Many visitors reach Kos by landing in Athens and then either taking a one-hour flight or a long ferry ride from Piraeus. For a first trip, fly. The ferry is the better story, but it eats most of a day, and flights can start lower than ferry fares. Compare both before you book.
How do you get to Kos from Athens?
There are three realistic ways: a scheduled flight, a conventional ferry and a private helicopter. Kos sits in the Dodecanese, with roughly 226 nautical miles of sea between Piraeus and the island. That is a much longer trip than the short hops to the Cyclades. Both flights and ferries link Kos with Athens, and flights take about 1 hour.
Flying from Athens
Flights leave Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) for Kos Airport, and the time in the air is about an hour. It's the quickest way to arrive. Check-in, security, baggage claim and the ride to your hotel still stretch the door-to-door trip to several hours.
Taking the ferry from Piraeus
Blue Star Ferries runs the Athens to Kos route from the port of Piraeus. Plan on a full day or a full night aboard. Ferry service from Piraeus to Kos is limited, with roughly one sailing a day, and schedules can vary on holidays and weekends. Foot passengers are welcome, and most ferries to the Dodecanese take cars for an extra fee.
Flying by helicopter
Private helicopters can reach Kos from Athens in roughly 75 to 90 minutes door to door. Helicopter travel is quick, but it takes advance planning and suitable weather. For most travelers it's a splurge rather than a plan.
Is it better to take the ferry or fly to Kos?
Fly if you're short on time, traveling with kids who get restless, or arriving jet-lagged from the States. An hour in the air beats 9 to 14 hours at sea, and on some dates the plane is also the cheaper ticket.
Take the ferry if you have a day to spare and like the idea of time on deck, with restaurants, cafes and bars on board. Seating ranges from economy deck chairs and comfortable armchairs to business-class seats and inside or outside cabins. On a crossing this long, book a cabin.
Here's the short version by traveler:
- First trip: fly. It's quick and simple.
- Family with luggage: fly, unless you're bringing a car. In that case the ferry makes sense.
- Tight budget: compare the flight fare with the ferry fare, and book the boat early, since early booking often means lower prices.
- Flexible schedule and a love of boats: ferry, with a cabin.
What can go wrong? Transportation strikes in Greece can interrupt traffic, public transportation, taxis, seaports and airports, and demonstrations can flare up with little notice. With only a sailing or two a day, a ferry often leaves little room for error. Don't book a tight international flight out of Athens on the day you sail back from Kos.
How long is the ferry to Kos?
Direct sailings from Piraeus usually take somewhere between about 9 and 14 hours, depending on the route and the stops along the way. Blue Star's fastest crossing takes about 10 hours 15 minutes, and timetables change by season, so check before you go.
So the same trip can land you at breakfast or in the small hours. If your boat arrives after midnight, tell your hotel ahead of time or choose a daytime crossing.
Can weather or fires disrupt the trip to Kos?
If you're booking a helicopter, keep a backup plan, since flights depend on suitable weather. In the dry summer months forest fires are common in Greece and occasionally close roads. Check local news before a long drive across the island.
Can you fly to Kos without going through Athens?
Often, yes. Kos Airport ranks seventh among Greece's busiest airports, and travelers from roughly 20 countries can fly there directly. Ryanair, easyJet, Aegean Airlines and TUI all serve the island, with seasonal international and domestic routes.
During the summer months, you can fly direct to Kos from cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Brussels. If your trip starts with a stop in Europe, check for a direct flight before routing through Athens. Within Greece, flights from Thessaloniki take 1 hour and 40 minutes.
How do you get to Kos from other islands?
Kos is a ferry hub of the Dodecanese. Its boats sail to 23 ports, including Rhodes, Kalymnos, Symi, Tilos, Astypalea, Patmos, Leros, Lipsi, Nisyros and Pserimos, plus Bodrum in Turkey. Depending on where you start, crossings take anywhere from about 30 minutes to nearly 12 hours.
Rhodes and Kalymnos are both linked to Kos by ferry, with about four boats a day in high season. Kos also connects to Cyclades islands such as Naxos, Paros, Syros and Mykonos, and to the eastern Aegean. The quickest eastern Aegean route is from Agios Kirykos on Ikaria, about 3 hours 15 minutes. All those connections make Kos a smart base or starting point for island hopping.
