Samothrace and Ikaria.
Theoretically - and due to regular abuses - cab fares in the islands are fixed and established every year by the national administration. This means that every journey has a fixed and pre-determined fare. In practice, this is not always the case, or it is not displayed. Therefore, confirm the price for the planned trip beforehand. Some islands have no cab drivers at all, others have a few, but in high season they are often understaffed. The larger islands have radio cab services that handle larger numbers of cars. In general, it is best to plan ahead or take it easy, and accept cab rides.
By car NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
The car is probably the most efficient means of transportation to discover the largest islands of North Aegean, because the distances are great and the roads are sometimes impassable by scooter. The roads are of uneven quality depending on the islands: for all the tracks and secondary roads of poor quality, prefer 4×4. If you rent a category A vehicle, ask the car rental company which roads will be inaccessible to you: most often, these are mountain roads or roads leading to isolated beaches. Regardless of the type of car you choose, we recommend that you drive with the utmost caution: islanders often interpret traffic laws as they see fit and never wear seat belts. The secret to safe driving: drive slowly! In any case, roads are often poorly maintained and narrow so you will have to limit your speed. And on vacation on an island, there is no hurry... If you ask for directions, you will always be told: there is only one road. If there are indeed few roads on the islands, it is a permanent amazement to see how badly indicated they are and how easy it is to get lost..
Accessibility NorThern Islands Of The Aegean Sea
Accessibility for people with reduced mobility and strollers is unfortunately not a priority in Greece. This results in a reduced accessibility, especially in all intra-island public transport, i.e. the local buses. As far as inter-island transport is concerned, the ferries and other boats that criss-cross the North Aegean are not always very accessible either: on the big ferries, access is theoretically guaranteed for all; in practice, it is a different story. Thus, escalators are used to get on the boat, but are disabled when it comes to disembarking. Elevators are provided, but do not necessarily serve all floors of the ferries. The staff on board will always be able to assist you, but it is best to plan well in advance to avoid the panic and chaos of arrivals and departures. For hydrofoils, access is with the help of the crew. Finally, there is no provision for caiques and other local boats.
