Volos to Alonnisos Ferry

The Volos to Alonnisos ferry is the longest leg of the Sporades line, and in 2026 two companies sailed it. Seajets runs the only car ferry, which leaves Volos at 07:40 every day and reaches Alonnisos at 12:10, calling at Skiathos and Skopelos on the way. Economy costs €41.90. For a faster trip, the Seajets Eagle Jet 2 catamaran and the Aegean Flying Dolphins hydrofoil Erato take about 2 h 40 min to 3 h 5 min, and the Erato is the cheapest ticket at €32.50. The one thing a first-timer should know: Hellenic Seaways no longer sails to the Sporades. It sold the Express Skiathos and its Volos line to Seajets in 2024, so older guides and timetables that name Hellenic Seaways are out of date.

Ferry options compared

All boats from Volos run the same way: Volos, Skiathos, Skopelos, then Alonnisos, the last and most northerly stop. The difference is speed, comfort and whether you can bring a vehicle.

Seajets car ferry. This is a large conventional ship with indoor lounges and open decks. In 2026 the Superstar II ran the line until late September, the Sporades Star takes over at the end of September and in October, and the Superstar runs from 1 November and through the winter. The timetable is simple: Volos 07:40, Skiathos 09:55, Skopelos 11:15, Alonnisos 12:10. It is the only way to take a car or motorbike to Alonnisos, it has the most room for luggage, and it is the steadiest boat on a windy day. Economy is €41.90, an air-type seat €47.30, a salon seat €53.70 and Platinum €55.

Seajets Eagle Jet 2. A 40 m catamaran for about 337 passengers and no cars. In 2026 it ran daily from Volos to Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonnisos until 12 October, leaving Volos around 11:15 or 14:30 depending on the period. Ferryhopper lists the fastest Seajets crossing at 2 h 40 min.

Aegean Flying Dolphins hydrofoil. The Erato is a 35 m hydrofoil for about 155 passengers. It stops at Skiathos, Glossa and Skopelos Town and reaches Alonnisos 3 h 5 min after leaving Volos. At €32.50 (€16.50 for children aged 5 to 10) it was the cheapest ticket on the route in 2026. Hydrofoils are cramped and move a lot in a swell, and they are the first boats cancelled in strong wind.

Which ferry for which traveller:

• With a car, motorbike or camper: the Seajets car ferry, the only vehicle option.
• On a budget: the Erato hydrofoil, or economy on the car ferry.
• Short on time: the Eagle Jet 2 or the Erato.
• Prone to seasickness or travelling with heavy luggage: the car ferry.

Timetable and season

The Seajets car ferry runs every day of the year. In the 2026 timetable only Easter Sunday (12 April) had no sailing, and a few holiday dates had changed times. The return leaves Alonnisos at 12:45 and reaches Volos at 17:15, so the same ship does the round trip in a day. On Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays from 15 June to 6 September it also made an evening run from Volos to Skiathos and Agnontas on Skopelos, which does not continue to Alonnisos.

The high-speed boats are seasonal. In summer 2026 there were up to three sailings a day from Volos to Alonnisos across both companies:

• Erato: 14:00 from Volos on most days, 15:30 or 16:00 on Sundays, and an extra 08:15 departure in June. Its early boat back left Alonnisos at 06:10 to 06:30 and reached Volos at 09:00 to 09:40. The published timetable ran to early July; local sources say the Erato keeps sailing until November, so check live times.
• Eagle Jet 2: daily until 12 October 2026.

From November to spring, expect the car ferry only. Winter weather can still cancel or delay it, so leave slack before a flight.

Other ways in. In summer 2026 Seajets also ran high-speed boats to Alonnisos from Mantoudi on Evia (Speedrunner Jet 2, usually a 14:00 departure, about 2 hours) and from Thessaloniki (Superrunner Jet, 27 June to 6 September, 07:00 departure, about 4 h 20 min). There were no ferries from Agios Konstantinos to the Sporades in 2026.

Getting to Volos

Volos is a port city on the Pagasetic Gulf, on the main motorway between Athens and Thessaloniki. The ferry quay is in the city centre, on the waterfront, and you can walk to it from most of the city.

• By bus: KTEL Magnesia runs intercity buses between Athens and Volos. Check times and book at ktelvolou.gr. Since the car ferry leaves at 07:40, most travellers from Athens arrive the evening before.
• By train: Volos station has one direct train a day from Athens; other trains connect via Larissa.
• By air: Nea Anchialos airport serves the Volos area. Many travellers fly to Skiathos instead, whose airport is about 2 km from the port, and pick up the Volos boat there for the last two legs to Alonnisos.

Be at the quay 30 to 45 minutes before departure, and earlier if you have a car.

Arriving in Alonnisos

Boats dock at Patitiri, the main port and capital, on the south-east side of the island. The Old Village (Chora), the island's original settlement, is in the south of the island.

Alonnisos is the quietest of the three main Sporades: about 3,100 people lived in the municipality in 2021. It sits inside the National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades, created in 1992 to protect the Mediterranean monk seal and other wildlife. Boat trips to uninhabited islands in the park, such as Kyra Panagia and Gioura, are one of the island's main draws. This is the Sporades for travellers who want quiet beaches, clear water and walking rather than nightlife.

If you are island-hopping, Skopelos is a short hop back: the car ferry leaves Alonnisos at 12:45 and reaches Skopelos at 13:10. See Skiathos to Skopelos for that leg.

Tickets and prices

2026 fares from Volos to Alonnisos, one way:

• Seajets car ferry: €41.90 economy, €47.30 air-type seat, €53.70 salon, €55 Platinum.
• Car €89.90, motorbike €26.30, three- and four-wheel motorbike €57.80.
• Aegean Flying Dolphins Erato: €32.50 adults, €16.50 children aged 5 to 10, free under 5.
• Ferryhopper showed fares from €37.70 in the low season.

The same car ferry charges €34.70 economy from Volos to Skiathos, so if you are only going as far as Skiathos, buy that shorter ticket.

How to book. Buy online from Seajets or Aegean Flying Dolphins, through a booking site such as Ferryhopper or ferries.gr, or at the agencies by the port in Volos. An e-ticket on your phone saves queuing.

When to book. In July and August, book car space and the small hydrofoil a few days ahead. Outside the peak you can usually buy on the day.

Tips

• Old information. If a timetable, hotel page or guidebook says Hellenic Seaways runs the Volos line, it is out of date. Book with Seajets or Aegean Flying Dolphins.
• Weather. Hydrofoils and catamarans are the first to be cancelled in strong wind. The car ferry is the most reliable choice, especially in spring and autumn.
• Skopelos has two ports. Boats call at Skopelos Town and, on the Erato, at Glossa. If you break the trip on Skopelos, check which port your ticket names.
• Stay the night. The car ferry spends only about 35 minutes in Alonnisos before heading back, so it does not suit a day trip from Volos.
• More Sporades travel. See our Seajets operator page, the Skiathos to Skopelos ferry guide and our Greek island ferries overview.