How do you book ferries to Kos?
Book early, especially in summer, because a fully booked sailing can upend your route. Schedules also change from year to year and by season. The larger operators usually announce new timetables by the end of December and the smaller ones between January and March, so check again as your dates approach. Search by date on a booking site that shows several operators. Compare adult, child and vehicle fares, along with any early-booking discount.
Blue Star tickets can be canceled up to 24 hours before departure, though refund amounts vary. If you're traveling on foot, arrive at the port at least an hour before departure.
Piraeus sits about 7 miles (12 km) south of central Athens, and Metro Line 1 to Piraeus Station is the easy way there. The port has free Wi-Fi, ATMs in the passenger terminals, taxis, parking, a ticket office and toilets.
How do you get from the port or airport to your hotel?
From Kos Airport
The airport is about 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Kos Town, a 25 to 30 minute drive. Public buses to Kos Town stop just outside the terminal, and taxis and airport shuttles also serve the airport. Agree on a taxi fare before you set off, since some drivers overcharge or take longer routes.
Avis, Hertz and Europcar have rental desks in the terminal. Greek law requires a valid U.S. driver's license plus an international driving permit, even if the rental company doesn't ask to see the permit.
Many resorts are much closer than town. Antimachia is about 2 miles (3 km) from the airport, Kardamena about 3 miles (5 km), Mastichari about 11 miles (18 km) and Tigaki about 14 miles (22 km). ATMs are found in Kos Town and the major resorts but not at the airport itself, so it helps to arrive with some euros in your pocket.
From the port of Kos
Almost all inter-island ferries dock at the main harbor in Kos Town, on the island's east coast. Kos Town is easy to explore on foot, though a car gives you more freedom for the rest of the island.
Island buses leave from the main station on Kleopatras Street for Kefalos, Kardamena, Mastichari, Tigaki, Zia and other towns. Buy your ticket on the bus, since riding without a valid ticket can bring a fine of up to 60 times the fare. Timetables are more suggestion than promise, so don't plan around a tight connection. For schedule information, you can call 2242022292, Monday to Saturday from 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (as of 2026). There is no Uber or similar app on Kos, so plan on taxis, buses or a rental.
Some smaller boats use other harbors. Mastichari, on the northwest coast, is the main link to Kalymnos. Kefalos, on the southwest tip, serves fishing and tourist boats, including the crossing to Nisyros.
What documents do you need to travel to Kos?
U.S. citizens can enter Greece without a visa for stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business. Your passport should have at least three months of validity beyond your planned departure date, and you may be asked for proof of funds and a return ticket. A passport that has been reported lost or stolen will not get you in.
Once you're in Greece, carry your passport or another photo ID at all times. Keep it with you rather than in a rental car, since thieves in Greece are known to break into rental cars to steal passports, valuables and luggage. A day or two before departure, confirm the exact sailing or flight time with your operator, and give yourself a cushion on arrival day.
Sources
- greeka.com (https://www.greeka.com/dodecanese/kos/travel/), checked October 18, 2026
- go-ferry.com (https://www.go-ferry.com/routes/greek-routes/ferry-athens-kos), checked October 18, 2026
- flyg.gr (https://flyg.gr/blog/6665-best-way-to-get-from-athens-to-kos-2026-avoid-airport-delays-vip-fees.html), checked October 18, 2026
- omio.com (https://www.omio.com/ferries/athens/kos-czkal), checked October 18, 2026
- go-ferry.com (https://www.go-ferry.com/routes/greek-routes/ferry-kos-athens), checked October 18, 2026
- U.S. Department of State (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Greece.html), checked October 15, 2026
- U.S. Department of State (https://travel.state.gov/content/tsg_aem/us/en/home/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.grc.html), checked October 15, 2026
- ktel-kos.gr (https://ktel-kos.gr/en/general-itineraries/), checked October 15, 2026
- Visit Greece (GNTO) (https://www.visitgreece.gr/en/islands/dodecanese/kos), checked October 15, 2026