As beautiful as the Greek islands are, let's face it: it's pretty challenging to get any one of them. It's not impossible, per se, and probably not that difficult if you think about it. However, compared to most destinations in the world, there's no denying that you'll need to exert a lot more effort to get to a Greek island. Especially an island like Paros. This virtually unknown Cyclades island is one of the smaller in the bunch. But despite this, there are still a ton of ways that you can get to it. Here are some you ought to know about.
Flying from Athens
As with all the other Greek islands, from
Crete to
Santorini, the best way to get to Paros is to take a flight from Athens. As the coastal capital city of Greece, Athens also serves as the starting point to get to all the other destinations within the country. Several flights leave to Paros every day. It will only take 40 minutes of travel time and you'll reach the island before you know it. Just make sure you wake up early on the day of your flight because it's likely to depart Athens in the morning
Coming from Other Countries
Unfortunately, if you're coming from a European city outside of Greece, there's no other way to get to Paros aside from taking a flight from Athens. Even if you're in the nearby nations of Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, and the like, there are no direct flights that travel from these places to Paros Island. There are, however, smaller charter flights that land directly in Paros. The most common are from Geneva, Switzerland and they only take off during summer. Do take note that they're not regular flights so it will depend if you're lucky enough to find and book one when you're there.
Taking a Ferry
Apart from flying, you can always take a ferry to Paros instead. If you're coming from Athens, as most do when they depart from mainland Greece, it will only take you around three to four hours to reach the island. This goes for both the main Piraeus port and Rafina, a smaller port town located on the east of the Greek capital. Fortunately,
Athens' public transport is efficient enough that you can get to these places just in time for your departure no matter what
part of the city you're in. And while the trip takes longer than a flight, the fare is much more affordable.
Traveling by Cruise
For all you luxury travelers out there, you might be interested to know that there's one luxury cruise liner that actually travels to Paros,
Celestyal. Since the island doesn't have that many large ports to cater to cruise ships and the like, this is the only cruise liner that can stop by the island regularly. It only does so once a week so make sure to book your trip on the day that it passes by Paros. Do note, however, that Celystal only includes Paros as a stop in its Greek Island itinerary. It's unclear if you can stay on the island after you've gotten here.
Going Island-Hopping
What about if you're coming from another Greek or Cyclades island? Wouldn't it be a hassle to go all the way back to Athens if Paros island is already nearer to where you are right now? Well, it's a good thing that you can always go island-hopping instead. Various ferry, boat rentals, and other similar services in various Greek islands allow you to venture off into the other islands in the area. This way, you can get to any one of them, including Paros, without having to go back to the Greek capital. And yes, you can also go for trips where Paros Island is the final destination.
Sailing Off to Paros
If you can afford it, why not sail off to Paros in your own private yacht? Since you can go island-hopping as a means to get to the destination, doing so in your own boat will make for a more fun adventure. The great thing about this is that, even if you're on a rental boat or one that you own, you get to sail off the Aegean Sea at your time and pace. You're not pressured to stick to a certain timetable and, if you want, you can spend more time on a certain part of Paros or even on the other Cyclades islands.
Public Transport in Paros
Now, once you get to Paros, how can you get around here then? In other words, how is the island's public transport? Well, since Paros is ultimately a rural island, don't expect a lot of options waiting for you here, At best, Paros' KTEL bus system will help you reach your destination. They follow various routes that travel to most of the towns and villages on the island. There's also a bus station in every town, located in a central area most of the time. If you don't know the schedule for each route yet, you can rely on a
transportation app to help you out.
Although going to Paros can be a little challenging, it's not as bad as you might think. Since the island is more on the rural and remote side, it seems that getting here is close to impossible. But on the contrary, you'll only really need to exert a little more effort to reach this paradise.
When you get to Paros, a
luxury home is hopefully waiting for you here, ready to help you relax and unwind after your trip!
