Flight Options to Skopelos from the UK

During the summer season for charter flying, the simplest way of getting to Skopelos is to fly from a regional UK airport to Skiathos (normally once a week) and then to make the short crossing by boat/hydrofoil from there to Skopelos. That is likely also to be the cheapest way (except in the high season period of mid-July to end-August and round the May bank holiday) but you are limited to an exact one- or two-week stay starting and ending on the same day of the week.

Thomson run Wednesday charters from Manchester (leaves 13:40 arrives 19:25 local) and Gatwick (leaves 07:05) from 7th May through to 15th October. The return flight gets into Gatwick at 16:00, and Manchester late (11:10pm).

Thomson Gatwick - Skiathos flights summary

Thomson Manchester - Skiathos flights summary

From May 2009 through to end September Thomson will be operating Friday flights to Skiathos from Birmingham (leaves 07:00 arrives 12:40 local):

Thomson Birmingham - Skiathos flights summary

Monarch’s summer 2009 charter flights to Skiathos (and on to Volos) will depart from Gatwick (dep 0655) and Manchester (dep 0600) each Friday between 15 May and 09 October 2009, with fares from  £239 return, including all taxes and charges. Return flights (also on Fridays) leave Skiathos at 1220 for Gatwick and 1240 for Manchester.

There are daily BA and Easyjet flights into Thessaloniki from Gatwick and Manchester. During high season, there's a direct boat to Skopelos from there. Otherwise, it's a long (but not unpleasant) coach ride to Volos (a not unpleasant town) and boat from there.

The alternative method is to use Olympic Airways from Heathrow or Manchester to Athens and to continue from there by domestic OA flight to Skiathos (and on by sea as above). This allows you complete flexibility of departure day and length of stay and, in a normal year, it can be competitive with, and sometimes cheaper than, a charter flight.

There are other scheduled airlines which can fly you to Athens, but if you do not use Olympic you will have to pay the full domestic fare for the Athens-Skiathos sector which alone is at least £80 return. The only alternative is to travel by coach from Athens to Aghios Constantinos (opposite the island of Evvia) and then take the ferry/hydrofoil to Skopelos, but that's a tedious and unrewarding journey.

The best source of ferry timetable information is probably OpenSeas.

Skopelos Holidays, Yiftorema Skopelos Island 37003 Magnesia Greece